• What Is OWN?
    Watch the preview!
    GO
  • DIY Made Easy
    Get tips and project ideas in your inbox
    GO

Kitchen and Dining Room Clutter Checkups

Sarah's dining room

Laundry, Laundry Everywhere

Dear Peter Walsh,

My kitchen and meal area is the messiest area of my house. The other rooms are relatively tidy. My dining table is an extension of my ridiculously tiny laundry room! I hang clothes to dry on the clothes racks by the big glass door in the dining room. The clothes to be folded are piled on the table in great heaps. Again, this just mounts up, and i just feel overwhelmed.

In the back corner is a small wardrobe cabinet, housing only a small part of our overflowing motorcycle apparel. Motorcycle gear bags, helmets, boots and other bulky protective clothing litters the floor around the table and beside the kitchen bench. My ironing board is wedged under the bench stacked with more clutter. I guess its pretty obvious I don't do any ironing!

When I really think about my clutter management around the house, I guess I can trace it all back to my tiny laundry room. Is there any way to get this problem under control?

— Sarah

Sarah, there are two issues here.

First, dishes don't stack up and clothes don't pile up by themselves. You have to commit to washing the dishes when you're done with them and folding and putting the clothes away as soon as they're dry. It's that simple. These two tasks have to become a part of your daily routine.

Repeat after me: "When I dirty a dish or utensil, I will wash, dry and put it away. When the clothes are dry, I will immediately fold and put them
away".

This is part of living as an adult in your own home. There is no magic solution here. Step up and take responsibility for the way you live.

Secondly, it's great that you're trying to store the motorcycle gear in one place, but it sounds like the space is too small. You have to either get a
larger storage place for the gear or cut down the amount you have. You only have the space you have, and if you want to stay organized, the stuff you have has to fit reasonably into the space you allocate for it.

— Peter

Peter's expert advice on tidying up the living room