14.3.13

Never Far From Tidy


I don't mind clutter. In fact, I always find a good tidy-up to be therapeutic. 

Never far from tidy is how I'd describe our house. Most things have their own place and it doesn't take long to bring order to our clutter hotspots – the worktop in the kitchen, the coffee table in the lounge and the hall floor. 


When life gets busy clutter does build up. Clutter is a normal. I don't mind living with a few misplaced items lying around the house – in fact I quite like the house to look a bit lived in. But sometimes (especially if we're expecting visitors) I feel compelled to put everything in order. 


The great thing is that since major decluttering and moving to a smaller house having a tidy-up is no longer a gargantuan task and it doesn't take up hours of my time. Here's a few tips just in case you need them.


Quick tidy-up tips

  • Start downstairs and work through a room at a time.
  • Throw away out of date newspapers and mail.
  • Empty any bins.
  • Collect stray items together and put away item by item or if you don't have time put them in one container to deal with later.
  • Put away items that belong in cupboards - iron, toaster etc...
  • Put all laundry and laundry rack away.
  • Clear shoes and coats from the hall apart from what you need that day.
  • Plump up cushions.
  • Put things into piles.
  • Clear worktops as much as possible.
  • Wipe surfaces quickly.
  • Use a dustpan and brush for the floor for a quick fix.

Job done! 

image via pinterest


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9 comments

  1. Or, as they did in the old days, pop your dirty dishes into the oven as visitors are arriving :)

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  2. Yep, never more than 15 mins away from company-ready!
    I sort mail at the front door, where we also collect paper for recycling and have a small bin for plastic wrappers on publications. Otherwise I know my family would leave junkmail and torn envelopes lying around!
    Our other weakness is shoes everywhere when you come in but I seem to have trained the family pretty well, now... ;o

    And then I light a nice scented candle.

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  3. I'm now so obsessed that I sort out the junk mail as I walk back to the house from our post box on the farm gate and pop it straight into the recycling box before coming into the house, one less thing to do later :-)

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  4. Is that your photo Claire? I live that idea of the ikea magazine files hanging upside down from a shelf! It's given me an idea for our hall and sorting everyone's post and paperwork.....x

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  5. We're never far from tidy too....but I find our house too big when it comes to keeping on top of the cleaning.
    One day we will downsize!

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  6. Don't forget the out of sight places - just finished a tidy up in our storage cupboard under the eaves of the house. An easy place to put things 'to be sorted out later', but can be left for too long!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, you're right you need to keep a check on the out of sight hidey holes as well (ours is the loft). Thanks for commenting :)

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