Tidy up faster

How to keep surfaces clear and make cleaning a breeze

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about a genius method of corralling small
items and being able to tidy up faster. Use trays
and baskets, and the clutter will seem far more under control.

(00:27):
I don't know if you've noticed this, but in my house,
any item on a surface tends to attract more clutter
to it. People feel a slight tinge of guilt about
leaving an item on a clear counter, but if there's
something else there, well pile it up. The solution would
seem to be to leave all surfaces completely clearer, but
of course this isn't practical. Some stuff needs to be accessible,

(00:50):
and some of us, this is definitely my personality, forget
stuff exists when we don't see it. I actually forgot
about a bag of my favorite candy that I had
hid in my desk drawer once. I love that candy,
but out of sight, out of mind. It is possible
that if my toothbrush weren't on my bathroom counter, I
might forget to brush my teeth. So an intermediate solution

(01:12):
is to use little trays for corralling all items that
do need to be on a surface without making the
surface a free for all. Any item that needs to
be on the surface goes on a tray or in
a little basket, and the rest of the surface remains clear.
This provides a natural limit on how many things can
go on the surface, which can be helpful and still

(01:33):
makes the surface look relatively neat and a bonus. If
you do need to make the surface completely clear, just
whisk the tray or the basket off somewhere else in
the cupboard in a closet. This is a five second
operation and a reversible one too, because as soon as
the surface no longer needs to be clear, you take

(01:55):
it back out. There are some variations on this theme.
For instance, all spring, I kept my homeschooling binder and
papers on one corner of the kitchen island. The rest
of the island had to be clear, but I acknowledged
that that one corner could have stuff. Things could still
be kept relatively clear that way, and whisked off to

(02:15):
another place if they needed to be. In any case,
if you have surfaces that tend to get cluttered, but
you can't go cold turkey on having them completely cleared.
Try using a tray or a basket. The surface will
look better, you'll limit the amount of stuff on display,
and you'll be able to tidy up faster when necessary.

(02:37):
That's a win all the way around. In the meantime,
this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to
hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

(02:57):
or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook
and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four,
then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media
dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all
the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying

(03:20):
in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio.
For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i
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