Over 25 tips and projects that will inspire you to minimize the clutter and hopefully simplify your life.
Whether you have stumbled into the new year or made your way into 2019 with the most grace, you may share in one of my never-ending struggles. Clutter. God awful clutter.
We are a couple months into the new year, and while I didn’t make any resolutions, I keep telling myself I need to better with staying on top of house cleaning.
The start of a new year is the perfect time to resolve to keep your home clean. Especially if you need a fresh starting point. And while it’s tempting to make a big resolution to keep your house spotless all year long, you’re more likely to stick to your housekeeping plan if you make several smaller resolutions you can tackle each day. At least, that is what is true for me.
These simple tasks will make keeping your home clean a breeze. And I am even throwing in some simple and easy project ideas to help you find that order in your home.
Tips + Project Ideas to Minimize Clutter and Simplify Your Life
1. Make Your Bed
When I was younger my mom insisted that my bed be made up daily. And back then, it annoyed me so much. Because I didn’t understand the point. I was just going to get back in it anyway.
But as I got older, I got it. Making the bed made the room feel a little bit cleaner.
Resolve to start each day by making your bed. A made bed will instantly brighten up the bedroom and make the entire room look cleaner and more organized.
And getting in the habit of straightening your sheets each morning may help you stay motivated to keep the rest of that room clean throughout the day.
Other Things To Do To Keep Your Bedroom Clean:
- Hang any unworn/clean clothes laying around
- Put any dirty clothes left on the floor or bed in the hamper
- Remove receipts or unneeded papers lying around and throw them away
- Remove unneeded items from the nightstand
Simple Modern DIY Wall Necklace Hanger
Anthropologie-inspired Jewelry Organizer
DIY Mini Crates Organizer
Modern DIY Side Table
DIY Closet Organizer | Built-In Closet Organization
2. Keep Closets Organized
My closet has historically been my dumping ground.
I use to think I couldn’t keep it together because it was too small. And now I have a full walk-in closet to myself that I still can’t seemingly keep order in.
I have a habit of leaving fold clothes in piles rather than hanging up. Or stepping out of my shoes in the middle of the closet and leaving them.
Making your home’s closets clutter-free is the best way to keep the rest of your home organized throughout the year.
Other Things To Do In Storage Spaces To Keep The Clutter-Free
- Go through cabinets and remove old items and cleaning supplies
- Organize things by season in storage spaces for decor
- Make sure all things in closets and cabinets have dedicated spaces
How to Build an Easy DIY Closet Organizer: Build to Organize Challenge
DIY Shoe Shelves for a Closet
How to DIY a Customizable Closet
Tool Organization Solution When You Don't Have A Garage
Simple Organizing Using Wasted Closet Space
3. Wipe Down the Bathroom
While you should make an effort to deep clean your bathroom once a week, wiping down the surfaces in the room will make a huge difference from day to day.
Before heading to bed each night, take a moment to wipe the toilet, sink, countertop, and faucet with a disinfectant wipe.
Other Things To Do To Keep The Bathroom Clean
- Clean shower/tub after each use
- Remove dirty towels and wash immediately
- Wipe mirror down to remove splashed water spots and grim
DIY Electric Toothbrush Holder
Get Organized with a Bathroom Tray
How To Install A Shelf Inside Your Vanity In Under 20 Minutes And For Less Than $20!
Build a DIY Cabinet Door Mounted Garbage Can
Build to Organize Challenge – DIY Pipe Shelves for the Bathroom
4. Keep Countertops Clear
Your kitchen is probably your home’s most trafficked room. And while I love nothing more than clean kitchen counters, it often feels impossible.
Keep the kitchen looking and feeling clean by making sure your countertops are clear throughout the day. Keep dirty dishes at bay by placing them directly in the dishwasher or washing them after use.
Clean up after each meal by soaking pans and dishes with stuck-on debris before sitting down to eat. And don’t forget to end your day by wiping down the countertops to remove spills and crumbs before heading to bed.
Other Things To Do To Keep Your Kitchen Clean and Clutter-Free
- Get rid of expired food from fridge weekly
- Check dates on canned and boxed goods regularly
- Go through the mail and get rid of junk mail immediately
DIY Menu Chalk Board
Easy DIY Kitchen Caddy
Storage Ideas for Small Kitchens
DIY Junk Drawer Organizer
DIY Spice Rack
5. Keep Cleaning Supplies Clean
The best way to ensure your cleaning supplies are doing their job is to take care of them.
That means cleaning and disinfecting your cleaning supplies on a regular basis. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your mop heads, sponges, and scrub brushes after each use and allow to dry in a well-ventilated area.
To keep your vacuum in good working order, clean the filter regularly, empty and clean the canister or vacuum bag after each use, and make sure the hoses and attachments are clear of clogs and debris on a regular basis.
Also, having everyone chip in on the cleaning can make things more manageable.
DIY Swing Out Wall Shelves
How to Build Floating Shelves for Uneven Walls
How to Organize Paint Supplies
Kids Toy Organizer
DIY Loft Bed
Genius Measuring Cup Organization
DIY Storage Containers
It can be so hard to keep up with your home, especially with an active family. Instead of letting overwhelm take over, make small steps to maintain between deep cleanings.
Hi Kenya, loved your wonderful post about getting organised.
The measuring cups & spoons one was genius. I’m going to do this with mine. We use the metric system in Australia but I was extremely lucky to find a set of cups & spoons that have “American” measurements, which means I don’t have to do too much converting from metric to imperial.
Thank you again.
Thank you for putting this all together. I am in the middle of transforming my house into a home. I will use a lot of these ideas. I will recomend this site to my daughters. Keep them coming please.
Thank you so much Sharon! So glad I could help!