2-Minute Tasks To Prevent Clutter From Piling Up
If you love your newly decluttered home and want to incorporate quick tasks regularly to keep it clutter-free, you’ve come to the right place.
I’m a big fan of this “2-minute rule”, which suggests that if something can be done in 2 minutes, don’t wait until later – do it right away. It helps me become more aware of my daily habits and prevents procrastination.
Then, I got an idea several years ago, when our family first moved overseas to a brand new house: why don’t I intentionally incorporate some 2-minute tasks into the routines I already have, so I can keep our new house clutter-free?
So here I am, sharing the 10 quick and easy tasks that have been helping me prevent clutter in my house.
It may take some effort to intentionally remind yourself to do these tasks, but once you establish the habits, you’ll appreciate how effortlessly they contribute to a clutter-free space.
10 Quick Tasks To Prevent Clutter From Piling Up
Here are the 10 tasks, each takes no more than 2 minutes, that you can intentionally include in your routines.
1. Check Closet before Clothes shopping
Before heading to the mall for a clothes shopping spree, take a moment to check your existing wardrobe. This way, you won’t end up buying the same or similar items you already have. That means more money in your wallet and less clutter in your closet.
This is especially helpful when clothes shopping for your kids. Since they grow fast, the last thing you want is to have too many clothes that they don’t get to wear much before they grow out of them.
By being mindful of your current inventory, you can be more intentional when shopping and avoid clutter from coming into your home.
2. Recycle packing boxes
Don’t let packaging materials and cardboard boxes pile up in your entryway or living room! After unboxing and making sure the products received are okay, make an effort to clean up the packaging boxes and put them in the recycle bin.
3. Tidy Up Entryway
When returning home, do you (or your kids) have a habit of dropping bags, jackets, or shoes on the floor or chair in your entryway?
I understand – we often have more urgent things to do right away when we arrive home, like putting away groceries or going to the bathroom. Tidying up the entryway is probably the last thing that’s on your mind.
However, consider this simple tweak to your routine: put away bags and jackets right when you walk in. It might take a bit of effort initially, but the payoff is a tidy and welcoming entryway
4. Tidy up clothes after getting dressed
Do you typically try on several different outfits before deciding what to wear for the day? Do you remember to put those “tried on then taken off” clothes back after getting dressed?
Don’t leave the them lying on the floor or piling up on the chair. Take a minute (or 2) to fold them or hang them back in the closet.
This simple step not only maintains a clutter-free bedroom/closet but also ensures that your clothes stay in good condition. Plus, it saves you from the hassle of dealing with a growing pile of clothing later on.
5. Tidy Up Bathroom Counters
Bathroom counters, especially in shared spaces, can quickly become cluttered. With the toothpaste/toothbrushes, hair products, and various personal items, the bathroom sure needs a regular tidy-up routine!
You can incorporating this into your daily routine—after your morning or evening routine, take a quick moment to tidy up. Put items back in their designated spots and give the counters a wipe down.
6. Gather Laundry Every Morning
If you are in charge of doing laundry for your family, collect laundry each morning from every bathroom, bedroom, and any other possible places in your house, and bring it to your laundry room.
This not only helps prevent dirty clothes from piling up but also speeds up the laundry process on your laundry day.
7. Gather items before you go
I remember in the old days, there were used cups everywhere in the house: the living room, bedrooms, study, and so on. It’s because we didn’t have the habit of taking finished cups back to the kitchen. As a result, we ended up taking more cups from the kitchen.
Before going to another part of your home, spare a few seconds to scan the room and gather items you can take with you—cups, pens, books, or anything that does not belong there.
8. Reset Your Kitchen Counters
Flat surfaces, especially in the kitchen, can quickly become clutter magnets. Schedule one or two daily resets, putting away items to prevent the accumulation of unnecessary items on your kitchen counters.
Personally, I have two resets each day. One is before I start prepping for dinner, where I put away all the toys and artwork that belong to my son. The other reset happens after dinner to clean up anything related to cooking and foodstuff.
9. Find One Item to Declutter
Set up a daily schedule to intentionally look for one item to declutter every day. Fit it into a time that works best for you.
Personally, I do it after lunch as it fits well into my current routine. If you want to find items from your closet, you can do it when you get dressed in the morning or after returning home and changing your clothes.
It doesn’t matter how small the item is; even a piece of a receipt from your purse counts! The point of this task is to become aware of how much stuff you have. This will eventually help you to be more intentional when shopping.
10. Help your child declutter one toy
You can also help your child find one toy to declutter when it’s time to tidy up in the evening. It can be as small as a Pokemon trading card that your child doesn’t like or a piece of a broken part of an art project.
In addition to preventing toy clutter, you are also teaching your child a valuable lesson of letting go. It might be a little challenging in the beginning, but once your child gets used to this routine, it will be worth the effort!
Conclusion
To recap, these are the quick tasks that can help keep clutter from piling up.
- Check Closet before Clothes shopping
- Recycle packing boxes
- Tidy Up Entryway
- Tidy up clothes after getting dressed
- Tidy Up Bathroom Counters
- Gather Laundry Every Morning
- Gather items before you go
- Reset Your Kitchen Counters
- Find One Item to Declutter
- Help your child declutter one toy
These quick tasks, taking no more than 2 minutes each, are powerful tools in the battle against clutter. Integrate them into your daily life, and you’ll find that maintaining a tidy and organized home becomes second nature.
Remember, the key is consistency!
