October 19, 2015
6 Surfaces to Clear If Your House Feels Cluttered
Clean and cleared surfaces add that breathing room that your home desperately needs. But do you feel like everyone is talking about clutter and how we need it out of our homes right now? I think that the key is to deal with the clutter every single day and have a plan for when it does come into the house (school papers, mail, stuff). If you’ve seen my cleaning routine, you know that ‘clutter’ is on the daily routine because if it isn’t dealt with daily it’s going to become a problem (for me).
But what if you haven’t dealt with the clutter daily and need to start somewhere? Try clearing a couple surfaces. I promise you’ll feel better and like you can continue with the decluttering process. It might just be what you need to get started. One surface at a time and within minutes you’ll start feeling like you’re making progress.
KITCHEN COUNTERS – Counters tend to be clutter collectors, but they don’t have to be! Quickly remove any and all clutter from your kitchen counters and place it on your kitchen table. Wipe your counters with your favorite cleaner or with a sponge and warm, soapy water. Put away/keep/toss any clutter so that it doesn’t go back on the counters.
REFRIGERATOR – Have lists and reminders plastered on the front and sides? Remove them and quickly keep or toss necessary paper and reminders. Give it a quick wipe down concentrating on the handles and getting rid of fingerprints. (If you have stainless steel appliances, you’ll love this trick.)
KITCHEN SINK – A clean kitchen sink just screams tidy, don’t you think? Take a couple minutes and empty your sink, put clean dishes away, and load up your dishwasher. Run the dishwasher if it’s full or if you don’t have a dishwasher, wash and dry the dishes. Once the sink is empty, give it a little squirt of dish soap and a scrub it up. Need a little abrasive cleaning? You can add a little baking soda to the dish soap to make an all-purpose scrub and scrub away. Put out a clean dish towel and move on to the next surface.
BATHROOM COUNTERS – If you have extra time, go into your bathrooms, clear and wipe down all the counters. If you only have a couple minutes, go into the master or main bathroom and clear the counters and wipe them down. Put out clean hand towels to complete the cleaned up look.
NIGHTSTAND – Begin and end the day with a relaxed space by clearing your nightstand. Return any items that don’t belong on your nightstand to their homes. Give your nightstand a quick dusting and return necessary items like lotion and your current reads.
WORK SPACE – If you have a desk or area where you pay bills, work from home, etc. Quickly pick up any loose papers and odds and ends. Clear the space and return items to their proper homes.
Just like that you’ve given your house a little clean reset and you’re ready for a new day! What must-do cleaning task would you add to the list? What are you going to do today?
A couple links you might enjoy – just click the image to go to the page…..
If you need a little help with the dailies, check out Homekeeping Society – it’s a monthly subscription designed to simplify your life!
Rebecca Says
I would add beds to the list. That’s a surface, right? 🙂
Beds take just a few quick minutes to make (and clear off – if clothes have been dropped there) – and my room feels instantly clean and put together – even if there are other tasks that still need to be completed. 😀
Morgan Says
This came at a perfect time! We’ve had company for 5 days and we handed over the master bedroom since we have a small space and wake earlier than our guests. Now all the clutter that usually gets put away somewhere in the master is hiding in corners all over the rest of the house. :S I’m going bonkers so it’s time to begin!
Nancy Says
I would add living room coffee table as that collects papers, magazines, books, etc. Our dining room table and kitchen counters are in close proximity so they both collect the mail, notes “to do”, grocery lists and other stuff. Bedroom dresser tops are also a collection area. We seem to have gotten into a rut as empty nesters. My husband has his pile of important papers and notes which he keeps on his table placemat–which I have to move around before and after meal time. Every few days I go through his small but consistent pile and recycle the used envelopes (Yes! Envelopes!), and if something is important enough to keep but not file away yet, it goes on his bedroom dresser. I have my own little pile of “to do’s”, which I sometimes prioritize on the kitchen counter, in piles. It’s rather funny; we aren’t hoarders, and the piles are small, and it’s not like we have to clear a 12″ x 18″ spot on the table just to eat; junk just piles up! Our paper recycle box is just inside a kitchen closet quite near the table and gets used a lot, especially with all of the junk mail we receive!
Lindsey Says
My brother and I live with our parents (2 nasty divorces later) and I struggle to keep everything tidy with a toddler around. However I have found that having a box (or cute basket) for each room in a central location speeds up cleaning time. If something in the kitchen belongs in the living room it goes in the right box, then when I move on to the next room I grab a box and empty it where it goes.
Katie Says
OMG I feel you on this! Life doesn’t have to be this hard!
Lynn Says
I need help, how do I clean the water stain off the marble surface?
My 2 boys spilled hot water on my wooden table and now I can’t get that shiny look anymore? Please have any ideas?