Clutter causes stress

Admit it: clutter causes stress... I'm not much of a housewife when it comes to cleaning the house (like in mopping the floors, cleaning windows, vacuuming, ..) although I really like a clean house. To me, it is important to have a clutter free house. There is always clutter in a family house. If everyone would pick up after themselves, it would save a lot of time cleaning up. There are some helpful tips to keep the house tidied up and to get rid of the stress that comes with clutter.

• Keep a basket handy at all times. Whenever you go around the house, bring your basket along and gather all the clutter. Give every person in the household their own cabinet (we have these cabinets under the stairs). Put the clutter in the right cabinet and let your beloved ones sort out their own clutter once a week. Whenever they are missing something, they will know where to look.
• Keep a box for missing socks. It happens all the time. Keep them all in one box and go through this box every now and then to match pairs. It also works for gloves.
• Have a box that says: Dressmaker. Whenever you find an item that needs sewing up or repairing, put it in this box with a little note stuck to it that says what it needs done.
• Make your bed as soon as you get up. Coming into a bedroom with an untidy bed, always make the room look like crap. And don't we all love a well made up bed when we are ready to go sleep? Change your bed linen every other week for wonderful night times.
• Hang up any wet towels right after showering. It keeps the bathroom clean and it gives the towels the opportunity to dry. Open the bathroom window at the same time, to let fresh air come in and let the fog on the mirror drift away.
• Put away your coat, gloves, umbrella, shoes, .. when you are still in the hallway. What makes you think coats should be hung on a chair in the dining room if there are clothes hangers in the wardrobe?
• We have tons of blankets to have that cozy feeling sitting on the couch at night. It's easy to fold them and put them away when you go to bed..
• Whenever you go to the kitchen, bring something that was left on the coffee table, like empty glasses, yogurt containers, spoons,.. Don't just put them in the sink. We do have a dishwasher and a bin.
• Fill up the dishwasher while you are cooking, so the sink is not loaded once dinner is over. (that's my job for the upcoming weeks - I know I make a terrible mess in the kitchen when I cook)
• Take of your clothes near the hamper. It's easier to put them right where they belong, so the laundry gets done in time.
• Put away freshly ironed clothes. It's wonderful to open your wardrobe and see everything is cleaned up and tidy.
• Do small favors for other people in the house, without expecting anything in return. It makes life so much easier.
• Put a new bin liner in the bin when you take out the trash. Don't forget to pick up any dropped items.