During the pandemic, people are finding themselves at home more than often—and more often than they'd like to be! You may be finding yourself working from home, learning at home, working out at home, and then settling in for a night at home. Living, working, and spending all your free time in your home can be draining, and that's even more true if your space is full of clutter and in need of a deep clean. It can be challenging to find the energy to clean and organize that closet and put away those holiday decorations even though you and your family are at home all the time. If you are feeling a lack of motivation to clean up your space, here are some easy tips to get you and your family motivated!
1. Start small
You don't have to go into full deep-cleaning mode to see satisfying results. Pick one small area—one closet or cupboard, perhaps-- and focus on that before moving on to the next one. Be realistic— many people are feeling stretched thin. Make it your goal to do one or two small areas a week and only go above and beyond this if you discover that you have an extra burst of energy. Otherwise, just stick to a small area and then move on with your day. Put these short cleaning sessions into your calendar and stick to them. You will probably enjoy both the clear spaces in your home and the feeling of accomplishing a goal.
2. De-clutter
It's hard to organize when you have too much stuff. Take everything out of that overflowing closet or from under the bed and divide it up into three piles: keep, throw, and donate. Once you rid yourself of some things, you will find yourself with more space than you expected. This makes staying organized easier. Just don't be tempted to replace what you got rid of!
3. Create storage space
Since we're home all the time, it can be tempting to put things on any flat surface and move on. This leads to disorganization, fast. Find places for items just sitting around the house. Put away seasonal items and clothing in labeled plastic storage bins and tuck them out of sight in a closet or storage space. Create a space for mail and open it as soon as it arrives so it doesn't pile up. Get a shoe rack to help organize a pile of shoes and boots by the door, and hang up things nicely in your closet. Over the door organizers can also be helpful to keep things off of horizontal surfaces in a small room.
4. Get everyone involved
Staying on top of cleaning is impossible unless everyone participates. Have a family meeting to discuss why cleaning up is important, especially now. Assign small tasks to everyone in the house. Most importantly, be sure to point out how nice it is to have a clean home when it happens!
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