If your house become a bit of a mess and you find yourself tripping over things and feeling overwhelmed by the clutter… guess what? You’re not alone!
Even if they’re not talking about it, everyone has experienced the chaos of a messy house, and it all gets a little overwhelming.
But, no need to fear – my guide on how to start organising a messy house will help you sort through the chaos and get your house back in order in just a few simple steps!
Contrary to what you may believe, my house isn’t always super organised. Just because there isn’t much clutter doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes have moments (or days!) of chaos.
Laundry piles up, dishes hide in the sink, and all of a sudden I’m living in what feels like a crazy mess. And unfortunately, self-cleaning houses are a bit hard to come by (sigh)!
But don’t despair! I have a tried-and-true method for getting your messy house back in order that I’m sharing with you today.
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How does a clean home benefit you?
Improved mental health
It doesn’t just look pretty, but a clean house can actually have a positive affect on your mental wellbeing. Not only does having a clean space help to reduce stress levels, it can also help lift anxiety by providing a sense of control and order in an otherwise chaotic world.
Increased productivity
A messy living space can be a massive distraction when you’re trying to get work done. That pile of dirty laundry on the floor might seem like it’s calling your name, but in reality, it’s just keeping you from getting stuff done.
Satisfaction of accomplishment
The sense of accomplishment that comes with tidying a messy home is wonderful! Once everything has been put away in their home within the home, there’s an overwhelming feeling of pride knowing that you conquered the mess.
Healthy environment
Organising a messy house can also benefit your physical health by creating a healthier space as it gets rid of all the dust, dirt and germs that accumulate in cluttered places.
Peaceful atmosphere
One of my favourite benefits of having a tidy home is that it creates a peaceful space for everyone who lives there. A clean living space promotes relaxation and comfort which will make your home more inviting for friends and family members alike.
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How to Start Organising a Messy House
Make a plan
First thing’s first – take a deep breath and make a plan.
Going in guns a blazing is all well and good, until you realise you have no idea what you’re doing! Making a plan of attack is essential if you want to get through your mess in one piece.
Visualise how you want your house to look and start from there.
Set yourself some goals and break them down into smaller manageable tasks so you don’t get overwhelmed by the big picture.
Once you have your plan, break it all down into sections. If your house is an absolute mess, tackling one room at a time will make the process much more manageable.
Start small
Don’t let the idea of having a clutter-free house intimidate you. A lot of people make the mistake of trying to tidy their entire house all in one go, but starting small can make it seem much less overwhelming.
Some areas are easier to tidy than others. For me, the easiest is the bathroom. And the bedroom is the hardest task.
Choose the room that you feel most comfortable with tackling and start there. You don’t need to sort the entire house in one go. Pick an area that’s easy for you and take it step by step.
It’s all part of a bigger long-term project so allowing yourself to go slow and take breaks along the way will help ease the stress of organising.
Make it fun
I don’t know about you, but tidying and organising is boring for me!
So, make it a little less boring and turn on your favourite playlist and play it as loud as you like (without annoying the neighbours, of course). That way, you can get into the zone as you work on clearing away the mess.
If you’re not into music, throw on a podcast that’ll keep you entertained while you sort.
Even better, get the whole family involved! Organising a messy house can actually be a fun activity that everyone can enjoy together. Make it into a game and put rewards in place for when everything is finished.
Nothing like the promise of treats to keep people motivated!
Declutter every room
After the initial fear of confronting a messy house fades away, it’s time to get started on the decluttering process.
Decluttering is the key to organising a messy house. I mean, is there any point trying to clear a space if it’s still filled with a whole load of clutter?
Start to go through each room and ask yourself these decluttering questions along the way:
- Do I love it?
- How often do I use it?
- Would I buy it again?
- Does it fit my current lifestyle?
- Can I life without it?
Getting rid of things that don’t serve a purpose will give you breathing room to start properly organising your house.
Do a little every day
Any ambitious task is going to take time to complete. So, if you want to get organised, it’s best to spread out the workload over a few days or even weeks.
Set yourself a daily routine that allows you a certain amount of time each day to tackle a certain area in your house.
You can organise the kitchen cabinets one day, the linen closets another day and your shoe racks the next.
It doesn’t have to be much, but by doing just a little bit every day, it will help you make progress and reach your goal of organising your messy home.
Make use of storage solutions
While I don’t suggest using storage containers to hide your clutter, once you’ve decluttered everything and you’ve given every item a home within your home, storage containers and baskets can be a great way to help keep everything organised.
You can use boxes, trays and bins to store away items that you don’t want on display but still need regular access to, like your collection of DVDs.
Use vertical space more efficiently by hanging shelves on the walls for books and other items that you don’t need to access every day.
These storage solutions will help create an organised and visually pleasing atmosphere in your home.
How to Maintain a Tidy House
Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you’ve organised your messy house, there’s nothing left to do!
Once you’ve finished organising, make sure to set some rules with the family on how they should treat the space – it’s everyone’s home after all. Put boundaries in place so everyone knows where to find things and where they should be placed when not in use.
Creating a weekly cleaning schedule with cleaning tasks will also help maintain the organised structure of your home. Put aside an hour or two on a regular basis to give everything a good tidy up and you’ll have no problem keeping on top of it!
Some other tips on keeping spaces clear and tidy are:
- Deal with the mail as soon as it comes in – pay the bills and review bank statements, scan what’s important, keep originals and shred the rest!
- Put laundry away as soon as it’s dried.
- Designate a space for shoes and bags when coming in from the outside.
- Have a ‘catch all’ basket at the bottom and top of the stairs where you can store items that need to be taken upstairs or downstairs and put them away each day.
- Don’t let counter spaces become dumping grounds. Make it a habit to put things back in their place immediately after use.
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How to Start Organising a Messy House: The Bottom Line
There’s no need to hire a professional organiser when it comes to organising a messy house. By following the tips above and making use of your own decluttering and storage solutions, you can easily transform a chaotic, messy house into an organised and tidy home.
Just set yourself some realistic goals, break it down into small chunks with a routine that works for you, and before you know it, everything will be in its rightful place!
For more organising and decluttering tips, check out these articles!
