How to Maintain a Clutter-free Home

Are you struggling to keep your home feeling clutter-free and organized? Here are six easy tips you can follow to maintain a tidy, clutter-free home on a daily basis.

When I was a teenager, my room was a disaster about 95% of the time. It would get so bad that I couldn’t see the floor. Then I would get completely fed up by all the stuff everywhere and spend an entire afternoon cleaning it all up! It always looked so nice afterwards. However, the mess would creep back in slowly overtime.

I was frustrated, but I never really knew how to fix it. And apparently that’s how all teenagers rooms should be, right?! But as I got older I realized that I didn’t have a problem with organization, but a “Too much stuff” problem. I was trying to “organize” clutter that I wasn’t using, wearing, or loving.

So over the course of the last 10 or so years, I’ve finally figured out the secrets to maintain a clutter-free home! And I’m going to share those with your today.

1. Reduce the Inventory

In most areas of our lives, we have “more” than enough. More clothes, more food, more toiletries, more home decor, more books, more technology. More, more, more! But the reality is that more isn’t always better.

More also means more to clean, more to organize, more to store, and more mess created by all that stuff. By reducing the inventory to an amount we can easily manage, we will not only give ourselves more space, but more time and energy as well!

2. Set boundaries

Our homes are pretty awesome in that they give us pretty defined boundaries as to how much will comfortably fit in a space. However, sometimes we can stretch those boundaries a bit more than we should. Sometimes we need to step in and be more intentional about the boundaries and limit the amount of stuff we allow into our home.

For example, I’ve given myself a very defined boundary for clothing. I keep all 4 seasons of clothing in my closet and within those 4 seasons, I only allow myself to have 100 hangers total.This amount can comfortably fit in my closet without it feeling too full or overwhelming. I feel like that’s more than enough clothing for me to have plenty of options in all four seasons. Plus I really love that I know when it’s time to purge. If I’m out of hangers and I buy something new, then something old must go.

We can set boundaries on the amount of food we store, the amount of toys our kids have, or the amount of craft supplies we keep on hand. Whatever your struggling with, clear out the old and then give yourself defined boundaries so you won’t go overboard!

3. Have a PURGE BIN

A purge bin is a great tool for those of us who are in the maintenance stage. You might not need to do major overhauls of different areas of your home. But as you come across clothes your kids have outgrown, items you’re no longer using, shoes you’re no longer wearing, home decor you’re no longer loving, or books you’re no longer reading, they need to make their way out of your home.

But if you’re anything like me then those items do one of two things. One, stay right where they are only causing your home to feel more cluttered and not being used to their fullest potential. Or, two, they become a pile in a spare room, basement, closet, or attic of things “you need to get rid of someday.” Instead of waiting for someday, create a purge bin.

Put it in an easy to access location. Then as you come across things as you go about your day, week, or month that you no long want or need, toss them in. When the purge bin is full, remove the items to a large bag or box and place in your trunk to drop off at your local donation center the next time you are out running errands. This will make regular decluttering a part of your every day life.

4. Live on a Budget

When we live on a budget, we are basically forcing ourselves to reduce the amount of inventory we are bringing into our homes each day, week, or month. I encourage you to give yourself a budget particularly in areas where you struggle to maintain simplified.

Maybe that’s books, home decor, craft supplies, kitchen items, kid’s toys, or clothing. Give yourself a set amount you can spend in that area each month and DON’T exceed it! Make sure it’s a challenging number. So if you’re used to buying 10-15 books a month from Amazon, try giving yourself a budget of $40 for books. Once that money is gone, you’ll have to utilize your library for books you want to read the remainder of the month.

If you struggle with over-buying home decor, give yourself a $25 budget each month. Once that money is gone, get creative! Rearrange the items you already have, swap decor with a friend or neighbor, or simply live with the already beautiful home you have for awhile.

5. Follow daily routines

This does NOT have to be complicated. Spend 20 minutes each morning making your bed, getting laundry started for the day, and tidying up your kitchen. Get your kids involved and take a task or two off your plate. These simply routines will go a long way to make your home feel less cluttered.

The reality is, a messy room feels cluttered. But daily tidying can really make a difference in how our space feels. And when our home feels calm, peaceful, and relaxing, we are less overwhelmed.

But when our home is cluttered, studies have shown that our Cortisol levels rise. That’s the stress hormone that causes us to feel anxious and fatigued. High Cortisol levels can cause you to gain weight, have high blood pressure, and even depression. We have enough other things in our lives causing us stress right now. Our homes shouldn’t be one of them.

6. Perform Regular Maintenance

Just because you’ve decluttered once, doesn’t mean you’re done forever. Be the gatekeeper of your home. You control what comes in and what goes out. Regular maintenance in different areas of your home will go a long way.

Once you’ve done the deep, dive purge of your home, these regular maintenance projects only take a few minutes. I recently went back through my linen closet and bathroom cabinets and the entire project took me less than 20 minutes.

When you have systems in place, you’ve reduced your inventory to only the things you use regularly, and you’re living on a budget and not allowing yourself to impulse purchase items, the regular maintenance becomes much easier.

I hope you find these tips helpful as you aim for a more simplified home! It’s not always easy to maintain a clutter-free home. But it’s so worth it!

Thanks for being here and don’t forget to subscribe to my mailing list for free access to our entire library of home management printables including the WHOLE HOUSE DECLUTTERING CHECKLIST!

Happy Decluttering!

Similar Posts

FREE Organizational Printables!

Get FREE access to our entire library of organizational printables!

How to Maintain a Clutter-free Home