What level of tidy are you?
Are you a tidy person with a dusty house? Are you a clean freak with a cluttered house? Or maybe your house is both messy and dirty – eek! It happens to us all sometimes.
Generally, I am a very tidy person who is only somewhat of a clean freak.
I will tidy my heart out and not sit down until my house looks put together, but I get tired before I get to the dust in the corners or footprints across the kitchen floor and let those go. They don’t bother my brain like clutter does. And the dirt just. never. stops. coming. I feel like I can’t keep up with it as well as I can with clutter.
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Habits Of Tidy People
I came across this article online the other week and wanted to share to inspire some discussion: 5 Things People With Tidy Homes Don’t Do. (Sidebar: The Nesting Place kitchen – gaaahhhh! Love!)
Here are three of The Nester’s observations that I can totally relate to:
“Tidy people are in a constant state of low-grade tidying, I don’t even think they realize it.”
This made me laugh out loud. I am a self-proclaimed tidy person, and I am indeed constantly tidying. I don’t leave one room without picking up whatever I used while in the space.
When I wake up in the morning, I take anything on my nightstand (tea mug, magazine) back downstairs.
If I leave the living room, I give the pillows a chop and refold the blanket.
When I am done in the office, I close my computer, bring any water bottles or drinking glasses with me to the kitchen.
The kitchen is the spot where I have the hardest time keeping up – there are always dishes and crumbs!
“Tidy people do not watch Dancing With The Stars while there’s a sink full of dirty dishes sitting in the kitchen.”
Or The Bachelor. Or Survivor. This is true for me too, as I can’t sit down to relax at night until the whole house is tidy. Even a load of laundry still in progress is in the back of my mind!
This is why doing low-grade tidying during the day leads to an easier night. It definitely helps to have a partner to tackle the kitchen after a big meal.
I even have a hard time leaving a pan in the sink to soak because I like to start my mornings on as clean a slate as possible. If I leave a dish overnight, I start the day scrubbing. So, I avoid that whenever possible.
“Tidy people don’t over decorate.”
Y’all know I am always talking about minimalism and simplifying. This one is a bit harder for me to maintain because I live with someone else (my charming husband) who thinks that bare walls and surfaces looks too sparse. So it’s a balance, but I still try to err on the side of less.
Here are a few new tidy habits from me:
Tidy people involve their children.
I would say that my kids have generally nature/nurtured their way into tidy personalities.
While my older son does make a mess sometimes and also sometimes refuses to clean up his toys, he generally understands that his toys live in his room and they need to end up back there by the end of the play session.
I have always tried to set the example by helping him clean up one toy set before moving on to another. No, he’s not perfect, but on the spectrum of kids, he’s on the tidy side, and that helps keep our house from looking like one giant playroom.
My younger son loves to line things up in rows – I think he got this from me 😆
Tidy people recognize life will trend towards chaos.
I am squeezing my brain to remember the definition of entropy from high school science class, so I had to look it up: “Gradual decline into disorder.” <— Yes, this. Your house will gradually get disorganized, even with tidying habits in place.
Decluttering or organization days are not one-time events. They need to happen regularly so you stay on top of the s t u f f that comes into your house. Most of the time this isn’t even stuff I buy – it’s stuff that is given to me, brought home from school, comes in the mail, or is contributed by others, like gifts from grandparents.
Stuff accumulates, and we need to regularly sort it all out.
(One thing that drives me nuts: When you need a teaspoon of a spice and they don’t have it in the bulk bins so you have to buy a giant jar of it and now you have 100 jars of spices in your cabinet, most of which you will never use all of before they expire.)
Tidy people know that several smaller projects are easier to manage than one large one.
Whether we’re talking about laundry, running the dishwasher, or simply cleaning in general, when you let the project build up to a mountain, it’s going to take you so much longer to do.
Check out this blog post: Simplify Your Home By Batching
Part of what is so annoying about laundry and emptying the dishwasher (the two most common daily tasks that most people dislike) is the variety of pieces and all the sorting that must happen. Shirts, jammies, socks, underwear x3 people, for example. The smaller the load, the more like-with-like you put in, the less time it takes you to put away. So stay on top of it as best you can.
Do one small load of laundry a day instead of spending all day Monday doing 5 loads. Do a dishwasher cycle each night (or each morning) and then empty it in 5 minutes or less rather than cramming three day’s worth in every single slot and running it 110% full. (Plus, dishes never get as clean that way. Trust me, I know.)
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
These are great tips, Kath! I’m a neat freak by nature too – I think I inherited it from my Dad. This post will surely help many who are trying to organise their life! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Lydia Oliver says
Loved this. I’m always a work in progress with tidiness.
I was glad to see some of your suggestions are
already in place.
Christine says
Okay, here’s a slightly off topic question. Do you know what your paint color is in the picture with the drawing of Mazen? I love it!
Great post! I am learning these things as a recovering slob who now has 5 boys under 10. Can’t afford to be a slob now! And not only that, I have to TEACH all these people daily to fight their slob genetics (comes from both sides 😉 ). Fighting the chaos is a worthy calling, though.
KathEats says
Collonade Gray by Sherwin Williams!
Jayme says
I bet that color is Revere Pewter.
Kaci says
I LOVE your tidy/home posts!! I have always loved to clean & be organized but since owning my first home, I am even *more* into this. I have my routine where pretty much every night, the dishes get taken care of (sometimes if it’s late, it just means loading the dishwasher, rinsing the hand was dishes & leaving them in the sink even though I hate to do that), the counter gets disinfected, & I try to wet Swiffer at least once a week. I have a blanket basket from Target in our living room so if I’ve used a blanket, it gets folded & put away. We have a mail basket that can get a little out of hand (my sweet hubs likes to put things back in the envelope they came in & throw it into the basket instead of just processing what it is haha), but I try to go through it about once a week to clean it out & take care of what needs to be taken care of. I totally know what you mean with tidy versus clean though because our mudroom/laundry room is the room you walk into from the side door & it ALWAYS has dirt on the white & gray tiles, & no matter how often I vacuum & Swiffer, it just pretty much stays dirty. Overall, I think our organization & cleanliness is pretty good & having my house picked up & mostly clean makes me feel so calm & successful.
Dana says
My daughter introduced me to Norwex cleaning products (chemical free, etc) I purchased a gray, functional doormat & a brush to clean the mat from Norwex. It traps diet nicely and I’m seeing a dramatic drop in tracked in dirt etc.
emma says
When did you start enrolling Mazen in toy clean up? My daughter is almost one and I purposefully clean up her dinner and food that inevitably falls on the floor in front of her so she understands we have to pick up after ourselves, but toy clean up (which we don’t have much, takes just a few minutes) usually happens after she’s asleep. Thoughts/recommendations? Thanks!
KathEats says
I think from the very beginning I would just do it in front of him and ask him to carry one thing to his room. (I can’t really remember that far.) I also sing that annoying “clean up clean up” song that the preschools teach and we always make a point to clean up as a group when we have friends over or go to their houses. I will say that he usually wants me to help him, but I don’t mind as long as he’s helping too.
Bethany says
Yes, I do the same thing with my daughter…we even sing the “clean up” song! From the time she was old enough, I made it a point to pick up her toys together…even if she only put one thing away and I did the rest. I would always thank her for being such a great helper. Now at 4 years old, she can handle most of it by herself, but I still almost always help her. She often puts more away than me now, and she will thank me and tell me I’m such a great helper! I love it! 🙂
Sunshine'smom says
From day one, I always stressed that clean up is part of play. It’s not separate. It’s how you end play.
To this end, an unfinished puzzle can stay until after snack or pottying. If it’s a particularly big project like those Lego kits, you can make a huge cardboard tray to do the project in and then move it out of the way when play is ended for the day or hour. We did this even if the project was in a play room. Remember also that kifs internalize example more than your words.
Melissa Grace says
Now that your daughter is older, she can even be taught to take her dirty clothes to her hamper or dishes to the sink. A positive attitude will reinforce the development of these habits.
Linda @ the Fitty says
One rule I’ve heard of from Gretchen Rubin is to always take something with you when you head to the next room. LOW GRADE TIDYING ALL DAY LONG! 😀
Linda says
The supervisor at my first job at the bakery department of our local hospital (we actually baked real food back then) always said “Do not go anywhere empty-handed!). To this day I still live by that motto and have since then passed it on to my kids and grandgirls.
Carla says
Confessions of a not-so-tidy person: My big takeaway from this post was: Spices expire?
KathEats says
Lol!!
Leatitia says
Ahah!!
Julie says
Surprise to me too, I still have some from 1981! LOL
Rebecca says
Yes, throw them in the garden.
Beth says
Haha! I even alphabetize mine in the cabinet! The big joke in my family…but it makes it easier to find the one you need in a pinch.
Katryn Ferrance says
I so relate to the tidy people…I’m constantly putting something away or folding something and sometimes I don’t even realize it! I have something I just started doing that has been hugely helpful to me. I work full-time out of the house and every day right when I get home I set the timer for 10 minutes. For those ten minutes I do as much tidying and cleaning as I can and then I stop when the timer goes off. The house stays so much cleaner throughout the week with just those 10 dedicated minutes and I feel like I’m more relaxed during the evening! I’m 37 weeks pregnant at the moment with our first so all of this may go out the window in the next few weeks lol.
CaitlinHTP says
Ugh I so appreciate this. I am not sure I was ever super tidy or super clean – but I used to care a lot more and I have seriously dissolved into chaos over the last few years. Probably due to kids. I am going to try your “pick something up before you leave a room” trick – I used to do that more.
MJ says
For some reason, I always do laundry one day a week (usually Fridays) because I think it’s more energy efficient. I think doing smaller loads more frequently uses up more energy, no? My washer and dryer are energy efficient but my old house isn’t so I’m always trying to find ways to decrease my electricity bill.
But folding a week’s worth laundry for two adults and a toddler is exhausting!
KathEats says
I don’t know the answer to that! I know that the modern washers use the bare min of water, but I don’t know about the electricity used to just run it.
Ash says
When we had one toddler (we now have 4 kids) I put 2 laundry baskets in front of the washing machine. A white basket for the whites and a green basket for the darks. Anytime we had dirty clothes, I would toss them into the appropriate basket. Once a basket was full, it got washed. Then I had a clean basket for us, one for the bathroom and one for the sheets that I would fold and sit the clean laundry in. It would get brought up once it was full. It worked well for us and it would solve your worry of energy waste.
Doreen says
I fold as it comes out of the dryer. I have several baskets. One for each person in the family, 1 for each bathroom (1 is upstairs & 1 down. When I’m done they all stack nicely on top of dryer. I also have a hanging rack that holds everything that goes into the closets. Each person takes their basket & puts it away. My sheets are kept in a drawer in each room and put with that persons clothes. Fold the top sheet, bed sheet & nicely tuck into pillow case, mostly 2 sets fit per drawer. Make laundry fast & fun. Everything in its place!
Bobbie says
I am definitely a tidy person but I can’t think of one other member of my family (we are a family of 5) who is. It is beyond frustrating for me and causes me an unbelievable amount of stress. I feel like I am always annoyed with everyone for the mess they’ve left. It is literally the ONLY thing that my husband and I fight about. I do feel like I worked with them when they were young to clean up before moving on to the next thing but it seems to have gotten lost along the way. Sigh…..
KathEats says
Maybe they need a reward system (husband included?!)
Stephanie Nullmeyer says
Oh my gosh yes. We are a family of 6 and I feel like I am the only one who cares about the constant mess.
Joan says
I understand how you feel! Being treated like Cinderella does not make for a happy wife or Mom. If you had your husband’s support, it would mean alot to you. A family that works together, stays together. Mom and Dad taught us a good work ethic, which I am very thankful for. I wish you well in communicating your needs to your husband. A good marrag book is His Needs, Her Needs.
Anna says
Something my Mom always did and I do without even thinking about it, open the mail next to the trash can. I never ever have a single unopened or uncategorized mail item – and 90% of it goes in the trash anyway, I don’t stockpile anything to look at later. The good thing about a small place is constantly reevaluating space and ditching unused items.
I have a studio in my home, so everything has to be perfectly in order all the time but I’m bad about actually deep cleaning and my one guilty slob habit now that I live by myself is leaving dishes in the sink overnight. But I think it’s because I get done teaching so late at night, I just don’t want to deal with hand washing dishes.
KathEats says
Yup I do that with mail too!
Liz says
I am definitely a tidy person. I like everything to have a place and at the end of the day, it all needs to be there. That being said, I am a stay at home mom with two small kids, and they pretty much go around undoing all of my constant tidying! Plus stuff like laundry and dishes are just never, ever ending. I mean, is anyone ever actually CAUGHT UP on laundry? If I was I would make everyone wear the clothes they had on for two days just so it would stay that way a little longer, haha. I love how clean and sparse your house is, I feel like even though our house is very tidy I could still stand to declutter more.
My one house rule is that after every meal the entire kitchen gets cleaned. A dirty kitchen is a dirty home to me. We run the dishwasher at night, and I empty it first thing in the morning so there’s a clean slate. Plus I swifter the wood floors every day. I can’t handle crumbs and dust, and we have very little carpet, so it just has to happen for things to look clean.
Laurie says
I am a whirling dervish during commercial breaks. It’s amazing how much I can get done in 2.5 to 3 minutes. I get to watch shows I love AND get things done. My favorite network to “multi-task-watch” is HGTV. So. So. Good.
Linds says
I should write a blog post “habits of people who are exactly the opposite of tidy.” Since childhood, my bedrooms have always looked like a tornado blew through them. I leave “trails” behind me wherever I go. My mom always said she could see exactly what I did in a day by the dishes I left out, blankets left unfolded, socks left in the room, etc. It’s one of the things I like least about myself. It’s SO hard to change! Habits die hard. But I never give up on the dream…
Shelley says
I love your home posts, and especially this one about tidiness! I generally cannot sit down if I can see clutter and yes, to the always scanning a room before I leave it to see if anything belongs somewhere else. My big things are clutter-free counters in the kitchen and bathrooms, dealing with mail and papers immediately so they don’t pile up, and using bins for everything -toys, toiletries, etc.
Tracy says
All of these describe me to a tee. Spot on.
One of the most difficult things for me at this phase of my life: all 4 of my kids are in college right now. When they come home for a break or weekend…. the STUFF they bring home and leave EVERYWHERE. Mamma Mia! I LOVE when they come home but it takes real self control not to come undone with the visual chaos!
KathEats says
Haha!
Stephanie Nullmeyer says
I have one to add! Tidy people do not have 4 kids under the age of 7. ?
Bobbi says
I love this, ha! I have two boys under 4- if I have to chose between dishes getting done or getting to bed at a reasonable time, dishes be damned. Sometimes we just need to give ourselves grace and consider which stage of life we are in. Paper plates for the win!
Fancy says
LOVE this post! More Home Neat Home posts, please!
Shelly says
Kath firstly I love your Home Neat Home series! I’m quite fussy about things being in the same spot, and have found that surprisingly the biggest obstacle to your house staying tidy is not allowing yourself enough time! It’s always when I’m running late that the bathroom ends up covered in products, the sink with unwashed dishes and stuff strewn everywhere. It’s takem me a while to realise this – but oversleeping and running late is a big barrier to things staying tidy – and to being happy and calm in general.
Teresa says
Once day I take a giant tote and wander around the downstairs and fill it with things that live upstairs and then carry that up and put this effort things away, then do the same with everything upstairs and lives downstairs. It’s also a good workout since I usually am wearing a 30 lb toddler on my back and have to squat and keep my back straight to get things off the floor.
Claire says
not trying to be nasty but 3 people is vastly different to 7! I’d run 3x 110% dishwasher loads on a good day and I work full-time. Your points are valid but applicable to very few.
Bobbi says
Most of my deep cleaning occurs when my mom comes to visit (twice a year, usually) and she looks around like “WTF” and starts wiping down my ceiling fan blades.
Otherwise, I tidy at the end of the day usually. Saturdays are usually my floor mopping, meal prep, laundry day. I tody the best I can during the week, but sometimes I just give up the foght and sit down with some wine and enjoy having kids in bed ;p
Denise Vermillion says
I became tidy the moment I became pregnant ha ha ha! Before that I had stuff laying everywhere. Then the nesting genes kicked in and I’ve had a neat home ever since. My oldest is 28! I completely agree with the constant tidying. I live by myself now and still do it. So much easier than facing an all day clean up on the weekend. And I think it works no matter how many people live in the house. I had a family of six here and we still managed to keep the living areas relatively cleaned up.
Cathy says
Definitely I am a tidy person who used to be a cleaning freak. Moved to the country with my fiance and I am not used to things not put back where it goes. Am I OCD? No…just particular.
Kelsey says
That first photo of your bedroom is tidy-porn. I LOVE THE VACUUM MARKS!1
Aida says
I use to be more tidy but now I’m married and have a step daughter (8). My husband is kinda tidy but only on his time. He will go on a wild clean streak one day and then he gets back to his old habits. I use to pick up after both of them and I didn’t enjoy my evening time at all. I read tips on tidying and one I TOTALLY agree with you on is to do one load of laundry a day. It is so much easier. I love your tips on tidying! Could you have one for a child’s room…my step daughters room is so bad. She likes organization as well but I don’t feel her room is equipped for that ye, she just throws it all in her closet lol I need to buy some bins for her barbies, doll clothes etc. I just don’t know where to begin.
Amanda says
TIDY all the way. When I show this post to my mom, she will laugh and say “yes, that is you”! Everything needs to be put away before I can relax, and I cannot tolerate clutter. I also agree with other comments about how many little tasks can get done in a few minutes. Those are power blitzes!
Mrs Money says
I love these posts! Do you know where that white piece of furniture with baskets came from?
KathEats says
The shelves are from Wayfair (I think!) and the baskets are from Homegoods (I think!) They didn’t come together but just happen to fit well.
Sarah says
where are the baskets from in the bottom picture?
KathEats says
I actually don’t remember. They might be Better Homes and Gardens from Walmart?
Britta Commans says
What is the “Tidy hint” that goes along with the basket of napkins? I couldn’t find it. Just that they are in one place?
Paulette Melanson says
I totally agree with you … get the family involved in keeping the house tidy and clean as soon as possible. All members of the family live in your house and should be responsible for maintaining it. As a child (1 of 6) we all had our responsibilities to keep our rooms clean, clean another room in the house, set/clear the table, load the dishwasher, wash the pots and pans, clean the floor … and when we were old enough we learned how to do our own ironing and contributed to the cooking/baking. My daughter and I often did the cooking, shopping and errands together … to include cleaning and decorating the house for the various seasons. She learned to take pride in our home and now takes excellent care of her own home as a single professional woman.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! It takes a lot of discipline but it is so worth it!
Joan says
Ok……I am the least tidy of all my sisters but this is my mantra, “My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy!” I sometimes add, “Sometimes it’s hilarious!” Really, folks…chill a bit…tidy is great but don’t miss out on life’s joys for dishpan hands and no dust bunnies in the corner.
Nanny says
When I got married at the age of 16, I tried to keep a tidy home and when Friday came I felt the need to clean the house from end to end. That meant mopping the floors, doing the laundry, cleaning and sanitizing the bathroom and kitchen. It was a small house so it didn’t take all day. Now at 70 and with a lot of back pain I do well just to get up and tend to myself. God bless all of you tidy folks.
J Riddle says
Nanny, I’m with you. I have teens in college, but I am a single parent, and a severe injury has left me on the messy side of life. I would love suggestions for the likes of us. Does anything work for your situation that you would be willing to share? I suffer with significant neck and back pain. Thank you!
Tracy says
“Touch It Once”. That’s my motto. So easy to get something (flashlight, book, etc) from another room in the house and just lay it down when you’re done with it. Don’t let go of it and take it back to where you got it! Touch it one time. No more baskets on the stairs for me. Walk it back upstairs and get your 10,000 steps in, too.
Loved this article. I could totally relate to your kitchen cleaning regime. Once you do it for a while, it gets easier and the results are totally worth it and so rewarding.
J Riddle says
I became extremely disabled – mobility – in 2010. I have two children who are 18-years-old, one of whom is my nephew who became orphaned in 2015. They both just started college. I am a single parent. I cannot vacuum. I cannot move heavy loads of wet laundry to the dryer. I have three bedrooms, two baths. In 2015, I moved all of my craft supplies to the attic or garage, where they remain. I cannot be the only (mobility) disabled, single parent of troubled teens who would like considerate suggestions on decluttering and maintaining a clean home. I don’t usually put myself out here like this, so this is a risk for me. My church family has been wonderful, but they, too, have their own homes. There are no government programs for which I qualify. ( I have done extensive research, but if anyone is familiar with programs which I may have overlooked, please don’t be shy.) I am a well-educated, but disabled, retired special ed teacher. I have equity in my home, so programs designed for the impoverished do not apply to my situation. I typically have about four good hours a day, regardless of how that time is spent. Any suggestions that are practical could be life-changing. There has got to be a way that I can do this without paying for help. All of my income is currently allocated to my current situation, including whatever support I can offer my kids with college.
Ellen says
I wonder if those carts from Ikea would help you? Three shelves on wheels you can drag from room to room and tuck behind a chair when company is coming. I think the craft stores now carry them too. IKEA version is a Raskog. We have three and love them for all those bits of stuff. Hubby’s electronics, my knitting supplies, pet food and supplies. Daughter made one into a kitchen cart for her tiny kitchen.
trudy says
Get a Roomba there a game changer
Diana Green says
These are great tips! I need to incorporate some of them into my life. Making my bed is always a big one for me. I usually do it once I’m finished getting ready and before I leave for work in the morning. If I’m really crunched for time and run out of the house before making my bed, it’s usually the first thing that I do when I get back home.
Danielle says
This post fits me exactly. People say I’m weird and overly particular but I just like things clean, tidy, and organized. I too cannot relax if a chore or item is lurking around that needs to be handled. I’m glad to know I’m not alone! Lol
Kathy says
I have full blown ADHD and got frustrated just reading this! If you are already a somewhat tidy person, this may sound wonderful. If you have a brain like mine, this list makes me cry. I don’t put things away as i leave a room because my brain has already moved on to something else. i don’t even know I have set the scissors down on the couch and dropped a piece of paper on the floor!
christine says
I so agree. I think tidy people work at it all the time. In the long run we probably spend less time on house work than someone who lets it all go till the weekend. My bed is made everyday. I never go to bed with a dirty kitchen. Laundry is done throughout the week. When I start a task I finish it. I pick up as I go. My kids are grown but that is how I raised them. They started picking up their toys and putting them away as soon as they could walk. They made their beds everyday as soon as they went off to kindergarten. They were taught how to help all around the house and we did it as a team. I told them I don’t make all the dirty dishes and laundry so I am not the only one to clean. We rarely left the house in a mess. They were taught work before play. Now I see my grown children running their homes very much the same way. All my grandkids have “chores” to o daily.
Wendy Kelso says
I wouldn’t call myself a tidier, but, my husband uses the term “too efficient” since I often put things back where they belong before he is done with them.
From an early age I would tell my girls we were going to do the weekly home blessing (clean the house) and they should both choose something to do to bless the rest of the family. It could be sweep the kitchen, vacuum the living room rug, dust, etc.
I have found that the best way to start my day for a tidy home is to make my bed.
Thank you for your post, it was good to see someone else’s viewpoint.
KathEats says
Love this!!
Avonbohemiangirl says
Thanks for the tips!