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Getting organized in the home


50 Ways to Make Your Home More Organized, More Attractive, and More Efficient

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he modern home is far bigger than the home of just 30 years ago – and far more cluttered! How can that happen? Basically, our demand for stuff is outstripping our ability to buy space – no wonder self-storage is one of the leading growth industries in the United States.

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Questions about runaway consumerism aside, what all this excess stuff means for most of us is more time spent maintaining our living spaces to keep some semblance of order in our lives. Most of us don’t want to spend our evenings and weekends – and more for work-at-home types – knee-deep in clutter, never sure where anything is, and constantly stepping over all those things that, for one reason or another, we just had to have.

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We fight a constant battle against clutter around Chez Dustin. Besides my partner and I, there are her three children, all under 13. Plus, her brother and his two kids have been staying with us while he sorts out some family matters, forcing our usual border-skirmishes against clutter to escalate into an all-out war.

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That’s why I asked you, our readers, to share some of your tips in one of the contests in the Great Big Summer Giveaway. I had a blast going through your tips, tricks, and advice for keeping the home organized, and today, I’m going to present the cream of the crop.

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General Household Tips

  1. Hide a cluttered bookshelf with a spring-loaded curtain rod and a set of curtains. (Liz)
  2. Use filing cabinets for a TV stand. (Doug)
  3. Use clear plastic shoeboxes to store knick-knacks and other odds and ends. (jenny)
  4. Organize your house by task so that the things most relevant to each job are where you’re most likely to use them. This might be obvious for things like laundry and crafts, but what about a mail station, homework area, or just storing linens in the laundry room? (gs49, Lorie)
  5. Figure out where things normally get dropped and set up an appropriate place for them as close as possible to that point. This will improve the chance that they’ll end up where they belong, and decrease the distance the things that don’t make it home have to go to be put back. (Paula)
  6. Label it! Labeling is not just for file folders – get a label-maker (or several) and keep it handy all around the house. Kitchen shelves, storage containers, bookshelves, coat racks — there are millions of places where a smart label can forestall endless amounts of clutter. My variation of jenny’s clear shoebox idea above (#3) is to use plastic pencil boxes for all manner of tiny stuff; they lock slightly to make tidy stacks on my shelves, and a lovely label on the front keeps everything instantly accessible. (Tassia)
  7. Designate a “launchpad”. This is an area in your house, preferably near the door, where coats, jackets, shoes, backpacks, purses, keys, and everything else you need to find easily next time you leave the house stays. Think of it a transition-zone between outside and inside — almost like an airlock. (Kate, Christian247, jason, Luke L., Sandy)
  8. Set up a “bucket” at your “launchpad (a milk crate, basket, or an actual bucket) for each person “. (Laura Warner)
  9. Use a 4-tier “Stadium Rack” for spices, allowing you to always see everything easily without taking up much space. (Jeff)
  10. Set up “clutter bags” in every room. Keep a reusable shopping bag — there are plenty of attractive ones available for super-cheap these days — in every room; when stuff from elsewhere around the house starts building up, throw it into the clutter bag until you can sort it out. (Allan)
  11. Store trashbags inside the trash can, under the current liner. That way, you (or whoever takes the trash out) have a fresh bag handy every single time. (Robert)
  12. Set up a shared online calendar between you and your partner, and allow access to your close family, child-care providers, and anyone else who might need to know where you are at any given moment — or what events are coming up that they might need to plan for. (David)
  13. Use behind-the-door shoe holders for storage of tiny or awkward stuff. The cloth kind have 20 or so pockets that are ideal for craft supplies, cleaning products, tools, and office materials. (Aaron, Shari)
  14. Take care of dishes immediately after meals. (Brenden)
  15. Run the dishwasher frequently. Large households often never get to that mythical state where the clean dishes are put away, the dirty ones are in the dishwasher, and nothing is stacked up in the sink. Modern dishwashers are designed to detect the size of the load, so there’s no reason to wait until the washer is full to run your dishes. (michael kastler; Note from Dustin: I wonder about the electricity needs of this, though!)
  16. Take pictures of sentimental objects before giving them away or throwing them out. Like that T-shirt from that concert you want to when you were 20 years younger, 3 sizes smaller, and quite a bit more stoned. You know you won’t ever wear it again, but hold onto it because of the memories. (michael kastler)
  17. Set up a library/rental box. Store your library books and rented videos in a box in your living room or other place near where you’ll use them, and keep your library cards and video rental cards there as well. That way, you’ll always be reminded if anything’s due when you go to collect your rental cards. (Paul)
  18. Color-code your family. Assign a color to everyone in the house, and buy everything for them in that color: towels, toothbrushes, cups, water bottles, lunch boxes, slippers, whatever. (OngoingDebacle)
  19. Keep your “go bag” in the car. For example, all the stuff for family outings (aside from food) can be stored in the truck, freeing up space in the house and keeping it with you for spontaneous fun time. (Linda F.)
  20. Use an accordion organizer to sort kids’ project paper. Sort by color and/or type of paper. (Kam A.)
  21. Use bed risers to increase the space under your bed. (Carolyn)
  22. Use drawers, not counters, for storing bathroom stuff. (Luke) Or keep all your toiletries in one box or basket on the counter — easy to move for cleaning the counter. (spn)
  23. Use a corkboard and pushpins to hang jewelry. Keeps everything visible but out of the way. (Angelina)
  24. Use a travel jewelry organizer that goes over a hangar. Also keeps jewelry visible and out of the way — and thieves aren’t likely to look for your jewelry among your hung clothes. (Amy)
  25. Keep a basket by the stairs and add out-of-place items to it. When the basket’s full, take it upstairs and put everything away.(Elizabeth M.)
  26. Fill a box with stuff you’re unsure of and pack it for a year. Make sure you put the date on teh outside. If you don’t use anything in the box for an antire year, you don’t need it and can get rid of it. (April)
  27. Put a whiteboard in your garage where you’ll see it when you come home and when you get ready to leave. Put todo lists, reminders, and otehr important information on it. (Sam Klein)
  28. Find creative uses for containers. For example, ice cube trays are great for storing all sorts of tiny objects — any they stack easily. (Groovymarlin)
  29. Keep a rack by the door for keys. But make sure they’re not visible from the front door/window. (Shelle, TechieBird)
  30. Pull bookshelves out slightly to hide cords for gadgets in the back. (Layne)

Bills and Business

  1. Set up a scanner and a shredder next to each other. Incoming mail goes into the scanner and then –unless you need it for your records — straight into the shredder. (Kenneth)
  2. Sort mail as it comes in. Trash it, file it, respond to it, or take action on it — don’t let it build up. (David Wright, KathyHowe)
  3. Go paperless. Scan all your important paperwork and store it on your computer. File only the papers you absolutely need hard copies of. (James, Luke L., Angela M.)
  4. Set up your bills to be due all on the same day. Most utilities will let you shift your payment date, though you will usually have to make up a month-plus the first time after the change. (Bashar)
  5. Use chip clips to hold related papers together. (steve flattem)
  6. Put all your work work on your desk and “do as you clean”. When you’re done, the desk is clean — a great motivator for people who like a clean desk. (Meryl K. Evans)
  7. Auto-pay everything. (Luke L.)
  8. Scan business cards as you get them. (Luciano)
  9. Make a nice box for receipts and put new receipts in it every night when you get home. Sort your receipts on a regular basis, or this will overflow and become yet another source of clutter. (Jason)
  10. Convert a closet into an office. With a little creativity, even a tiny closet can be transformed into a functional space — and when you’re done, close the door to hide the mess. (Jeremy)

Habits and Attitudes

  1. Learn to travel light. That way, a) you don’t have as much to carry, and b) you don’t have as big a bag to store in your house when you’re not traveling. (Steve Moyer)
  2. Close the circle. This takes a little discipline — ok, a lot of discipline — but if you can build the habit of always seeing every act through to its logical end every time, it will prevent a lot of clutter. In practical terms, this means that every time you use something, you follow through until that thing is back where it started from: eat a bowl of cereal, wash the bowl, dry it, and put it back on the shelf. Our lives tend to be built up out of a lot of little “incompletions” that lead to clutter; if you can break that habit and see see things all the way through, you’ll find a lot more improves than just your clutter situation. (Nuruddeen Lewis)
  3. Clean one room or area a day. This is less daunting than cleaning the whole house, and gives you a clear goal, instead of the “one-more-thing” syndrome that strikes when you get a mind to “do some cleaning”. (Katherine, Carolyn Wilman)
  4. Find the clutter “focal point” of each room and keep it clean. In the bedroom, make the bed and keep it clear; in the kitchen, don’t store anything in the sink. If these focal points are clean, the room will seem less cluttered. (Chris)
  5. Give it away. Make a habit of taking regular trips to the Goodwill or other donation center to give away excess stuff, and make sure that when that day comes, you’ve got a full load of stuff to get rid of. (mel)
  6. One in, one out. Make a habit of throwing out, selling, or giving away something for every new thing you bring into the house. For example, when you buy a new pair of shoes, get rid of your least favorite.  Variation: One in, TWO Out! (Bon Temps, Charlie)
  7. Use “deep storage” wisely. Pack up things that you’re not going to use and store them — don’t keep stuff out when you are unlikely to ever need it. (ProductivityScience)
  8. Don’t shop “recreationally”. Go shopping for the things you need, not to kill time or “just to look”. Avoid succumbing to temptation by avoiding temptation itself! (Tracy)
  9. Never put anything on top of anything smaller than it is. For example, never put a newspaper on top of a small book or your keys. You’ll lose less stuff that way. (Cindy)
  10. Don’t make piles. Ever. (Sue)

How to Get Organized — 100+ Best Organizing Tips

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Whether you're always looking for new ways to reorganize your space, or living that "less is more" motto, it's never a bad time to tackle the clutter in your life and organize your home. It should work for you and not against you. But, the challenge remains: how to get organized? Thankfully, Woman's Day checked in with some certified National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals members to uncover and highlight the best organizing tips for tidying up even the peskiest of spaces.

Beyond the "how," organizing can also give you a sense of peace. "Organization, to me, is one of the most calming and stress-free therapeutic vitamins that you could ever take," Wendy Silberstein, a professional organizer who's also known as the Aesthetic Organizer, tells Woman's Day. "Organization dictates what your daily life will be like; it brings families together; it brings marriages together; and it makes daily life so much simpler."

Professional organizer at STR8N UP, Jennifer Truesdale, tell's Woman's Day that finding ways to stay organized can help people avoid "decision fatigue," which is a state of mental exhaustion that comes after making a million tiny decisions all day. "If we can eliminate any clutter or chaos with organized systems and simplify our routines with more order, then we can eliminate many of those subconscious decisions that tax our brain throughout the day, allowing us more time for maximizing our daily productivity," she says.

Of course, it may feel overwhelming to organize your entire home, so it's important to take it one step at a time. Our experts provide some easy tips to get you going.

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Be honest with yourself.

One of the first things you need to do to keep your home orderly is to get rid of what you don't need. It's common to contain stuff you never use because you either forgot you had certain things or you've developed emotional attachments to items.

Be honest with yourself. Let go of what you don't use or won't miss.

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Create an on-the-go kit with sample products.

If you’ve collected a lot of small sampler products, corral them together in a clear zippered pouch that you can either grab and go the next time you travel or that you can keep in a drawer under the sink to try out the next time you want to change your skincare routine, professional organizer Wendy Silberstein advises.

SHOP CLEAR POUCHES

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Learn to fold.

It sounds silly, but a bad fold job can easily make your home look unkempt.

If you don't have folding skills, use a folding tool.

Related: This File Folding Hack Will Revamp Your Dresser

SHOP FOLDING TOOLS

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Consider a lazy Susan for spices.

If you’re a whiz in the kitchen, Silberstein advises keeping the things you use most often close at hand. She recommends putting your spices on a lazy Susan either on the counter or in a cabinet next to your oils and vinegars, somewhere by the stove so they’re easy to reach when you need them.

SHOP LAZY SUSANS

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Attach a mesh bag to your hamper for socks.

It’s no secret that socks always seem to get lost. Keep them with their pair by putting them in a mesh bag attached to your hamper and then throwing the whole thing in the wash. “If everyone has their own sock bag, you will be able to match into pairs and put them away with ease,” professional organizer Jennifer Truesdale says.

SHOP MESH BAGS

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Buy things in categories.

Instead of buying bowls, pots and pans, food containers, and other grouped-together items at different times, get them together or as a set.

Why? Because they're more likely to easily nest together or fit within each other, making them easy to store.

SHOP NESTING BOWLS

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Contain everything.

If everything has a place, your home will look neat. Make sure items that can be contained are in a specified container. This will also help you remember where you put things. It's a no-brainer.

SHOP UTENSIL CONTAINERS

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Label, label, label.

“You want your kids to be independent and understand where things are,” Silberstein says on the importance of labeling when you live with others. A simple set of labels for where major items go will help ensure that people can find them and put them back where they belong.

SHOP LABEL MAKERS

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Sort your fridge like a grocery store.

Just as grocery stores have a designated place for different types of items — meats, dairy, snacks, etc. — so too should your fridge. Silberstein advises using clear bins in your fridge to keep everything in its designated place, and stacking the bins to take advantage of the height available on most refrigerator shelves.

SHOP REFRIGERATOR ORGANIZING BINS

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Get rid of old tech.

Unless you are trying to have an old-phone museum or a graveyard of old computers, it's time to get rid of old tech.

Consider selling your items on eBay or disposing of them the proper way by doing a quick Google search on how or where to recycle, depending on the item.

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Store kids' toys in over-the-door organizers.

“Pockets are your friends,” says Truesdale. “Use over the door shoe bags with pockets for corralling all types of items when you need extra hidden yet accessible storage.”

SHOP OVER-THE-DOOR ORGANIZERS

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Pick your favorite cleaning products.

“Don’t have 100 products,” Silberstein says. “Most people think they have no space under their sink, but they just have so many products they don’t need.” She suggests picking your favorite multi-surface cleaner, glass cleaner, and bathroom cleaner, and storing those with a few sponges and rags in a bin under the sink.

SHOP ALL-PURPOSE CLEANERS

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Use a basket for constant clutter.

If you have a partner or little one who’s constantly cluttering up the same space, have a dedicated basket in that space to keep things tidy. “Items can be put in the basket and easily carried to their room to be put away later,” Truesdale says.

SHOP STORAGE BASKETS

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Tame cords with a picture ledge.

Uncross wires and gain back precious workspace by turning a simple picture ledge into a charging dock. Use a drill fitted with a 3/4" bit to make holes in the bottom of the shelf, then hang it on the wall above your desk. Thread your charging cords through the holes so you can plug in devices quickly.

SHOP FLOATING SHELVES

Erika Lapresto

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Use the walls.

Hang canvas bins from sturdy hooks, either in a row or grid pattern, to free up space on the floor. You can use them to corral board games, books, magazines, and other items inside. Select a style with a soft color or patterns, and these catchalls become wall decor, too.

SHOP WOVEN BASKETS

Erika Lapresto

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Create an organization station in a kitchen cabinet.

Turn the inside of a cabinet door into an undercover organization station that stores important info like the WiFi password, memos, and coupons. Create your own memo board by trimming chalkboard vinyl to size and positioning at eye level.

SHOP CHALKBOARD VINYL

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Put everything in its place.

Assign specific living quarters to everything you own, and enlist baskets, trays, crates, and hooks to help. If it doesn't have a home, it doesn't stay in the house.

SHOP TRAYS FOR ORGANIZATION

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Set up an outbox.

Create a designated spot for outgoing items (packages, store returns, and more) to prevent them from crowding the tabletop and floor.

SHOP CONSOLE TABLES

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Think about your daily routine.

Put things where they work for you: vitamins by the juice glasses, coats in the garage, and key hooks by the door.

SHOP COAT HOOKS

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Create a coffee station.

A mug over here, a coffee maker there, some K-cups elsewhere... A designated coffee station can make a difference in your mornings and in the overall vibe of your space.

SHOP COFFEE STATIONS

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Color code.

Grouping things in color can help you live in many ways. Not only will you know where everything is, this organizing method will also make things look beautiful.

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Keep a tray on your coffee table.

A small, open tray on the coffee table keeps remote controls from slipping between sofa cushions, says professional organizer Kathy Waddill, author of The Organizing Sourcebook: Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life.

SHOP SERVING TRAYS

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Get rid of CD and DVD cases.

If you still have these, say goodbye to CD stands and move all your discs to a storage wallet. Better yet, import songs into your iTunes library or add them to your Spotify playlist. Moving forward, commit to going digital only.

You can also convert home videos and more with a service like imemories.com.

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Put a trash can in every room.

Keep a wastebasket in every room of your house so there's always a place to toss trash, suggests Waddill.

SHOP TRASH CANS

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Stick to a cleaning routine.

To stay on track (and make cleaning feel less overwhelming), jot your routine down on index cards — organized by daily, weekly, and monthly to-dos — and post them on a bulletin board, says Debbie Williams, founder of organizedtimes.com.

SHOP CORK BOARDS

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Throw out disposable containers right away.

When you unload your groceries, instead of keeping them in the containers they came in, just throw them right into your refrigerator drawer or matching storage bins.

It'll keep your fridge looking beautiful, while also streamlining your produce storage.

SHOP FOOD STORAGE BINS

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Get rid of things you never wear.

Whenever you run across anything stained, ripped, the wrong size, or never worn, immediately toss it in the trash or a charity box.

SHOP ZIPLOC BIG BAGS FOR CLOTHES

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Don't neglect your garage.

That garage you don't care for? It's a haven of storage that will keep the main parts of your home clutter-free. Put some thought into how you lay out "rough storage" in your garage so you can maximize the space.

Related: 28 Genius Garage Organization and Storage Ideas

SHOP ROUGH STORAGE BINS

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Organize cleaning supplies in a caddy.

Use a plastic caddy, not valuable shelf space, to store cleaning supplies. Keep it on the broom closet floor (locked, if you have small children) and tote it from room to room.

SHOP PLASTIC CADDIES

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Keep clean sheets near the bed.

Store sheet sets in the same room as the bed, between the mattress and box spring, or tucked into an under-the-bed box.

SHOP UNDER-BED STORAGE

14 rules of order in the house. How to put things in order in the house (apartment) - 14 Effective ways to keep things in order

"When you put things in order in your house, you put things in order in your life," - the words of, perhaps, the most authoritative expert on the organization of home space, Mary Kondo.

Actually, you don't have to be an expert to free yourself from the bondage of cleaning (sorry, Mary). Just follow the 14 rules for creating a tidy home and you yourself will not notice how the terrible pictures of the Sunday 6-hour trash sorting disappear from your memory, and the hoarding and procrastination reflex disappears by itself.

1. Throw away clothes that have not been worn for more than a year

Of course, we are not robots, we want to keep the memory of a person or an important event. But try not to get carried away. Leave one thing, and do not litter all the closets with children's suits and grandma's dresses. The same applies to your personal belongings. What lies in the closet idle for more than a year should be sent to the trash.

2. Don't put things on the floor - put them in their place!

This pernicious habit of putting bottles, bags and everything that should not lie on the floor. Remember: using the floor as a horizontal cabinet is ugly, inefficient and, moreover, unhygienic. So, get rid of the desire to build figures from all sorts of things, and if you still sinned, dismantle the installation within an hour.

3. Keep your car clean

Get rid of the trunk of unnecessary containers, rags and anything that might “suddenly come in handy”. Be sure to clean glove boxes, side door pockets, and cup holders. If you can’t get rid of the trash in the car, at least tint the windows so that no one confuses the interior with a trash can.

4. Make your bed every day

Why, if you get out of bed, go to work, come back and fall back on it? Experts recommend! Foreign cleaning consultants and even psychologists still advise not to succumb to temptation and fill your bed. This ritual disciplines and helps to maintain order in the room.

5. Don't keep gadgets that you no longer use at home

Donate to a charity or recycle - there are better uses for them than keeping them in a drawer.

6. Use the 5-minute rule

If a task can be completed in a few minutes, do it now, not later. Sometimes very lazy, but be patient! Five minutes today will save you hours of long and tiring cleaning tomorrow.

7. Get rid of waste paper!

Discard old magazines, stickers, clippings from notebooks. A new issue of your favorite publication has been released - the old one frees up space for it and goes to the trash. And nothing else!

8. Create storage systems for the whole family

This rule will seem strange to some. How can you make equally convenient storage systems for yourself, children and, for example, elderly parents? Keep shared items in one place. For example, family photo albums or bathroom textiles.

9. Solve a problem before it appears

Do you feel that perfectionism in cleanliness and order is not your forte? Excuses! With a little discipline, you can call yourself a cleaning forecaster.

Just before you throw your clothes on the sofa, imagine how you repeat this harmful ritual for another 5 days and no longer see the sofa behind a mountain of things. Like? If not, think and reconsider the automatic action.

10. Use the same hangers

"What's with the hangers?" - you ask. Given that the use of the same clothespins and hangers is the basis of order in the closet and ease of use, by the way, too. An important point: do not skimp on hangers! If a black evening dress hangs under layers of sweaters and shirts, it will have to be found first and then put in order. Faster and cheaper (time is money) to buy individual coat hangers.

11. Sort your mail without leaving the box

Do not bring a bunch of unsorted letters, otherwise something from the unnecessary will definitely settle on the nightstand. We carry bills to the corridor, letters from relatives and friends to the living room, advertisements for miracle supplements and clairvoyant courses to the garbage can of the entrance.

12. Get rid of paper reams

See rule #7 with the caveat that it's about any paper, even printer paper. Everything has its place. The necessary paper and magazines you have not read remain in the places provided for this. And what is already considered by the brain is ruthlessly destroyed.

13. Try not to be guided by the rule - “out of sight, out of mind”

Do not shove your belongings into nameless boxes, cabinets, and especially mezzanines. Sort what you need, sort it into categories and send it to different boxes and boxes with a signature. And unnecessary (well, you already understood).

14. Spend 15 minutes a day doing a quick cleaning

Spend 15 minutes every evening (or morning) preparing your home for the new day. Put away clothes, wash dishes, arrange chairs so you don't have to double work the next day.

In summary, no one is perfect. Even people who have devoted their lives to the study of order and organization of spaces, surely sometimes leave socks under the bed or a dirty cup in the sink.

But now, after you have read this article, it will be easier to strive for cleanliness, and a little cleaning lover will settle in your head, who at the right time will remind you of the 5-minute rule or will not let you buy a new magazine before the old one is thrown away .

Share the results of your work on yourself in the comments. Together we will keep order!

Innovative cleaning method - INMYROOM

Do you view your home only through the lens of functionality? Divide it into a series of rooms where you eat, sleep, wash, work, communicate with household members? Think broader: the house is the center of your unique life, which requires order in all areas. We read a new book about cleaning to learn how to start living more consciously and stop cluttering the environment. We share our impressions with you.

The book “Breathe Freely” was published in Russian by the publishing house “Mann, Ivanov and Ferber” in 2015. Its authors - Lauren Rosenfield and Melva Green - wrote it for those who want to get rid of the clutter in their home and soul. Dr. Melva Green is a registered psychiatrist who combines scientific knowledge with the power of intuition. Lauren Rosenfield is the mother of four restless teenagers and a master of spiritual cleansing.

1. Start cleaning in the entryway

The entryway is the first place you enter when you come home. Therefore, restoring order should begin with it. Enter your home as if you were a first-time visitor. What immediately catches your eye? What things seem redundant? Remove them without hesitation - give them to someone or throw them away.

Fill your entryway with just the right things and nice accessories. Put a vase with fresh flowers on a chest of drawers, hang a cheerful picture and a poster. Keep everything in its place, and throw out flyers, checks and other garbage before you get home.

"Before you start clearing out the trash, it's important to remember that the process of clearing out requires patience, pliability, and sensitive introspection."

2. Create an atmosphere of relaxation in the living room

The living room is a place for the whole family to gather: here we share the day's events, impressions, spend time with children and receive guests. Someone has a whole room allocated for these purposes, for someone it also serves as a bedroom. One thing unites them - the mess prevents you from completely relaxing and relaxing.

Take a picture of the interior of your living room, look at the photo and think about what is bothering you. Perhaps a pile of unnecessary magazines has accumulated in the corner, flyers lie between the books, and clothes hang on the back of the chair - remove unnecessary things. Do the manipulations several times and the only thing left for you is to invite guests here.

"Physical rubbish is just an expression of the emotional disorder we carry within us."

3. Set up a place for home dinners

The dining room is more than a room where people just eat: here people communicate and exchange news. It doesn’t matter if you can allocate a full-fledged room for it or have dinner at a small table in the kitchen - there should be order in this area. Often in the dining room they work at a computer, do their homework - they use it as a full-fledged workplace. Therefore, meals become more like a quick snack in the company of a laptop or TV.

As you clean this area, write down a list of things you do here: school lessons, office work, needlework. Allocate a box for each activity: put extra things in them and put them out of sight - let nothing distract you while eating.

“You will have to look at rooms not just as a place for furniture, but as an outward manifestation of emotional and spiritual life.

For each room, choose at least three symbol words that describe the atmosphere you want to create there.

4. Free the kitchen from unnecessary things

The kitchen is often called the heart of the house - it is here that the hostess prepares food for the family, guests first come here for a cup of tea. In addition to groceries, it stores dishes, cooking utensils, cookbooks and more. But are they all in their places, do you use at least half of the things?

Get rid of pieces of furniture that prevent you from moving freely around the kitchen and making the most of the space. Grab your favorite cookbook and plan your dream dinner. Pull out all the tools you need to prepare such a dinner: pots, pans, bowls. Repeat the manipulations with different menu options: everything that is left aside - feel free to throw it away. And, of course, do not wait for a special moment - cook your dream dinner now!

"Getting rid of rubbish - giving up unnecessary things in order to get in return the space, time and positive emotions that you lack.

"

5. Teach your child to clean by example

While the child is still small, you are responsible for the order in the nursery. But the kids grow and change, the nursery transforms with them - it is filled with toys, personal items and hobby attributes. Remember that children do not see the disorder - for them it is a natural result of development and self-knowledge.

The best way to teach a child to put things in order is not to ask him, but to show how this is done by your own example. Give him one small task at a time: sort out one drawer, throw out old clothes, put away toys. And of course, do not forget about promotions.

"The goal is to enjoy the process and feel the joy of the work done."

6. Get rid of distractions in the office

Some people like to work in open common areas: at the dining table, at the coffee table by the sofa, in the bedroom; others choose a secluded spot next to a window. Both of them are similar in one thing - the workspace easily turns into a real pile of rubbish.

Psychologists say that this is connected with a feeling of anxiety and fear of responsible work. To clean up your office, first sort the things that you are indifferent to, then those that cause fear or stupor. As a result, you will not only clean up the space, but also understand what type of activity to pay special attention to.

“Always start by identifying a purpose for the room or area you have chosen to clean up. You have to look for things that are inappropriate for the purpose: they will go into the box.

7. Make room for relaxation in the bedroom

The bedroom is a personal space in which we are especially vulnerable. The bedroom is a place of love, rest and recovery, and any clutter will get in the way of complete relaxation. Take a close look at the room, pay attention to which of the things cause pleasant emotions, and what you would like to replace. If you need to, feel free to toss out extra accessories and highlight what you like.

“We are big fans of before and after shots.

It's nice to see where you've been before to realize how far you've come."

8. Take the time to clean your bathroom

The bathroom is where every morning begins and every evening ends. It is here that we can be alone with ourselves, smile at the reflection and tune in to a new day. It is difficult to do this among unwashed linen, chaotic shampoo bottles and a dirty sink.

Get rid of all the things that spoil your start to the day and cause discomfort. Sort the bottles and jars - are you sure you need them all? Feel free to throw away those that are already covered with dust - love yourself.

“The idea of ​​three gates is good to use when cleaning the house. We suggest the following control questions: Does this item meet my goals? do I use this item? Is this thing good for my soul?

Opinion InMyRoom

If you have never traced the connection between your emotional state and order in the house, then this book can be a real discovery for you.

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