Tackle the top reasons why your house keeps getting messy. Professional organizing expert Lisa Menees has the best tips to sort, organize, and simplify your home!
Ever wonder why your house seems to perpetually float between clutter and chaos? We’ll uncover some of the underlying reasons behind this common frustration. Then throw you a life raft of actionable tips to help you reclaim your space and maintain tidiness for good!
Your categories are too broad or too narrow.
Arranging items by “like with like” is key to organizational success! If you find you’re still struggling to find things, maybe your categories are too broad. For example, a container labeled “shoes” will leave you digging through it, throwing shows all over the floor to find that cute pair of sandals you wanted to wear today. Instead, a bin labeled “summer shoes” would help you find them much faster and avoid spillage all over the closet floor.
Alternatively, multiple bins meticulously sub-categorizing each style and color of summer shoe may take up too much room and leave you shuffling containers around, creating more chaos.
Your categories weren’t communicated with your family members.
Your categories are now established and the resulting order makes perfect sense…to you. What happens when your spouse comes along and they believe nuts belong in the “snack” category of your pantry instead of the “baking” category?
Communication is key. And the easiest way to do that is…labels! Which bring us to our next common reason:
Not using labels.
You’ve made the effort to get organized and things are looking neat and tidy until you forgot which bin hats go in versus gloves. Don’t forget your labels! Labeled containers make it so much faster to find the things you need, and quickly put them away again.
Putting off the maintenance of your spaces.
Even if you put things away in their homes every space can benefit from some maintenance. Take a few minutes to fold items neatly, put them in the proper order, tidy things to make more space, or eliminate items no longer needed.
It’s been too long since you last edited a space.
As time goes by, our tastes change and our needs change. Instead of pushing unused items to a back corner it’s a great idea to “edit” your spaces on a regular basis. For most people the closet, pantry, and kids areas are at the top of the list to declutter; book an appointment with yourself to get these done (maybe adding an incentive or reward to help nudge you into action). You’ll save time and feel more at ease knowing that everything in a space is useful!
Shopping habits may need to be evaluated.
It’s fun to shop, but sometimes we find ourselves unable to resist a good deal even if it’s something we don’t really need. The thrill of the sale is often more exciting than the item in question. When considering a purchase, check in and be honest with yourself: Do I really WANT this? Do I NEED this? Will I USE this? If the answer is no to any of these, consider passing it by.
You have a habit of “just putting this here for now.”
It usually only takes an additional 1-2 minutes to put away your items. A habit of tossing all the odds and ends on the kitchen counter leads to an unmanageable pile of clutter in no time! Plus, it’ll take much longer to put it all away later. When in doubt, put it away, right away!
No designated drop zones.
It’s always best to put things away immediately, but we understand life gets in the way and sometimes you just need a place to stash things. Create designated spots in your home where you and your family can deposit items to be tidied later. This will keep the clutter contained until you have time to take care of it.
Too many drop zones.
Too many temporary drop zones are just as messy as having no drop zones. Save yourself time and frustration by claiming only 1-2 spots in your home for temporary items. Then don’t forget to put things away!
Good intentions have you spread too thin.
If you have a pile to go to charity, another for recycling, a bag of too-small clothes you know your colleague on the second floor might like, some toys that your cousin will want in 4 months when she has a baby…you get the idea. It’s great you have a big heart and want a second life for your unwanted items, but too many piles to too many places can get overwhelming quickly. Choose the organizations that accept the most items and commit to taking them there right away.
You need to delegate.
We all want to be a superhero but sometimes you just can’t do it all on your own. If you have too much on your plate, then delegate! Get your family involved (you may have to bribe them with ice cream but it’s worth it, right?) or of course, you can call a professional!
I would be happy to discuss a customized solution that meets your organizational style needs. Not sure what that is yet? Take my quiz to find out!