During a time when so many people are hunkering down at home, it can be challenging to keep a tidy house, especially when you have kids, pets, and other adults living in the same space. It can be stressful and overwhelming at times, trying to find a balance of keeping everything organized and clean while maintaining one’s sanity. There are a few tips to help keep your house in order while everyone is home, and while you have some downtime to knock out some much-needed organization projects.

Schedule Clean-Up Time Before Bed

Take ten minutes every evening for the entire family to help clean up the house. Run the dishwasher, wipe down the countertops, and put away any clothes lying on the floor. This is also a great time to have your kids help by cleaning up their toys, books, or any crafts they used during the day. Everyone will start each morning off with a clean living space and play area. It’ll make it much more manageable to maintain throughout the day, and when the time comes to tidy up in the evening, the mess won’t be so overwhelming.

Clean Out the Junk Drawer

There is always at least one drawer or cupboard in every household that becomes a collecting place for items without homes. Take some time to clean it out and make it into a manageable space again. Make it easier to identify where odds and ends go, to help prevent the drawer or cupboard from getting cluttered again.

Combine Similar Items

Use any containers you already have at home, or order a few online to get organized. Totes, boxes, or baskets can help contain items and make them easier to find. Start with your kitchen and craft area by combining similar items together—for example, cereal, pasta, rice, crayons, beads, etc. This makes it easy to take inventory of everything you have by keeping the same types of items together.

Label Your Containers

Once you’ve taken the time to consolidate and put all like items together, make sure to label each container with its contents. This will make it much easier to find what you’re looking for, especially when you can’t see inside the boxes or jars you’re using for storage.

Spending a significant amount of unplanned time at home can seem daunting at first. However, if you take the time to organize while you’re at home with your family, it’ll leave your space feeling much cleaner, and you’ll better enjoy your surroundings. In addition, it will be much easier to find everything that you need once your life gets back to normal, and everyone gets back into their routines.