You know how it’s extra frustrating when you’re looking for something at home and you can’t
find it because the place is a mess? There’s a reason it bothers you more than normal. Clutter
around the house causes stress and anxiety. You can reduce clutter by cleaning out your home
and getting rid of things you don’t need, but if you don’t work at keeping your home tidy every
day, you’ll just end up with a messy environment again at some point. Try adding the following
tidying habits into your daily routine to keep your home as stress-free as possible.
Start with a Clutter Overhaul
If you’re ready to live in a clutter-free home, there’s no better way to get off on the right foot than
taking an inventory of all your stuff and getting rid of the items you do not need anymore.
Decluttering your whole house is quite the endeavor; having a plan of attack keeps you
organized during the process. Frame your plan by going room by room, and don’t move on to a
new one until the previous is completely decluttered and all remaining items have a designated
spot. Items that you don’t keep can be separated into three categories: sell, donate, and store.
Storage items include things that may take time to sell or you’re simply hesitant to get rid of.
You can stash them safely out of sight at a self-storage unit until you’re ready to make a
decision. Typically, a storage unit in Reno, Nevada, costs about $95 on average, so make sure
you leave room in your budget to cover that monthly price.
Commit to One Load of Laundry a Day
Laundry isn’t a time-consuming task until you have multiple loads overflowing out of your
hammock. Prevent piles of dirty clothes from piling up by committing to washing, drying, folding,
and putting away one load of laundry a day. When you get home from work or school, throw a
new load in the washer. Throughout the evening, you can switch the load to the dryer, hang up
line dry items, and fold them as you pull them out of the machine.
To make things even more organized, designate days for each sorting:
If you simply don’t have the time to do your laundry, you can hire a professional service to tackle
that chore for you. You can expect to pay around $14 per hour for this luxury.
Do an Album Clean
Listening to music improves blood flow, lowers your cortisol levels, and activates neurochemical
systems and brain structures associated with positive mood. Tap into the power of music to help
motivate you towards a cleaner home. An “album clean” is pretty simple: pick one full-length
album that you enjoy, put it on so you can hear it throughout your house, and clean nonstop
until the music’s over. You can get a surprising amount of cleaning done over the length of one
record — especially if you’re feeling motivated and pumped up by your favorite tunes. It also
gives you a great opportunity to expand your musical tastes and repertoire. Try streaming new
music through apps like Spotify (you can listen for free with ads or spend $9.99 per month to
enjoy an ad-free experience) for access to thousands of albums without having to buy hard
copies that will just end up adding to your home’s clutter.
A clutter-free home is going to instigate less anxiety for you and your family. It helps to start with
a clean slate — go through your items and either sell, donate, or store things that no longer
have use in your life. Anything you keep needs to have a designated space so you always know
where to place it and it’s not in anybody’s way. Another great daily habit for reducing clutter is
committing to one load of laundry a day. Finally, every day, once a day, put on an album and
clean for its entirety. The music doubles as a timer and motivation while you gain the benefits
from both listening to your favorite tunes and having a cleaner home.