Nate Berkus Reveals One Habit That'll Keep Your Space Tidy And Organized
Everyone wants to keep their home tidy and organized, but that's easier said than done. You might start with the best intentions by making your bed in the morning or washing your dirty dishes as soon as you finish eating, but then it all goes sideways. By the end of the week, you're left with a bedroom chair covered with unfolded clothes, a stack of dishes left in the dishwasher, and toys strewn all over the living room floor. You wonder what the habits of people who keep their homes clean and organized are so you can finally crack the code and help revert your messy ways. As it turns out, Nate Berkus might be able to help. The iconic designer recommends creating a system for every cabinet and drawer in the house to create a home for all your items.
It can be easy to throw your socks haphazardly into a drawer or store your bedsheets in a sloppy — but functional — tower in the linen closet. But if you want to stop feeling like you can never catch up with your cleaning and like your house is in a constant state of disarray, it might be time to take Berkus up on his wisdom. Creating a system for every storage space in your house sets an expectation on how things should be organized, curbing the urge to skip tidying. Below is a closer look at Berkus' advice.
Create organization systems in every drawer and cabinet to become tidier
If you're looking for minimal cleaning hacks to keep your home tidy, then Nate Berkus is ready to set you up for success. In a post on Instagram, the designer explained how creating systems in every part of your house helps keep your home in order without much effort. "Top tips for keeping my home & any home organized: develop a system and stick with it," he wrote in the caption. But if you dislike cleaning, this can seem like a tall order. Creating a system for every nook and cranny in the house will likely take a long time, and it can feel overwhelming. But he has a workaround for that. "I don't think you should organize the entire house. It's too overwhelming in one shot," he shared in the video. "But you can pick even a drawer or inside a cabinet or linen closet and just make that the goal."
Start small and spread out the task over a whole week or month. Take the time to weigh what should be stored in the shelf or drawer, and then look up ways to best organize those items there. For example, if you're struggling with keeping your t-shirts tidy, select a dresser drawer they will go into. Then, choose the tool that will best corral them. For example, drawer dividers have been a popular pick for years.
How to stick with organizing systems
Creating the systems is just half the battle. Once you have them in place, you then have to commit to using them as intended. This can be difficult for naturally messy people, but Nate Berkus has a helpful reminder that might make you stick to your plans. Slow down when cleaning, and remind yourself you chose these systems for a reason. "It's so tempting to just fold the sheet in a different way and throw it in the closet and close the door," Berkus shared in his Instagram post. "But if you have a system, just take the extra 30 seconds to put things back the way you decided you wanted them to go, and your house will run so much more smoothly than it ever has before."
In the end, there is no magic solution that will make you fold the sheet tidily each time. You have to have the willpower to do so. But if you remind yourself that you took the time to research and implement that particular method to keep the space tidy, you will be more likely to take the extra minute to fold the item the way you intended. It's akin to following the 2-minute rule, which follows the idea that if you finish a chore in under two minutes, you should do it immediately.