Photo by Orlova Maria on Unsplash
A happy home is a happy life, and it’s hard to have a happy home that’s in full-chaos mode. A stressful home can lead to health problems—both mental and physical—as chronic stress is a detriment to nearly every body system. You can make your home a stress-free haven by keeping it clean, organized, and decluttered. Here are some simple ways to get started.
Start every morning with a load of laundry
Few things cause more stress and general disorganization in the home than laundry, whether it’s dirty or clean and unfolded/put away. Laundry is one of those tasks that gets exponentially worse the longer it is procrastinated upon, so you should get in the habit of putting a load of laundry in every single morning. Whether it’s sheets, towels, or clothing, cutting the laundry load into smaller, more manageable sessions is a way to keep your sanity. Check here for more tips on keeping your laundry in check.
Spend 10 minutes decluttering every day
It’s not feasible to spend time every day deep cleaning or deep organizing. But you can spend a little bit of time every single day doing some simple decluttering. Just 10 minutes a day adds up to over an hour of decluttering time a week. That’s plenty to keep your home from feeling overly messy. Invest in bins, baskets, and other storage units. This is key. Items that add to clutter strewn about the floor or a table can be instantly tamed if they have a designated box to go in.
Stock cleaning supplies all over your home
You’re more likely to spot-clean and clean up after yourself right after making a mess if you don’t have to work too hard. It’s not laziness; it’s just working smart to stash cleaning supplies in various appropriate places in your home. That one basket of cleaning supplies in the basement isn’t going to be used very often. But those cleaning rags, all-purpose cleaner, window spray, and abrasive stashed in your bathroom, kitchen, living room, and bedroom will. As Clean & Scentsible notes, you’ll have to perform fewer deep cleans if you simply take one to two minutes to wipe down surfaces every day.
Don’t forget about plants
The benefits of houseplants are numerous, the foremost being their stress-busting capabilities. Beyond that, houseplants are beautiful, can smell nice, and help to oxygenate the air. There are plenty of plants that don’t require a green thumb and aren’t costly (some houseplants can be purchased for under $5). Many houseplants can survive will very little care, sunlight, and even water. Check out some great options here.
Get some help
It’s one thing to be unable to keep a clean, organized home. There could be a number of reasons. It could be health-related, or you may work a lot. You may have kids and pets that create an unmanageable typhoon of destruction on a daily basis. Whatever the reason, the mistake is not your inability to keep up. The mistake is refusing to acknowledge you need help. A housekeeper—even one that only comes every other week or so—can dramatically improve your home life. The average cost of hiring maid services in Leawood is $113 - $199. Don’t be too proud to seek help. It’s worth it.
If you don’t think tidiness, organization, and lack of clutter makes a difference, then just look to science. Multiple studies have found that people with cleaner homes experience better sleep, reduced levels of stress hormones, the ability to better focus on other tasks, and overall better health. So do what’s right for the health and happiness of you and your family and take these simple steps to improve the order of your home.
Special thanks to guest blogger Alice Robertson with Tidy Home for contributing this article. It’s full of such practical and easier things to implement for better day-to-day living, comfort, and an overall stress-free life.
