As a recovering Messie one of my recurring messes is my counter. My wide open space of counter top is really just an over sized stuff magnet. In fact I think that we may be able to scientifically prove that "stuff" is actually magnetized. It is my firm belief that if you place anything on a counter top it starts to take on magnetic properties Stuff begets stuff. Stuff attracts stuff. (I am pretty sure that food storage containers self propagate!)
This magnetic process starts out very innocently. You go to the mail box, you set them mail on the counter, you walk away. Or, your kid does an art project and not all of it get's cleaned up. And next thing you know you are conducting a therapy session for lost, broken, misplaced and homeless items. I am not sure if the items on my counter need therapy, but I sure do by the time I finish a whole day of trying to clear it off.
And really, who wants to spend their whole day cleaning off a counter? I could be doing more productive things like cleaning the bathroom!
In all seriousness, my goal is to stop having to battle the clutter everyday all day. I'd rather spend an hour actually cleaning the house instead. Then do something else! Busting out a few chores each day is so much more rewarding than spending a day rearranging clutter around a home.
So, I decided to get serious and do some major counter intelligence! Here is my process:
Step 1: I took an inventory of all these seemingly random things that ended up on my counter. I did a case study, if you will, of what typically found its way there. This study was conducted as I put things away.
Step 2: I reviewed my inventory and looked for patterns. Then I found spots for the frequent counter offenders. This way the next time they ended up on my counter I could swiftly put them away.
I easily eliminated stacks of paper by following my friend Melissa's advice. She fills a magazine holder with pocket folders and quickly files all those papers that need to be accessible yet need a home off of the counter. Each person in the house has a file folder, and each major activity your family does has a folder. For instance we have one for church papers, a folder for phone numbers and directories, and one for local community and preschool places and events. It works!
In my inventory I found that a huge amount of clutter was due to my daughters love of paper and crafts. I dedicated a drawer to all her papers. This eliminated me trying to sort through them at all. I just scooped all her papers and put them in the drawer. (I also created a system for keeping kids art.... more on that later)
Step 3: Remove whatever does not need to be on the counter from the counter. Since I am a believer that stuff has an inherent magnetic property, I decided to remove as many magnets as possible.
I got rid of my paper towel holder, spice rack, and the decorations I used to put at the end of the counter. I also made a spot for the blender in the cupboard. Even if I use something every day... it still does not need to be on the counter. We don't keep all our glasses and plates on the counter (well I hope you don't)--- how hard is it really to just get something out when you need it?
Step 4: Do a clean sweep a few times a day. Have zero tolerance for counter clutter. Take that mail to the trash, don't let the kids pile their toys on the counter, find a place for that item...or get rid of it. These are all new habits that I am having to retrain myself to do and encourage my family to do the same.
This magnetic process starts out very innocently. You go to the mail box, you set them mail on the counter, you walk away. Or, your kid does an art project and not all of it get's cleaned up. And next thing you know you are conducting a therapy session for lost, broken, misplaced and homeless items. I am not sure if the items on my counter need therapy, but I sure do by the time I finish a whole day of trying to clear it off.
And really, who wants to spend their whole day cleaning off a counter? I could be doing more productive things like cleaning the bathroom!
In all seriousness, my goal is to stop having to battle the clutter everyday all day. I'd rather spend an hour actually cleaning the house instead. Then do something else! Busting out a few chores each day is so much more rewarding than spending a day rearranging clutter around a home.
So, I decided to get serious and do some major counter intelligence! Here is my process:
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| Photo #1-- The Old Normal |
Step 1: I took an inventory of all these seemingly random things that ended up on my counter. I did a case study, if you will, of what typically found its way there. This study was conducted as I put things away.
Step 2: I reviewed my inventory and looked for patterns. Then I found spots for the frequent counter offenders. This way the next time they ended up on my counter I could swiftly put them away.
I easily eliminated stacks of paper by following my friend Melissa's advice. She fills a magazine holder with pocket folders and quickly files all those papers that need to be accessible yet need a home off of the counter. Each person in the house has a file folder, and each major activity your family does has a folder. For instance we have one for church papers, a folder for phone numbers and directories, and one for local community and preschool places and events. It works!
In my inventory I found that a huge amount of clutter was due to my daughters love of paper and crafts. I dedicated a drawer to all her papers. This eliminated me trying to sort through them at all. I just scooped all her papers and put them in the drawer. (I also created a system for keeping kids art.... more on that later)
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| Light at the end of the tunnel! This is at least functional. |
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| When cleaning the counter off I always end up with a pile of random stuff I don't know what to do with. These random items usually end up in a laundry basket that I take from room to room looking for homes for it all |
I got rid of my paper towel holder, spice rack, and the decorations I used to put at the end of the counter. I also made a spot for the blender in the cupboard. Even if I use something every day... it still does not need to be on the counter. We don't keep all our glasses and plates on the counter (well I hope you don't)--- how hard is it really to just get something out when you need it?
Step 4: Do a clean sweep a few times a day. Have zero tolerance for counter clutter. Take that mail to the trash, don't let the kids pile their toys on the counter, find a place for that item...or get rid of it. These are all new habits that I am having to retrain myself to do and encourage my family to do the same.
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| Victory! Now to keep it this way! |
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