Simple Routines That Keep the House From Falling Apart

As someone who has written for years about minimalism and simple living, I’m far from perfect when it comes to keeping things clean and organized in my own home. I’ll be the first to admit that.

But one great thing about writing about a topic is that it forces you to think about what you’re aiming for and to try out different approaches. Along the way that means some failures and some successes.

The rest of this post is simply one friend offering another friend some advice on what he’s learned. And of course trying to live out that advice more consistently in his own life.

Anyone with kids or a busy life will know that keeping a house tidy isn’t always easy, but it is one of those small simple pleasures. I hope that my list of routines will remind you of the ordinary, day-to-day tasks that can add up to a beautiful life and a comfortable home.

Design a landing zone for stuff

Nearly everyone’s front hall or entryway serves as a giant dumping zone for stuff that doesn’t have an obvious home. Maybe it’s things you’ll need next time you leave, or things you don’t want to forget. Either way, it doesn’t have to be a complete eyesore. In our home we added a cute basket for random things that are trying to find their place. This simple step keeps things a bit neater when we’re in the thick of it.

Run the dishwasher every night

In our house, dirty dishes are the number one thing that makes the house feel like it’s falling apart. Instead of letting them pile up in the sink or on our counters we try to run the dishwasher every single night before going to bed. This means we can start the day with a nice clean slate and put dishes from breakfast, lunch, and dinner into the dishwasher.

Have regular ebbs and flows of laundry

Laundry is one of those tasks that is easily put off until the pile is unmanageable. And at that point the whole task feels overwhelming. The system that my wife and I use is to have one dedicated laundry day each week when we do the bulk of the washing and folding. However, we’ve found it better to supplement this approach with a few smaller loads throughout the week, especially for specific kinds of clothes like towels.

Declutter everywhere you go

Decluttering is the daily practice of noticing items that are out of place and putting them where they belong. Or for things that aren’t needed, putting them in a donation box. The best way to declutter is to do it as you go. If you’re leaving one room to go to another, just take a quick look around and see if there’s anything you can grab. This is such a simple habit, but you have to be intentional or else you’ll just ignore the mess and keep kicking the can down the road.

Wipe off surfaces after using them

Whether in the kitchen, bathroom, or living room, we all use surfaces in a way that gets them dirty or dusty. It takes just a few seconds to wipe them off and leave them looking spick and span. Here’s an example: when we clean the kids up after a meal, my wife now lays the washcloth on the table, and then on the floor. This automatically gets the leftover crumbs and keeps the high traffic areas neat without much extra work.

Set a three item rule for flat surfaces

Let’s face it, flat surfaces are extremely convenient for putting stuff down. But have you ever noticed how quickly they become cluttered or messy when you start stacking multiple layers? If you ever need to find something, you have to move stuff off the pile until you uncover it. I don’t have a perfect solution, but I think an obvious place to start is limiting yourself to no more than three items per flat surface area. This will force you to put things in the landing zone I mentioned above or elsewhere.

Have a regular place for your keys and phone

Nobody likes wasting time looking for the same item over and over. Or worse, being irresponsible and having to replace something because you completely lost track of it. I think we’ve all been there. One easy way to fight back is to create a regular place where you put your phone and keys, or any other important object. For example, we have a small bowl on our kitchen counter where we drop our keys as soon as we get home. Easy, peasy.

Take the trash out when your mind is fresh

Do you like taking the trash out? I have to admit, it’s not my favorite chore. I guess the reason is because it feels sticky and stinky and reminds me of all the ways in which I’m not really a minimalist. However, the longer you let the trash sit, the grosser it is. So it’s best to take the trash out before it piles up or starts to smell. This will basically guarantee that taking out the trash is never more than one trip because the bag isn’t too heavy or slippery. If you live in a bigger house, you’ll also want to make a second daily trip to gather the trash from all the small waste bins throughout your home.

Reset the kitchen before bed

My wife and I try to do a quick reset of our kitchen at night before we go to bed. This is such a simple tip, but it might be my number one recommendation for lowering stress in your home. Waking up to a clean and organized kitchen means you can immediately start cooking breakfast without needing to clear space or locate items you need.

Don’t put it down, put it away

Don’t put it down, put it away is one of those great one-liners that really stick in your head. It gets straight to the point and doesn’t give your lazy brain any chance to argue otherwise. Putting stuff away immediately is perhaps the most important of all the home keeping habits. If you don’t do this, then any other system you have will eventually fall apart.

Take a walk through the house and pick up

Finally, as part of my own evening ritual, I like to take a quick glance as I walk through the house before heading to my bedroom. This is probably one of my most important habits for keeping the house neat. I don’t do a deep clean, I just pick up obvious items like toys, books, or clothes and put them back where they belong. Doing this every night means my house rarely gets too far gone that it couldn’t be put back together in just a few minutes.