Have you ever wondered why your house is constantly in a mess? Do you ever feel vexed by having to clean up your living space every week, and get stuck in this endless cycle of cleaning, only to mess things up again? It is not rocket science to maintain a clean and tidy space, all you need is some organisational skills and turn actions into habits.

1. The No Food Rule

It is easy to bring food into your room as you binge-watch the latest shows. However, eating in your room may result in an accumulation of dirty dishes and wrappers, bits and crumbs from crackers and chips, and in worst case scenario, attracting ants and cockroaches. Have your meals and snacks in the kitchen or dining room, or if you really have to eat in your room, always wash your dirty dishes and throw the trash away immediately after consumption.

2. Use a Mug or Tumbler Instead of Cups

Instead of having multiple cups lying around in the house, keep just one mug or tumbler for your drink consumption. Thermos® mugs and tumblers are convenient and keep your beverage hot or cold for hours, allowing you to enjoy your favourite drinks for a longer period of time. Not only that, Thermos® products are aesthetically pleasing, made perfect for modern living.

3. Clean as You Cook

One tip to keep your kitchen tidy is to clean as you cook. The time taken to simmer or boil your food can be used productively to clean your kitchen. Furthermore, if you are using Thermos® Shuttle Chef® to slow cook your food, you will have plenty of time to complete your chores and maximise your time in the day!

4. Find Storage Space

Remember these foldable cardboard boxes? Get them. These boxes are extremely affordable and come in various sizes, which means they not only help store your things, but that the boxes can fit into different spaces such as under your bed, in your wardrobe, on top of your cupboard, etc. Remember to label them so you can easily find what you need the next time.

5. Discard or Donate

Japanese organising consultant and author, Marie Kondo wrote, “if it does not spark joy, throw it out,” and it makes so much sense. How many times have we kept things we never used again? Let go of the hoarder in us and throw away things that you do not need or have not used for a long time. Alternatively, donate them to charitable organisations in your neighbourhood.

6. Replace After Use

Not replacing things after use is a huge contributing factor to a messy space. Simple things like your jewelries, a pair of shoes, a spatula, or dirty clothes… all these items should have a designated space, and it is where they should be stored. Cultivate the habit of replacing the things right after you use them to minimise the mess in your house.

7. ‘One In, One Out’ Rule

Love shopping? Most of the time we buy more than we actually use. Thanks to The Kitchn, one trick to maintain tidiness in your house is to abide by the rule of ‘One In, One Out’ – for every new thing you bring into your house, you should replace it with the old one (followed by tip 5). This helps to maintain a balance in the things you own and not occupy too much space.

8. Separating the Cooking Zone from Baking Zone

Compartmentalise your kitchen into cooking and baking zones. Store your cooking items neatly in one cabinet, and your baking stuff in the other so things are easy to find when you need them, and causes less clutter when everything has a designated spot.