Staying organized at home is important all year long, but it's essential during the school year. Juggling homework, extracurricular activities, projects, and more can make maintaining a clean and orderly house challenging. The good news is that your family has the power to keep your living spaces in tip-top shape through the school year and beyond. Check out these cleaning tips from Murphy Door to make sure your home is as beautiful and functional as possible once school starts.
Design a Functional Homework Area
While summer days are filled with leisurely pastimes, weekday afternoons during the school year are sure to include homework for your little ones. To help them stay on top of their reading, writing, and arithmetic day after day, it's a good idea to designate a specific area for them to study. Whether you transform a spare bedroom or make the most of a corner in a large room, keep these ideas in mind to make sure your child's work area is as functional as possible:
- Choose a spot that is quiet and free from distractions.
- Provide a clear work area, such as a small desk and a comfy office chair.
- Keep their school supplies organized in bins and baskets that are stocked and easy to access.
- Include a table lamp to ensure they can clearly see what they're working on.
Maintain an Orderly Bedroom
There's nothing worse than being late for school in the morning because someone can't find their shoes, homework, or other everyday essentials. Properly organizing your child's bedroom will be worth your time and effort to help your mornings go as smoothly as possible from August to May. The key to organizing any room is to create a specific spot for storing every item.
Here are some helpful tips to keep your child's bedroom orderly once school starts:
- Designate a place to keep their backpack and outerwear, such as wall hooks, and shoes, such as a basket.
- Make it simple for them to find their school clothes. Use bins or shelves and labels for each day of the week.
- Eliminate any excess clutter in their room that might make it difficult for them to keep clean, including toys.
Create a Convenient Kitchen
There's no doubt that the kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in any home. This is especially true during the school year. From making breakfast and school lunches in the morning to piecing together dinner and preparing for the next day in the evening, maintaining a convenient and efficient kitchen is crucial when your schedule is packed. Check out these tips to help your family get the most out of your kitchen when school is in session:
- Clear out your pantry, fridge, and freezer of expired items or food your family won't eat.
- Keep snacks and ready-to-go meals in an easy-to-spot location, such as in labeled bins in your pantry and fridge
- Plan and prepare meals and snacks over the weekend to make hectic weeknights no fuss.
Declutter Regularly
While it’s unrealistic for most people to keep their homes spotless all the time, keeping your environment clutter-free can help contribute to a tidy space on a daily basis. Home organization gets a lot easier with this tidy home hack. When you declutter, you remove items you no longer need or use, so you create more space for the things that truly matter. You'll spend less time dusting, vacuuming, and organizing, and more time enjoying your space.
- Set aside time to declutter your home regularly, getting rid of items you no longer need or use.
- Donate or sell items that are in good condition but no longer serve a purpose for you.
- Assign a designated spot for every item in your home to prevent clutter from accumulating.
Develop Daily Habits
Creating habits is like building a roadmap for a clean home. By making simple tasks part of your daily routine, like making your bed or tidying up after meals, you keep clutter at bay effortlessly. These habits prevent messes from piling up, saving you time and stress in the long run. Plus, they instill a sense of order and calm in your living space.
We have a few great tips for creating habits that will result in an organized house:
- Make your bed every morning to start the day with a sense of accomplishment and tidiness.
- Clean up spills and messes as soon as they occur to prevent them from becoming bigger problems. Keeping cleaning products in each room of the house can help keep countertops clean and grime at bay.
- Spend a few minutes each evening tidying up common areas like the living room and kitchen.
Create Cleaning Schedules
A cleaning schedule is like having a friendly reminder for your home chores. By breaking tasks into manageable chunks and assigning them to specific days, you ensure nothing gets overlooked. Vacuuming on Mondays, dusting on Wednesdays, and laundry on Fridays—each task has its day! This way, cleaning becomes less daunting and more doable.
These tips will help you stick to your schedule, and your home will stay consistently clean without the stress of last-minute rushes:
- Break down cleaning tasks into manageable chunks and assign specific tasks for each day. This will help you keep up with a regular cleaning routine.
- Rotate deep cleaning tasks such as vacuuming, dusting, and mopping regularly. Using high-quality cleaning supplies to keep a clean home can make a huge difference.
- Consider creating a family cleaning schedule to distribute tasks fairly among family members. Creating a weekly cleaning schedule can help keep your entire house clean without feeling like you need a heavy-duty “spring cleaning” every couple of months.
Organize Storage Spaces
Organizing storage spaces is giving everything in your home a place of its own. When each item has its place, it's easier to find what you need and to keep clutter at bay. Bins, baskets, and shelves help keep things neat and tidy, while labels make finding items a breeze. With organized storage, cleaning becomes a breeze, and your home feels calmer and more inviting.
Here are our favorite tips for organizing your storage spaces:
- Maximize storage space by using bins, baskets, shelves, and organizers to keep items neatly stored and easily accessible.
- Label storage containers to make it easier to find what you need and to encourage everyone to return items to their proper places. You can find affordable label makers on Amazon.
- Utilize vertical space by installing shelving units or hanging organizers to make the most of limited space.
Organize Your Home With Murphy Door
When it comes to keeping your house clean once school starts, Murphy Door is here to help. From providing additional storage space in your closets and bedrooms to keeping your kitchen and laundry room clean amidst the hustle and bustle of busy weekdays, you can't beat the style and practicality that comes with any of our customizable hidden door solutions. Browse our wide selection of hidden doors today.
