We are all guilty of putting something on the kitchen counter instead of storing it properly. Maybe it's because he lives in a different room, or maybe it's just a little more convenient.
The "one touch" rule is one of the easiest cleaning tips I've ever tried, and it will help you get used to putting things back once you're done using them. One of the biggest household mistakes is creating lots of things that are close by but not in their proper locations or "homes".
Here I explain what the One Touch Tidy Rule is and how it has completely changed the way I clean and tidy my home.
What is the one-touch save rule?
The one touch rule is something I've been trying to implement at home for a while, but only recently have I found the discipline to make it a daily habit. It is believed to have originally been developed by productivity consultant Ann Gomez of Clear Concept Inc (opens in a new tab) . The mantra of the method is: "Don't put it away, put it away."
The goal is to put things away once you've used them and avoid having to touch them a second time to put them back in place. I've always been guilty of hanging my coat on the back of my dining room chair instead of on the hooks in my hall closet . Moving from chair to closet was the second touch, proving that it takes more effort to put things in the wrong place the first time than to put them right the first time.
Bad habits like these have always led to a messy home, and cleaning and tidying up every weekend was often exhausting.
Ann Gomez is a productivity coach and speaker. She is also founding president of Clear Concept Inc. and bestselling author of The Email Warrior , and is passionate about helping people be their best.
Try the one-touch sorting rule
(Photo credit: The Cotswold Company)
Trying to make the one touch rule a habit definitely took some getting used to as I'm not someone who gets into a habit easily. However, when I realized that I didn't need to tidy up areas like my dining room or the coffee table in the living room every night, contentment began to feed my desire to make a change.
I dove headfirst into the ruler and started applying it to everything I used around my house, from my coats to keys to clothes. All I had to do when I wanted to put something down was repeat the "don't put it away, put it away" mantra to myself.
I found that the rule had the most impact in my laundry at home. In the past I've tended to take the laundry basket down and leave it next to my washing machine until later in the day. With this method, I discipline myself to load the machine, put away the basket, and start the washing machine all at once.
Also, I've made a habit of picking up, folding and putting away dry clothes as soon as I start unloading my clothesline, rather than putting the basket in my room to empty later in a second gesture (and, let's be honest, leave) . it at least two days before to finally save everything).
I ended up doing a lot more laundry in less time and didn't get into a backlog that took me a full week to process. Also, my cart was already empty and ready for new clothes, so it was easier to start the next load.
I even found that the one-touch method also helped me declutter my digital space. As someone who receives and reads countless emails every day, I started to force myself to reply to an email as soon as I opened it, instead of opening it and telling myself I'll reply later would. Overall I felt more productive and my inbox looked a lot more organized than usual and I thought I was tidy from the start!
(Image credit: Kitesgrove)
One thing that made the one touch rule more effective in my home was making sure I had the right storage solutions, like bedroom and living room storage in my house. Creating a place for everything helped me keep track of where I needed to move certain items each time I used them.
For example, I've set up a dedicated tool chest space in my home office to store my small DIY tools after I've fixed something in my house, but maybe you want to create a spot for important mail in your kitchen or create a shoe storage spot in the hallway, too to organize general problems.
Shoe Storage Box Set
Assign a slot to each pair of shoes for easier and more rewarding one-touch storage.
Wall organizer with 3 compartments
These mesh wall organizers can help store magazines, books, and documents with a single touch without opening drawers or cabinets.
5 hook organizer
Keys and mail are some of the worst offenders for clutter. An organizer makes the one-key rule more efficient for those irrelevant parts.
However, there was one spot where I allowed myself to be a little more relaxed with the one-touch save method. If I used something downstairs that needed to go up, he would allow me to leave it in a ladder basket at the bottom of my stairs.
As someone with a condition that sometimes makes stairs difficult, giving me some wiggle room with the ruler has made my home and health more comfortable. My only stipulation, however, was that I had to place the item directly in the basket and not on a surface, and I had to carry the basket or its contents upstairs to be sorted the next time I climbed the stairs.
This was an important lesson in giving yourself little breaks and tweaks to storage tips so you don't burn out or force yourself to purge when you're overwhelmed .
my judgement
In general, by repeating the mantra "don't put it down, put it away," every time I was about to drop something in the wrong place, like my coat, I managed to discipline myself to put it away with a gesture. After realizing that it made cleaning my house easier and faster at the end of the week, it reinforced its importance in my daily routine.
frequently asked questions
How to make storage easier?
You can simplify storage by finding a good storage method that suits your home or personality. If you like getting up and getting things done quickly, a method like the five-minute blast can help you run around a spot and clean up the area in one go. If you prefer to take your time, you might be better off trying the basket method of collecting items that belong in other rooms and slowly moving through your house.
How to stop being overwhelmed with cleaning?
One of the best ways to avoid feeling overwhelmed with cleaning is to set a timer for a short amount of time, say 20 to 30 minutes, and spend that time cleaning or tidying your home. Once the timer is up, no matter where you are, you can stop your task and have a rest. Tidying up, or tidying up in short bursts like this, can help you get important tasks done, knowing it won't take forever and you can rest right after.
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