Nobody likes a mess. An untidy home isn’t just a matter of aesthetics and cleanliness, it actually has a significant effect on our stress levels and general mental state, giving credence to the expression ‘tidy home, tidy mind’. There are lots of bad habits that a lot of people have around the house, creating a mess, often without even knowing they are doing it.
Here are 5 habits keeping your home a mess, that you should try to avoid:
1. ‘Leaving it to soak’
The classic excuse. Whilst this might have some benefit with those particularly stubborn bits of food stuck to your dishes, most of the time, you are much better off getting straight in there with the washing up. Try washing up as you go or after you’ve finished eating to keep on top of those dishes and stop them from piling up.
2. Not removing clothes from the drying rack
Much like how you shouldn’t leave clean clothes in the washing machine as they will start to smell, you shouldn’t leave your clothes on the drying rack once they’re done drying so they don’t get dusty. It also prevents you from drying any more clothes (and therefore doing laundry), as well as making the house look untidy.
3. Bringing home unnecessary things
Receipts, leaflets, magazines. We collect many things on our travels, lots of them without any real use to us, yet we still tend to keep hold of them and they end up cluttering up our homes. Make a habit of getting rid of these useless items as soon as (or even better – before) you get into the house so as not to risk the junk piling up.
4. Leaving soap stains
Allowing soapy deposits and rust to form in your bathroom can make it a real challenge to clean later on, becoming more difficult the longer you leave it. Develop the habit of rinsing and wiping down these surfaces after using them to prevent limescale buildup, particularly with your shower and bath.
You should also make sure to properly wipe down your sink and taps every once in a while to keep everything looking squeaky clean!
5. Keeping random items on tables
Whether it’s those documents and letters you have lying around on the kitchen table or the pile of clothes on the back of your chair, they are cluttering up your space. Whilst it can be convenient to have some things on hand for when we need them, a lot of the time, these items are just creating clutter. They will serve you much better when put away into their proper place, making them easy to find, helping you to feel more organized and less stressed.
The above are all very small incidents but they have a tendency to multiply quite quickly. I am sure you have experienced how it is when you overlook one thing and then, all of a sudden, you are overlooking more and more bad habits. Don’t let that happen to you by taking care of these things right away and your house will almost always be more organized and ready for guests at any time.