Keeping your home neat can feel overwhelming, but professional organizers rely on simple, effective, everyday methods to keep things tidy.

Whether you want to declutter or simply keep daily messes in check, these 15 tips from our seasoned organizing pros will help you maintain a more streamlined space that exudes calm, not chaos.


Keeping your home neat can feel overwhelming, but professional organizers rely on simple, effective, everyday methods to keep things tidy.

Whether you want to declutter or simply keep daily messes in check, these 15 tips from our seasoned organizing pros will help you maintain a more streamlined space that exudes calm, not chaos.

By avoiding the things people with tidy homes never do, and embracing our pro tips, you’ll soon have a serene living space to be proud of.

1. Make your bed

(Image credit: Manuel Rodriguez )

A made bed sets a positive tone for the day and instantly makes the entire room look tidier.

Professional organizer Francesca Verri says, ‘This can’t be stated enough: when you make your bed you start the day in an organized way, and that helps breed organization throughout the day.

‘It also means you’ve completed the first ‘tidy-up task’ of the day – which leaves you with a sense of accomplishment you’ll want to add to as the day goes on.’

For more, check out these 8 reasons to make your bed every day, plus our guide for how to make you bed the right way.

Verri adds, ‘Also, don’t forget what’s perhaps the most important benefit – when you come into your room after a long day, you’ll be welcomed by a neatly-made bed, bringing you that sense of peace and respite you deserve.’

2. Clean the sink

(Image credit: deVOL Kitchens)

An empty, clean sink creates a sense of order in the kitchen, which breeds order elsewhere.

Verri explains, ‘Clean the sink is metaphor for how having things ‘done’ not only affects your physical surroundings, but your mindset as well. I use the kitchen as an example for clients. When the sink is filled with dirty dishes, the counters tend to be cluttered with homeless items. Soon, you feel overwhelmed, with no idea what to cook, or how to cook.’

Learn how to declutter when feeling overwhelmed.

Verri continues, ‘When the sink is clean, or the area is neat, the possibilities for living your life healthy and well are endless. That’s because there is an addictive quality to a tidy area, and often one tidy areas beckons you to ‘clean the sink’ in another area – whether that’s folding the blankets on the couch and straighten cushions, putting away laundry, hanging up coats, or straightening shoes in a mudroom.’

This UNHO Stainless Steel Dish Rack from Wayfair sticks to your counter and keeps your dishes drying tidily with its two-tier structure.

3. Tidy nightly

(Image credit: Shani Core)

Spend a few minutes each night collecting clutter and resetting your home for the next day.

Home organization expert Amanda Scott says, ‘It’s much easier to manage small messes than tackle a big one later. Just like dust attracts more dust, clutter attracts more clutter. So while this tip may not have a fancy name, I believe it’s crucial for keeping your home tidy.

‘Simply set aside a few minutes each evening to return shoes to the shoe basket, hang up coats, recycle the day’s junk mail, wipe down the kitchen counter, run the dishwasher and start a load of laundry. If you have kids, let them help out by giving them a basket and going around the house picking up their toys and returning them to their homes.

‘I love this daily habit as it really helps you to cultivate a sense of control and calm over your home. It’s a simple yet powerful way to enhance your daily life!’

Learn more about the habits of highly organized people.

4. The ‘one in, one out’ rule

(Image credit: Alamy)

To prevent clutter from building up, adopt the ‘one in, one out’ rule, which our writer recently tried and loved, finding it changed her whole relationship with shopping permanently.

Karina Toner, operations manager at Spekless Cleaning, says, ‘This simple but effective rule always keeps clutter at bay by limiting the number of new items you bring into your space. I love this because it helps me make sure I’m more intentional with my purchases, encouraging mindful consumption and cutting down on impulse buys that often lead to unnecessary clutter at home. Plus, it’s a habit that truly just becomes second nature with time.

‘The method is simple: every time you bring a new item into your home, get rid of an old one. For example, if you buy a new pair of shoes, donate or discard an old pair. This works especially well for areas like closets, toy storage, and even kitchen items.’

Find out more about what is sometimes known as the ‘tidy toss method’ in our detailed guide – Why I use the tidy toss method to keep my closet organized.

5. Don’t put it down – put it away

One of the simplest yet most effective habits is to immediately put items where they belong instead of setting them down. Avoiding putting things away is one of the things people with tidy homes never do.

Verri says, ‘I started saying this mantra early on in my career and still implement it in my daily life to keep my spaces tidy. I love it because it reminds me of the most important tenet to staying organized, which is that everything must have a home.

‘The way it works is simple. When something comes into your space – whether by you or someone else – it needs to be questioned almost immediately. I say almost immediately because the biggest downfall for people who want to be tidy is that they don’t make decisions quickly, if at all, on what belongs in the space.

‘Instead of putting it away, we put it down, for a second. And that second turns into days and weeks. Eventually, the clutter that forms feel overwhelming and tidying up appears harder and harder to do.’

It can also make people prone to clutter blindness, when they no longer notice the mess accumulating.

Verri adds, ‘Instead of putting it down ask yourself the following questions: Do I need this? Will I use this? Do I like this? These basic questions will take the emotion out of an item and lead you to keeping only what serves a purpose.’

This prevents clutter from building up in the first place, thereby reducing the need for tidying in the longer term.