Take it from a formerly messy person, simplifying your surroundings is good for your mental health. There is nothing wrong with being messy. some of my best friends and close family members are messy people!
Observing my messy friends in their natural habitat led me to discover the easiest shortcut to a cleaner space. Once I put this new habit into practice in my own home, it became clear just how beneficial one small change could be.
Are you ready?
Throw out your trash. Ah, stop! Don’t leave! Yes, it’s a simple idea, but let me explain…
As you’ve probably noticed if you live in America and have ever felt any concern for our planet, we love unnecessary packaging. Chances are if you buy something, anything really, half of it is just container. This problem had only grown with the rise of online shopping. (Please don’t smite me, all-powerful Amazon!)
Like a lot of us, I buy almost everything on Amazon. Going into a store is the worst, right? Let’s start with those online purchases.
Mail and Online Purchases
Assign a spot for your mail to land. We use this $5 IKEA box. It gets the job done. Throw out junk mail immediately. Better yet, ask to stop receiving any junk mail you get regularly. Hit your analog unsubscribe button (Here’s how.)
The same idea goes for online purchases. Unpack packages when you get them. Then remove packaging from individual items, put items away, breakdown the box and place it in the recycling. It just takes a minute and it makes a big difference. If you have a week’s worth of Amazon boxes cluttering up your home, let me tell you, that’s no way to live.
Groceries
If you’d like to stop using so many plastic produce bags, I really recommend these reusable mesh substitutes. They work better and are friendlier to the planet. What’s not to like?
As far as fridge and pantry storage, I’m all about bins and boxes ( I know, my KonMari love is showing). These bins work great for collecting small items.
A thrifty, eco-friendly alternative that we employ, is to reuse large cardboard boxes (as long as they’re our of sight, like inside a cupboard). I’ll give an example. As the mother of a toddler, I like to stockpile applesauce pouches for on-the-go snacking. Instead of keeping several boxes of individually wrapped pouches on hand, we dump all the pouches into a larger easily accessible cardboard box. Simplify and ditch the unnecessary.
Bathroom Clutter
This is where I first noticed how cluttered and messy excess packaging made my home. We have very small bathrooms with very little storage. We also tend to buy hygiene items in bulk. Who can resist a two pack of contact solution or a six-pack of deodorant? Always having a new tube of toothpaste is really nice.
Once again, the solution is simple. Open those multi-packs and break it down as much as possible. In our bathroom, we keep one of each item and one extra stored in our vanity. All other bulk items get stored elsewhere.
Sure, we have to restock sometimes, but it frees up space so that we can actually see what we have and use it easily. A clean, well-appointed bathroom is worth it.
Messy No More
It’s like unpacking your luggage right away, after a trip. You know if you don’t you won’t enjoy it sitting there, taunting you and making your stuff hard to find. You’ll definitely have regrets when it destroys your big toe after stumbling into it on a chaotic Tuesday morning.
It’s so much easier to put things away when the need arises. When new items come into your home, don’t let them stay in limbo. Trash is always going to be trash. Don’t let it become decor.
For any new purchase, get down to the most basic level of packaging possible, right away. Then recycle or toss what you don’t need. This easy step can organize and streamline you home.