So, how is it possible to have an organised home if you hate to clean?

“I hate cleaning; it’s impossible for me to have an organised home”.

A common statement, but a major misconception. Of course, it is possible for you to have an organised home even if you hate to clean. Everyone can – but it is a learned skill.

Organising your home and cleaning your home are very different things.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, to organise, is to arrange or order things so that they can be found or used easily and quickly. There is nothing about mopping the floors or cleaning toilets in that definition – but one of my favourite spinoffs of having an organised home is that your home is notably tidier and cleaner.

As a Professional Organiser, it is assumed my house must be perfect.  However, those who know me very well, know how much I hate to clean, especially cleaning the bathroom, as much as the next person.

As teenager, I looked at the homes of others which were always tidy and thought this would be impossible to maintain. Surely, these people never sleep, don’t have any hobbies or any fun at all… but in reality, yes, they do sleep, they have hobbies, they have fun, but they are also organised, plus some of them just truly love to clean.

So, how is it possible to have an organised home if you hate to clean?  The key is to set up solid systems in your home that will save you time and energy.

Top 6 tips for people who would like to have an organised home, yet hate cleaning

1. Only have items within your home that you currently use and have a genuine need for, or that you deeply love

By only having items within your home that suits your family’s current lifestyle immediately makes your house appear cleaner.  Clutter immediately disappears.  Less stuff, directly means less cleaning.  Less toys to pick up of the floor, less dishes to wash, less clothes to launder and just less things to put away. Win! Win!

2. Reduce the number of new items that you bring into your home

If you refrain from buying anything new unless you have a genuine need for it or know that you will use it within the next week or so, it means that you have less items in your home to tidy.  For me, holding onto things that “may come in handy one day” makes my life my home for difficult to keep clean today.  No thank you!  This is great for my hip pocket too.

3. Create a dedicated home for everything that you own

Creating a dedicated storage space for each item which you keep in your home, means that you always know where to find your belonging when you need them.  Imagine how much time you could save each day if you didn’t have to search for your keys, shoes, phone, wallet and or anything else each time you need to leave your home.

4. Make things as quick and easy to put away as possible, ideally with one hand

For me that means not stacking items on top of each other or behind other items on a shelf or in a cupboard.  When organising a client’s space, I like to store things vertically or use baskets for like items. In my own home, if I need to move something out of the way to put another item away, it is too difficult and I know myself well enough to understand that if it’s too hard to do right now, it won’t get done and it gets put in the ‘I’ll do it later’ basket. The problem is that later rarely comes.

5. See everything that is stored within a space at a single glance

How much easier it is when you can open the pantry door and see the sugar container immediately without the need to shuffle containers around before finding the one that you need?  If you organise your storage spaces in a way that you can access and view everything you need quickly, it simplifies the tidying and cleaning process significantly, as it is almost just as easy to put things away as it is to leave them out.

6. Finishing the cycle and putting things away when done

This one is a biggie, probably one of the most important and takes a lot of willpower and dedication to do consistently. It is hard, particularly if it doesn’t come naturally.  Through practice, I have found it takes me less than 30 seconds on average to a put away single item away when I am done.  This is a huge time saver for later, particularly when trying to rush out the door in the morning. If everything is in its place, my mornings are a breeze, and not spent searching for Miss 3’s hairbrush, Miss 5’s missing school shoe, Miss 8’s homework or my phone and keys.

My house is far from perfect, but when is time to get out the mop and cloth to clean my house (yes, I do clean begrudgingly), my home is already organised, so it is so much quicker and easier to clean and nowhere near as painful or depressing. My house is cleaner than it has ever been, despite spending less time cleaning than I did before I decided to organise my home.

Some people are born organised, but for many becoming organised is challenging and may take a lot of will power and dedication. It is not easy, but it is worth every effort.  It is a learned skill and you can do it.  If you need a little support to declutter your home or assistance to organise your space, please feel free to contact me.  I’m happy to help.