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How To - After Moving

How to Stay Clean and Organized After a Move

getting organized after a move

Ah, that sweet moment when you finish unpacking, cart away all the boxes and sit down to enjoy your new, clean, organized home.

If only it could last longer than a minute, right?

Life gains momentum, stuff begins to accumulate, and eventually that promise you made to yourself to stay organized feels like quite a stretch. But it doesn’t have to get to the point of total chaos! Getting organized after a move, and doing it properly, can set you up for a clean and comfortable home for years to come. Here’s how to get started.

Know your own cleanliness habits and make small shifts first

When it comes down to it, your cleanliness habits are what will set you up for success or for some serious challenges. Before you ask how to get organized after a move — or even before the move — examine your current habits. Do you take a little time daily to tidy up, or do you let things accumulate? Do you see your closets as the “out of sight, out of mind” zone and let them devolve into piles of stuff, or do you love seeing your clothes organized on hangers and racks? Identify some of your Achilles Heels and commit to making small shifts immediately. Wash the dishes every night instead of leaving them to “soak”, for example, and your kitchen will feel a little less cluttered.

Declutter, declutter, declutter

Nothing makes your new home suddenly feel smaller and less inviting than the gradual pileup of clutter. Papers, boxes, clothes, toys, they can all start to find their way onto your home’s surfaces and counters over time if you’re not paying attention. Research has shown that your home impacts your happiness in significant ways. The best advice on how to clean your apartment after moving in? Don’t let it get disorganized in the first place. Put things back after you use them and make an effort to clear off the cupboards regularly. Then you won’t ever find yourself tackling an insurmountable mountain of clutter.

Take your time unpacking

One of the best ways to unpack and organize after moving is to take your time. If you have the luxury of taking some time off from work, do it. You’ll appreciate it when you’re not coming home from the office to try and tackle boxes of linens. Allocating big chunks of time will also give you the chance to think strategically about where to store things and how to organize your belongings. Reducing the need to rush will also help keep your spirits high during your move. After all, you want to enjoy your new home!

Start with the essentials

Don’t over-analyze when it comes to how to organize after moving: start with the most important stuff! Make sure you have a nice place to sleep, a functional kitchen, and your basic toiletries are available. Do all of this before you worry about unpacking your books and color-coding your closet, and your move will feel much smoother.

Make a cleaning schedule and stick to it

Once you get organized after a move, the secret is to keep your home clean for the long haul. Make a cleaning schedule to remind yourself of those deep clean chores: taking off the couch cushions and vacuuming, for example, or laundering your blankets and pillows. These things all need to happen regularly but can easily get forgotten amidst the daily happenings. That’s why keeping yourself organized with a chart can be handy!

Finished unpacking and ready to kick back? Congratulations! Have a look at these 7 ways to de-stress after your move.

About the author

Unpakt Team