Tired of the Constant Mess? Follow These 10 Tips to Keep Your House Clutter-Free

As a parent, you’ve likely stepped on enough plastic toys in the night to know that you need to keep your home as clean as possible. Younger kids can create havoc in just a few minutes. Add to that the dishes piling up in the sink and the carpets that haven’t been vacuumed in weeks, and you have a mess on your hands. It may seem hopeless at times, but we’re here to tell you that it isn’t. With all that in mind, we created this guide to help you keep your house clutter-free. 

A cleaner house is often a happier house, and things are typically easier when everything has its place. However, more important than that is your own mental health. Studies show that clutter raises anxiety, and you have enough to worry about. We urge you to heed these 10 tips for a happier, cleaner life.

Stop Making Decluttering a One-Time Event

Perhaps the best secret to keeping your house clutter-free is to keep at it every day. Many parents wait until the clutter becomes unbearable and then dedicate an entire weekend to cleaning. As a result, the house looks amazing for a few days, but before long, toys, papers, and random items begin piling up again. It’s important to realize that clutter is constantly entering your home. Whether it's new toys or school projects, it’s typical to have more coming in than going out. 

Instead of scheduling occasional decluttering marathons, create a routine for dealing with clutter. Even spending ten minutes each day putting things back where they belong can prevent major messes from developing. Think of cleaning and decluttering as another essential daily routine, like brushing your teeth. It's an ongoing habit that keeps things healthy. 

Follow the “One In, One Out” Rule

Another essential rule that is necessary for keeping your house clutter-free is having a good system, and the “one in, one out ” rule is a good way to go. It’s simple: whenever something new comes into the home, something old must leave. This system works particularly well for toys, clothing, books, shoes, and stuffed animals. 

So, for example, if your child receives a new toy for their birthday, ask them to choose an older toy they no longer use to donate. If you buy a new pair of shoes, consider getting rid of an old pair. If you stick to this rule, you’ll never accumulate unnecessary clutter. Do it right, and your kids may follow this same rule when they grow up and have a home of their own.

Create a Place for Everything

If you can’t get rid of as many items as you hoped, you can at least make your home appear cleaner by creating a place for everything. One reason clutter accumulates is that many items don't actually have designated storage spaces. Your kids may have a bad habit of leaving a toy on the floor when they’re done playing with it. That’s how clutter starts. 

Take time to identify frequently used items and assign specific locations.

Examples include:

• A basket for remote controls
• Hooks for backpacks
• A charging station for electronics
• A tray for keys and wallets
• Designated bins for toys

When every item has a home, cleanup becomes significantly easier because family members know exactly where things should go.

Add Cleaning Into Your Daily Routine

You don’t have to dedicate your entire day to daily cleanings, but you’ll need some sort of routine if you hope to stay on top of clutter. At a minimum, incorporate small cleanup sessions into your daily routine. For instance, you might try:

• A ten-minute evening pickup before bedtime
• Cleaning up toys before starting a new activity
• Resetting common areas after dinner
• Putting away laundry immediately after folding

You could also try a tactic that makes cleaning fun. Many families find success by setting a timer and making cleanup a race. Kids and adults alike are often surprisingly motivated when they know the task has a clear beginning and end.

Allow Only One Toy at a Time

It may seem obvious, but one of the best strategies for keeping your house clutter-free is to reduce the amount of clutter in the first place. The simplest way to do so is to ensure your kids take out only one toy at a time. Once they’re done, they can put that toy away. All of a sudden, your house is clutter-free. You don’t have to be too strict on the “one toy” policy. So, for instance, if your daughter has two dolls that always communicate with each other, you can make an exception. 

The point is not to let things get out of hand. Plus, children often play more creatively when they have fewer options in front of them. Rotated toys can feel exciting and new without requiring additional purchases.

Tackle Paper Clutter Immediately

When you’re trying to keep your home clutter-free, it’s wise to look at the overall picture. It’s not just toys that are taking up space. You may have some paper clutter as well. It’s far too easy to let paper fill your home. School flyers, artwork, permission slips, receipts, coupons, mail, and advertisements can quickly overwhelm countertops and desks.

The best way to tackle this issue is to implement a system and sort papers right away, rather than letting them accumulate. Consider a system where you immediately sort paperwork into three piles: action items, keep, and recycle. Then stick to it going forward. 

Also, remember that when it comes to your children's artwork, you don’t need to save every single masterpiece. It may be tough, but keeping everything is unrealistic. You can still retain the memories by taking photos of the artwork and keeping them on your phone.

Declutter Before Holidays and Birthdays

A great way to keep clutter at bay is to anticipate when more items will be coming into your home. If you have younger kids, they’re likely going to get many gifts for birthdays and Christmas, so start decluttering before the occasion. Ask your children to sort through their toys, identify items they no longer use, and donate or otherwise get rid of them. By donating the toys, you can declutter your home while giving other kids in need a nice holiday as well.

You can make this process easier when the time is right by creating a donation box that you keep all year. Encourage your kids to think about the toys they play with the most. If they find they’re no longer interested in playing with a certain toy, encourage them to put it in the donation box. Then, when the time is right, you can drop off the toys at a local church, Salvation Army, or other donation location.

Focus on High-Traffic Areas

A great tip to make your life easier and keep your house clutter-free is to focus on high-traffic areas, such as the living room, kitchen, entryway, and family rooms. These are areas where you are likely to walk the most, so you don’t want to create a safety hazard. You’ll be more inclined to clean these areas, and it may be so fulfilling that you then want to clean other rooms as well.

Put a special focus on entryway cleanup. It’s natural for kids to come in the front door, plop down their backpacks, and kick off their shoes. Likewise, adults may toss their keys and wallets in random places. The solution is to create a place for everything. Simple entryway systems include: 

• Shoe racks
• Backpack hooks
• Coat hooks
• Storage benches
• Mail organizers

Encourage family members to put items away immediately upon entering the house. A well-organized entryway prevents clutter from spreading throughout the rest of the home.

Schedule Seasonal Decluttering Sessions

Many people try to focus their decluttering efforts during “spring cleaning,” but that system leads to clutter the rest of the year. If you don’t have time to clean every day, then at least consider seasonal cleanup sessions:

• At the start of summer: Clean and put away all rain boots and umbrellas, and store the coats.
• Before the school year: Clean out last year’s backpacks and tidy up desks and other places where your kids may study when school starts.
• Before the holidays: Get rid of toys that never get played with to make room for the new stuff.
• During spring cleaning: This is the time to clean behind the oven, under couches, dust the ceiling fans, and more.

This regular maintenance will prevent an overwhelming buildup. Plus, your mental health will get a boost because you accomplished a major task.

Model Good Habits

Finally, ensure you practice what you preach when it comes to decluttering. If you enact all of these cleaning rules but you don’t do them yourself, your kids are unlikely to follow through. Simple examples include returning items after you’re done using them, putting laundry away once it’s done, sorting papers immediately, and donating the items you personally don’t use that often. 

The goal of keeping your house clutter-free is to create a safe home where everything has its place. However, it’s important that you don’t become obsessive or aim for perfection. Simply focus on putting things away when you’re done with them and removing items from the house that you no longer use. Follow these simple principles, and you’ll be much happier for it.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©New Africa/Shutterstock.com