One of the most significant obstacles people face when it comes to keeping the house clean is having a tremendous amount of ‘stuff.’ The longer you live in the same house, the more likely you are to accumulate stuff.
Stuff basically refers to items that aren’t really necessary but that you thought were cool at the time you purchased them or couldn’t justify getting rid of them. The more clutter that congests your home or any room in your house, the more likely you’ll be dealing with a lack of cleanliness, dirt, and a feeling of being overwhelmed by all of that ‘stuff.’
The best way to help make your home cleaner on a regular basis is to remove a lot of excess furniture and other belongings from every room in your house. Start with the common areas, such as the living room, family room, den, and even the kitchen and dining room. For this example, let’s talk about the family room.
The family room may be different than a living room, but whatever it’s called it’s where the entire family has a tendency to get together to watch a television program, play a game, or just sit around and talk or read.
In this room there may be one couch along the south wall, a loveseat on the east side, a recliner in the corner opposite the couch and loveseat, an entertainment center with the TV, stereo system, and about 1,000 movies in the other corner. In between you might have a coffee table, a couple of end tables, a magazine rack next to the recliner, a couple of other knickknacks and other pieces of furniture for cups, books, or anything else you can think of.
If that all sounds like a tremendous amount of stuff, it is. While you may have four, five, or even more people in your family and think that it’s absolutely necessary to have all of these furniture items in this family room, most likely they’re not necessary.
Remove the loveseat and only keep the couch, a coffee table, the recliner, and the entertainment center in the room. Small children can be more than content to sit on the floor while they watch program or squeeze in next to you on the couch.
Pay attention to how clean this room remains throughout the week. It should be an eye-opening experience that inspires you to de-clutter other rooms in the house as well.
