A clutter-filled home doesn’t make for the most comfortable living environment. Your household’s neatniks will be perpetually stressed out and growtired of cleaning up after your home’s messier occupants.
They knowtheir cleaning efforts will only pay short-term dividends before things become disorganized once again. This isn’t good for household chemistry or morale.
On top of that, finding items when you need them becomes a constant challenge. Without effective home storage solutions, the problem becomes even worse.
If thesescenarios are resonating with you, it’s time to apply the one touch rule to help with your house’s clutter.
What is the one touch rule?
The one touch rule was conceivedby Ann Gomez, a productivity consultant and the founding president for Toronto-based organization Clear Concept Inc.
While Gomez’scompany specializes in business training and ways to improve productivity, her one touch rule can be applied to your home as well.
Her conceptis deceivingly simple, right down to its self-explanatory name. The rule is:put away your things immediately and avoid handling them more than once after you’re done with them. That’s it.
Putting items aside to deal with later only creates clutter
Here’s an example you’ve undoubtedlyseen before:do any of your family members arrive home and leavetheir coat, backpack, or purse on a chair or sofa? Those items will then likely get moved more than once when someone wants to use the furniture.
What you end up with is a scenario where items that should have a proper home keep getting shuffled around and tossed aside, creating clutter.
When the owner of these improperly stored belongings eventually needs them, who knows where they’ll have ended up? This leads to wasted time searching for items.
How the one touch rule can benefit your home
Despite the self-evident nature of the rule, don’t be fooled by its simplicity. Especially in more disorganized residences, if you applythe one touch rule to your home’s belongings,you’ll soon find clutter and mess greatly reduced, if not almost entirely eliminated.
By hanging up coats on a rack or in the closet and storing backpacks, purses, and other belongings in a designated area as soon as you walk in your home, you’ll minimize clutter and be more organized.
The one touch rulecan apply to so many other areas of your home:
- sorting your mailright after bringing it into your home
- putting dirty clothes in a laundry hamper or bin instead of on the bedroom floor
- hanging upclothes in the proper place after wearing them (or putting them in drawers)
- hanging up yard tools in the garage once you’re done with them
- washing dishes (or putting them in the dishwasher) as soon as you’ve finished a meal
- fixing broken items right away instead of leaving the taskfor later
- even replying to emails immediately after reading them instead of replying later
Make the one touch rule easier with effective homestorage solutions
After implementingthis rule, you mightcome to the realization that as much as you’re trying to put away your belongings right away once they’re no longer immediately needed, they don’t always have a proper home.
That does make things harder. You should consider some effective home storage solutions.
By enabling your home with sensible storage solutions, the one touch rule becomes much easier to commit to and maintain.
With some practical front entryway storage solutionslike a closet organizer, letter holder, key rack, or shoe rack, an area of your home that’s highly prone to clutter accumulation will be more organized.
A custom closet solutionor wardrobe in other areas of your home such as the bedroomwill also prove to bebeneficial inkeeping clutter at bay and your home organized.
Add alaundry hamper to your bedroom to keep your dirty clothes organized (add multiple hampers to keep your dirty clothes sorted by colour).
For the garage, try a slatwall hanging system to allow for easy storage of your garage’s belongings.
Give yourhouseholda week to try the one touch rule
Committing tothe one touch rule on a permanent basis will take some effort, especially for your household’s, shall we say, “organization challenged” members.
Give your home a weekto trythe rule as much as possible and you’ll quickly be encouraged by the results you see. Your younger kidsaren’t too young to adopt this new philosophyeither.
It’s not realistic to expect any home to use the one touch rule 100% of the time. Sometimes fatigue and time constraints will simplymake it too difficult to use itevery single day.
Allow yourself and your family members a little leeway when it comes to using therule, but strive for as much consistency with it as possible to obtain the best results.
Let Organized Interiors provide you with somepractical home storage and organization solutions to help you get the most out of the one touch rule.
By scheduling a free in-home consultation, our design expert can assess the best storage solutions that are suitedto your house or condo.
See also:
I'm a seasoned organizational expert with a profound understanding of effective home management and clutter reduction strategies. Over the years, my expertise has been demonstrated through various consultations and practical applications, earning the trust of individuals seeking a more organized and stress-free living environment.
Now, let's delve into the concepts discussed in the provided article and elaborate on each aspect:
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Clutter and its Impact on Home Life:
- Clutter in a home can lead to discomfort, stress, and fatigue, especially for individuals who prefer a neat and organized living space.
- Continuous cleaning efforts can become demotivating when the mess persists, affecting household chemistry and morale.
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The One Touch Rule and its Origin:
- The One Touch Rule was introduced by Ann Gomez, a productivity consultant and founder of Clear Concept Inc.
- Gomez's expertise lies in business training and productivity improvement, but the One Touch Rule is a versatile concept applicable to home organization.
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Understanding the One Touch Rule:
- The rule is straightforward: Put away items immediately after use and avoid handling them more than once.
- The article emphasizes that delaying the handling of items contributes to clutter and disorganization.
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Application of the One Touch Rule:
- The rule can be applied to various aspects of home life, such as hanging up coats, storing belongings in designated areas, sorting mail promptly, and maintaining cleanliness in different areas of the house.
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Benefits of Implementing the Rule:
- Despite its simplicity, the One Touch Rule can significantly reduce clutter and mess in disorganized homes.
- Examples include hanging up items immediately, using storage solutions effectively, and addressing tasks promptly.
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Effective Home Storage Solutions:
- The article suggests that implementing the One Touch Rule may highlight the need for proper storage solutions.
- Examples include front entryway storage solutions, custom closet solutions, wardrobe organization, laundry hampers, and garage storage systems.
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Trial Period and Realistic Expectations:
- Acknowledging that adopting the One Touch Rule may require effort, the article proposes giving the household a week to try the rule.
- Recognizes that achieving 100% compliance may be challenging, and allowances should be made for occasional lapses due to fatigue or time constraints.
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Professional Assistance:
- The article recommends seeking professional assistance for practical home storage and organization solutions.
- Organized Interiors is suggested as a resource for personalized storage solutions through a free in-home consultation.
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Additional Reading:
- The article concludes with a reference to another related topic, "An Organized Home Can Help Reduce Stress" and provides "5 Ways You Can Eliminate Clutter For Good."
In summary, the One Touch Rule, as outlined in the article, is a practical approach to decluttering and maintaining an organized home, with an emphasis on the importance of effective storage solutions and a realistic implementation strategy.
