Less is More: Maintaining Minimalism

The Minimalist Movement is alive and well. Minimalism is when you pare down, unclutter, and live with a style where less is more.  Minimalism in home décor is when you use a few pieces where function is as important as form or maximum use from well-chosen pieces.

Did you pare down to only find things build back up? After your deep Spring Cleaning, where you purge to get rid of clutter and redundant things, how do you plan to keep your Minimalist Movement alive? 
Here are some tips to maintain minimal amounts of things that commonly pile up in your home:

Sort your mail by a recycle bin or trash container
Despite the popularity of electronic mail and advertising, print companies still produce mail outs by the millions each month.  All those pieces of paper, when thrown down on the entry way table, the dining table, or on your desk turn into clutter quickly.  Go through your mail every day and throw away or recycle anything you do not have to keep.  Several people recycle used envelopes by keeping them at hand as scrap paper to make quick lists or notes on allowing them to be repurposed quickly.

Wash the dishes immediately
We eat every day and whether it is take-out containers, coffee cups, wine glasses, or the dinner dishes and pots that build up, we all clutter the kitchen quickly.  Wash those dishes immediately.  Easier said than done?  Not necessarily.  While preparing a meal or prepping for the week, make sure you have a sink of sudsy, hot water at the ready.  Place the dishes used in the sink and then load the dishwasher before you sit down to eat.  Or, if you wash dishes by hand, let them soak while you eat and clean up will be a breeze.  Dry the dishes and put them away if you wash by hand.  The feeling of accomplishment is doubled by you doing something and seeing a clutter-free counter as a reward for your hard work.

Every night put it back to right
Before you go to bed, walk through your apartment or house, and put things up where they belong.  Earrings go in the jewelry box, not on the dresser.  Towels hang up or go in the hamper, not on the bathroom floor.  Books go back on the shelf, not on the arm of the sofa.  You get the idea.  Put things where they belong every day so things don’t build up and become overwhelming.

Bring something home and give something away
If you value something enough to let it take space in your life, honor it by recycling what it takes the place of or by discarding something that has worn out.  In example:  You needed a new black t-shirt because your old one was a little too large or had a small spot on it.  When the new shirt is placed in your closet, give the old one that you cannot wear to a thrift shop.  If you replaced because the other one had a spot on it.  Throw the old stained shirt away so you aren’t tempted to wear it when your new one is dirty.

Once a week, deep clean a small space
Spend 30 minutes, one day a week, to clean a small space where clutter can quickly build up.  Three suggestions:  the junk drawer in the kitchen, the back of the closet, or the plastic storage bin in the garage.  You get the idea.  Pick one spot, spend a small amount of time on it, and maintain the minimalist look in your living space.

Need more room?
Lafayette Gardens Apartments is located in the heart of Lafayette, La blocks from River Ranch shopping and dinning.  Offering 1 Bedroom apartments, 2 bedroom apartments and 3 bedroom apartments, both furnished and unfurnished, with amenities to spare.  Call or come by for a tour of one of Acadiana's best apartment communities in Lafayette Louisiana.

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