Small systems can work together for a big payoff in a household. Implement one or two and you’re on your way to a clean home. Gradually put systems in place and you’ll find that these little systems are working together to help you keep your home clean and organized with very little effort.

Think of your home like a series of little organized zones – each of these zones work together to keep you organized and efficient. Zones can be anywhere and everywhere in your home. If there are items that you routinely use together, put them in a container, bin, basket, or dish so you can easily access them AND so they have a home.

whole house

corral like items together in a bin or basket – This is most likely my favorite organizing trick. Group like with like – it makes it easy to find and if you put them in a nice basket, even boxes of cereal can look cute!

plan ahead – Set aside time ahead on Sunday night to sketch out the plan for the week. If this doesn’t work for you, just take 2-3 minutes each evening to glance at the calendar and make sure you know what’s on the docket for the next day. No one likes surprises like a dental appointment that you forgot about!

use an ‘on your way up’ basket – Sick of stuff getting stashed on the steps to go up later? Put a basket on the steps and make sure it gets emptied and put away daily. For some reason the basket is more obvious and a better reminder then a pile of stuff. Eventually you should be able to repurpose the basket as people start putting things away after they use them, but you might like this and just keep it!

deal with clutter daily – Figure out a system to deal with clutter on a daily basis. Mail, papers from school, toys, clothes….whether it’s a 10 minute pick up at night or a couple clutter eliminating times during the day, make it happen consistently.

Don’t miss this Special Back-to-School Offer:  For the month of July, we’re giving Clean Mama subscribers a special discount to our favorite done-for-you systems! Use the code SCHOOL24 to get three months for the price of one of Homekeeping Society, Outfit Formulas and Recipe Club. Head to this post for all the details!

Recipe Club helps you whip up dinner without the hassle, Outfit Formulas gives you fun and stylish outfit ideas so you don’t have to stress about what to wear and Homekeeping Society helps you clean your home in minutes a day with ease.

entryway

shoes off at the door – I’m sure that there are people that disagree with me, but keeping shoes at the door WILL keep your floors cleaner, thus giving you less work and bringing less dirt and germs into your home.

have a place for shoes – Make sure you have a designated place for shoes. It’s annoying to be tripping over a pile of shoes at the door. Ask me how I know 😉  Whether it’s a shelf, a basket, or a closet, just find a place for the shoes. We have a mudroom with a shoe basket for each kid and we still need a daily reminder to put the shoes in the baskets. Someday it’ll sink in!

linens

fold towels a certain way – This is a silly little thing, but if you like a neat and tidy linen closet or cupboard, fold your towels the same way. I like to fold them in thirds the long way and then in thirds again. The method isn’t as important as consistency is – decide on a method and stick with it. Your closet will stay organized without any additional effort.

place your sheet sets in pillow cases – Stop worrying about the perfectly folded fitted sheet! Fold them up as neatly as you can and then slide them into the matching pillowcase. Fold the extra fabric over and you have a neat sheet set ready to be stacked away.

kitchen

meal planning – Regardless of HOW you meal plan, a quick plan of what’s for dinner is a time and money saver. Start with 2-3 days ahead and work up to a week. Once you start to see the impact on your stress level around dinnertime and watch your grocery bill shrink, you’ll be hooked!  Recipe Club is my favorite meal planning system – find out more about it and get 3 months for the price of one here.

clean the kitchen up after dinner –  Take the time each and every night to clean up the kitchen after dinner. Load up the dishwasher, clear the counters, wipe down the table and counters and give your sink a little scrub. Five to ten minutes nightly pay off many times over each and every day.

unload the dishwasher in the morning before breakfast – I use the 3 minutes (it seems longer) that the coffee is brewing to unload the dishwasher and our kids take turns unloading it too. What is it about this task that is so annoying? Make it a system and you’ll find that the rest of your kitchen starts to run more efficiently. No piles of dishes on the counters because they have an empty (and clean) dishwasher to go to.

store dishes and silverware by the dishwasher – Stop what you’re doing and think about WHERE your dishes are in the kitchen. Are they right by the dishwasher and/or sink? If they aren’t, move them there today! This system alone is a game changer.

bedrooms

simplify your closet – Assessing your wardrobe and looking at what you actually wear vs. what’s in your closet can help you hone in on your signature style and save time when it comes to doing laundry and making ‘what to wear’ choices. My favorite system for my closet is Outfit Formulas – no more stressing about what to wear! Find out more about it and get 3 months for the price of one here.

stop wasting time folding socks and underwear – Store socks in a basket or bin in a drawer or on a shelf and buy the same sock to keep it even easier – just toss them all in the basket and grab two and you’re all set!  Don’t bother folding undies, keep them in a basket or bin in your drawer – no folding required.

make your bed every morning – Get in the habit of pulling that comforter up and putting the pillows back every.single.day. Time yourself – it probably takes you less than a minute!  This is a Daily Task with a big impact!

keep items to donate in a basket – Be ready to part with stuff and have a designated place for it to go. Keep a basket in your closet for outgrown or unwanted items. I keep a labeled bin in each of the kids’ closets for their outgrown clothing. Once the bin is full it either goes in the basement for the next kid or goes to a cousin as a hand-me-down bin.

Have a favorite system to share? Tell us about it in the comments!

New here? The Monthly Focus for July in the Clean Mama Routine is Organizing Systems. If you want to work on your systems in community, come join us!