Good Evening Reader!
I think I'm back on the Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday blog grind! As usual, our Tuesday blog is just whatever practical thing I want to share, and today I'm excited! I've written out the 5 tidying habitsI do every single day at home.
Daily tidying can relieve you of mountains of decluttering in the future. It is a terribly difficult habit to adopt, but it is one that will make you feel like you've never spent a day in your life actually "cleaning" because you're just "cleaning as you go."
Eliminate cleaning dread and increase your peace! Try these 5 Tidying Habits. Enjoy!
1. I don't go to bed until the laundry is DONE
This is a rather new one for me, and I've only been doing it for about a month, but honestly this habit has increased my "Home Happiness" TENFOLD.
I used to let laundry get SO piled up that it was impossible to even function in the laundry room. Imagine stepping over a pile of laundry half as tall as the dryer itself *shudder.* I would have mounds and mounds of clothing to put away and even more that needd to go for a a second trip though the machine because I had somehow forgotten them in the washer overnight. UGH.
But now, I am becoming a changed woman. Basically every day I make sure that the laundry is as done as I can make it. This means that no clothes will be left in the dryer, even if I have to put in the extra time to fold and put them away. However, I DO wait for laundry to pile up to a full load so I don't waste water and energy (YAY frugal utilities!)
2. I Clean and Tidy the Kitchen ALL THE WAY Before Bed
So a lot of you have seen on my Instagram Stories that I am PASSIONATE about daily kitchen cleaning. I made this a daily rule for myself, with only the rare exception (eg. dinner party guests leave at midnight, and I just go to sleep and deal with the dishes in the morning.)
But yes, on most nights I make sure the kitchen is clean, disinfected, and set up for the next day! Empty dishwasher, counters cleared of clutter, and floor wiped and vacuumed! Honestly folks, I can wake up kind of grumpy, and if I find a kitchen full of dishes it only adds to the trauma of waking up LOL! Starting my day with a sparkly kitchen, fresh and ready for me to make coffee and eggs starts the day out RIGHT!
3. I evaluate the state of my fridge EVERY evening
This tip has improved my life SO much. I used to have moldy items left in the vegetable crisper drawers for weeks and even months because I am SUCH an avoider of problems! I can't lie: I always knew that the juicy bag of spinach was dying a slow death in my OWN HOME, but for some reason I felt unable to deal with it. *shame*
But now, with our improved budgeting and frugality, I'm trying to NEVER waste food. This means that I need to keep track of what's going on in our fridge at all times. I look inside and ask all these questions: Whats going to go bad? What should I plan on cooking for tomorrow? Should I plan on making a bread tomorrow to pair with what we have in the fridge?
In short, I practice the art of FRIDGE PREPARATION. (So fancy.) Oh! And I also take out tomorrow's dinner meat to defrost in the fridge overnight. And if I notice that we're running out of a crucial item (basically only eggs,) I will make a quick run to the store!
4. I Put everything (within reason) back where it is SUPPOSED to be
I have a wicker basket that I call my "House Basket." I carry it and walk around the house, gathering up items that are in the wrong spot or need to be dealt with. Think, random mail, dog stuff, socks, whatever gets left around. Then, I redistribute everything back to where it belongs! Relaxing and satisfying!
Remember, everything in your home should have it's own HOME. Everything should have a place and if it doesn't, create one! Invest in baskets, boxes, and other organization helpers to allow your home to go from chaos to calm.
5. I Empty the kitchen trash EVERY night
This final practice is very small and probably already a habit of many people, but I cannot stress enough how unorganized and messy I used to be! I would let trash pile up for WAY too long because I just didn't want to deal with it (avoidance is definitely a problem in my life.)
But friends, I have come a long way because now I empty my kitchen trash every single night. Yes, I will take a bow and accept a trophy.
Well, there you go friends! I hope these 5 tips can help you get practical with the cleaning in your life. House cleaning shouldn't be left for Saturdays or Spring Cleaning. Clean as you go and you will notice your happiness increasing as well as your sense of peace and calm at home.
Blessings!
Xoxo
Cait