Good Housekeeping: 8 Real-Life Ways to Put Organizing on Autopilot
Maeve offers up GH 3 of her top real-life ways to put organizing on autopilot.
Embrace the "drop zone."
"For the most effective drop zone, think about what you often bring into your home," says Maeve Richmond, founder of the organizing coaching service Maeve's Method. "To curb mail clutter, place a recycling bin and vertical open-top containers in your drop zone so you can file papers instantly and easily. If you deal with lots of kids' sporting equipment, consider adding cubbies and hooks." #declutter #dropzone
Where there's a pile, there should be a bin.
The truth is that your clutter probably won't ever completely go away. But, a well-placed container makes even the most random collection looks much neater, and forces you to corral unwieldy items.
"Even junk drawers need a bit of structure," says Richmond. "With boxes or drawer dividers, there's no place to dump things that don't belong." #junkdrawer
Block potential messes with something pretty.
Since it's often too easy to just throw things anywhere, flip the script and make it harder to cause a pile-up. "Place a plant, a figurine, or a framed photo on your side tables, or add a table runner or centerpiece to a dining room table," says Richmond.
When an item's dedicated spot is the only place you can actually put it down, you don't have to think about it, and tidying up becomes automatic.
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