While some people’s holiday traditions center around putting up the tree, baking some delicious cookies, and spending time with family, one of mine is firmly rooted in a tidying technique my mom taught me.
Since growing up, I’ve now determined that she didn’t invent the technique, but in my life it certainly feels like she did. And now, I use it every single holiday season without fail to get on top of things.
So, when I’m focusing on the forgotten spots in the home that guests always notice aren’t clean, as well as the rest of the house, I’ve always got what my mom taught me – to use a ‘tidy tote’. And I’ll explain below exactly what that is and how it works.
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Then, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have that ‘tidy tote’ ready to go every holiday season – and honestly, any time of year that you’re hoping to declutter.
A simple tote and some willpower
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
During the holidays, just before we put out the decorations, my mom would bring out her ‘tidy tote’. And while I want to say that said tote was a dedicated festive-looking bag that came out with the rest of the festive delights, it was simply a tote bag she had to hand, or usually not even a tote but a large carrier bag she found in the house, or sometimes even just the washing basket.
But, with a dash of festive spirit and a whole lot of willpower, she’d wonder around our home picking up things that she felt were ready to be thrown away. She’d repeat the process for things that could be donated. And then, she’d repeat it for things that needed to be put back in their place.
Each time, emptying out the contents into a pile and sorting through it. The ‘tidy tote’ is an easy way to carry everything you find whilst traversing from room to room before bringing it all back into one spot. And it’s perfect for the holidays because it provokes a serious festive clear out, making way for gifts you’re about to receive or simply making room for impending guests.
How to do it
Speed Clean with a Tidy Tote – YouTube
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While my mom taught me to dedicate a large bag to this chore, I’ve since learnt from people like cleaning expert Clutterbug, as featured above, that you can organize a tote with smaller segments, which act as different rooms of your house.
If you’re focused on sorting and rejigging you home, this method works great. For my mom’s ‘tidy tote’, it’s a bit more of a full-on decluttering and cleaning assault on the home. Either way, it seems to be a cleaning hack that spans far and wide.
Simply grab a bag or even your wash basket, move around your home filling it up with a goal in mind (tidy, declutter, sort) and your house will be looking a whole lot cleaner in no time at all. It’s seriously as simple as that, but with a cute decluttering name to go with it.
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