How To Maintain An Organized Home With Mello Spaces

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Is an Organized home something you have always wanted but struggle to achieve? Do you clean and organize your house to find it in disarray only one day later? You are not alone! As a professional organizer, this is the most common problem I see. People cannot keep organized. This does not mean that you are not organized. It means that you have not found an organization system that works for your family. An organization system is an easy process you have in your home for keeping things organized.

I always tell my clients that a little progress each day adds up to big results. But the reverse is also true, adding a little more clutter each day can add up to a big pile. For example: At the end of a long day, at work, you just throw the mail on the counter and say I will get to it later. The next day it happens again and so on until one week later you have a stack of papers that is overflowing. Now the 5-minute task has become a half day’s work. BUT I have a solution.

Maintenance. Not only must you have a great system in place that works for your family but you also must continue to maintain it.

Here are 5 ways that you can maintain an organization system.

  1. Establish Routines– Break daily tasks into 5-10 minute blocks this makes it manageable. Every day you should do the following: Make the bed, put clothes in the hamper, wipe the kitchen counter, wash the dishes.
  2. Put Items in Their “Homes”- Every item in your house should have a place where it lives. I like to call this area its home. After you finish using an item you put it right back in its home. This allows you to find items easier.
  3. Label It – Put labels on everything! Some examples include: bins, cupboards, and drawers. That way anyone who enters your home knows where items are located. It also makes it a breeze for anyone to put back items where they belong.
  4. Have an Organized “Launch Pad”- A launchpad is a place where you enter and exit your home. It is important that this area is organized so that you can get out of the house quickly in the morning. When designing your launchpad think about where people will place the following: Bags, shoes, coats, backpacks, keys. Remember that it needs to be easy for people to use. A shoe rack and hooks are key items to have in this area. Each person should have 1-2 pairs of shoes and 1 coat in the launch pad area. All others need to be stored in a separate area
  5. Get Everyone on Board – This one is the most important! You need to set up organizational systems that work for your family. Each family member needs to understand the expectations around each system. It is also important that each family member has tasks to keeping the house organized. Yes, even little kids can help! The earlier the better.

I hope these 5 tips help your family maintain an organized home.

Remember that a little progress each day adds up to big results.

This article was contributed by – Melanie McConnell – Professional organizer and owner of Mello Spaces. She helps busy professionals and parents, in the Lower Mainland, get organized. Check out her website www.mellospaces.com and on Instagram: @mellospaces.

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