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Serving The Upper Valley Since 1993

Author: Chris Wadsworth

The Perfect Cleaning Gifts to Spoil the Neat Freak in Your Life

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cleaning Gift

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cleaning Gift

‍Are you looking for the perfect cleaning gifts to surprise the clean freak in your life? You’ve come to the right place! Cleaning gifts are not only a thoughtful gesture, but a cleaning gift can also help make life easier for the recipient.

This blog will explore the different cleaning gifts available and present tips for choosing the perfect cleaning gift.

Introduction – What Are the Perfect Cleaning Gifts?

Cleaning gifts are a great way to show someone that you care about them but, most notably, that you desire to make their life easier. As a neat freak, I know how much I appreciate it when someone buys me something that simplifies my life. Cleaning gifts come in many forms, ranging from heavy-duty cleaning tools to smaller cleaning gadgets.

They can be anything that helps to make cleaning easier and more efficient.
The best cleaning gifts are practical and valuable but also thoughtful and meaningful. The best part about giving a cleaning gift is that it can be used for years – helping someone for a long time. A thoughtful cleaning gift is perfect for a clean freak in your life, as it will be both practical and thoughtful.

Benefits of Cleaning Gifts

Cleaning gifts are not only a great way to show your appreciation for someone, but it can also be incredibly practical. Cleaning gifts can also reduce the amount of time that someone spends on cleaning tasks.

For instance, if you give someone a robotic vacuum cleaner, they will not have to spend time vacuuming their home or office. A robotic vacuum cleaner can be programmed to do this home-cleaning task for them, and it can even be set to clean regularly. A clean home and the methods used to achieve it will always be appreciated.

Types of Cleaning Gifts

There are many different types of cleaning gifts that you can get for the clean freak in your life. These include cleaning tools, cleaning gadgets, and cleaning supplies. Let’s take a closer look at each of these types of gifts:

Cleaning Tools

Cleaning tools are items that are specifically designed for cleaning. These include mops, brooms, dusters, vacuums, and other cleaning items. These tools can help to make cleaning easier, faster, and more efficient.

Cleaning tools can also be used to clean difficult items (such as floors) or enable an easy way to hard-to-reach places (the overhead fan) and tight or difficult spaces (grout). For instance, a steam mop can clean floors and carpets, and a handheld vacuum can clean furniture and upholstery. A microfiber duster can clean the overhead fan, and a special grout cleaning tool helps clean grout lines.

Cleaning Gadgets

Cleaning gadgets are items designed to make cleaning easier and more efficient.

Here are a few ideas for home-cleaning gadgets that also make fine home-cleaning gifts.

Power Scrubber with Grout Head

Home Cleaning Gift Idea - Power Scrubber

The oscillating head of a powered scrub brush can move up to 60 times per second. This oscillating movement means the scrubbing can be done for you at a faster rate than you can do it yourself. The scrubbing task becomes both easier and quicker. A power scrubber can be used around faucets and the hard-to-reach places of your sink, stove, or other fixtures to do an excellent and effective deep clean. Faster and Better!

Blinds Cleaner

Home Cleaning Gift Idea - Blinds Cleaner

A blinds cleaner makes cleaning your blinds much simpler. The dual-ended brush tackles every part of your windows as the microfiber fingers quickly get the dust between your blinds. Moreover, the microfiber cloth can be removed and thrown in the wash to be used again and again. Your blinds will be easier to reach and clean up nicely!

Cat Litter Trapper Mat

Home Cleaning Gift Idea - Kitty Litter Mat

Even if you love cats, I bet you do not like scattered litter. This Cat Litter Trapper mat solves the problem. This soft, simple mat traps litter from your cat’s paws and excess litter from their box. When it’s time to clean up, simply shake the litter back into the box. Easy!

Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner

Home Cleaning Gift Idea - Microwave Cleaner

Now here is a fun and helpful cleaning gadget. Nobody likes to clean the microwave, but it can be done in seven minutes flat. Just fill this angry lady with water and vinegar and place it in the microwave. The steam produced will loosen up all the gunk and grime — afterward, just wipe with a towel. No scrubbing is required. Excellent!

Reusable Silicone Dishwashing Gloves

Home Cleaning Gift Idea - Special Cleaning Gloves

This item is not a gadget but an improvement on a standard cleaning aid that most homes have.

These BPA-free silicone gloves are better than average — what makes them stand out is the dense bristles on the palms, which you can use to clean anything from dishes to your car to your bathroom. The material doesn’t hold onto bacteria and won’t get that mildew smell over time. They even have a hanging hole, so you can hang them to dry anywhere. They’ll create a rich lather easily and are safe to put in the dishwasher for cleaning because they’re heat-resistant.

Fun fact: These gloves will come in handy when it’s time to clean your pets.

Ribbed Fridge Liners

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cleaning Gift - Refrigerator Shelf Liners

People need to clean out their fridge more often. Now’s the time if you last cleaned out your fridge a while ago. Throw out any food or produce past its expiration date and ditch all the crusty leftovers.

Empty your fridge and clean it up shelf by shelf. After it’s clean, grab a few shelf liners. The next time you tackle a fridge clean-up, you can take out all the liners and throw them in the dishwasher. You’re practically done before you start. A clean and tidy fridge is a wonder to behold!

Cleaning Caddy

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cleaning Gift - Cleaning Caddy

Any neat freak will appreciate a cleaning caddy. It supports the cleaning process and keeps cleaning products, and cleaning tools organized when not in use. Now that double the value!

You may also want to consider a gift that helps to make the air smell better.

Essential Oil Diffuser – This can make an outstanding gift (read the post).

With some research, you will find a valuable, practical, and thoughtful gift for your home-cleaning neat freak.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cleaning Gift


When choosing the perfect cleaning gift for the clean freak in your life, there are a few things to consider:

Consider their needs –Consider what cleaning tasks your clean-freak friend needs to do and what type of cleaning items they already have.

Think about their preferences – Consider the recipient’s style and preferences. For instance, if they prefer an eco-friendlier approach, you could get them a steam mop or a robotic vacuum cleaner.

Choose a practical gift – Cleaning gifts should be practical and useful. Choose something they’ll use rather than something that will just sit in a cupboard (creating clutter which is a no-no).

Consider your budget – Gifts that can be perfect for your neat freak can range from a few dollars to hundreds.

Gift something meaningful – The best cleaning gifts are practical and meaningful. Consider buying something that the recipient will appreciate and remember.

Conclusion – Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cleaning Gift

Cleaning gifts are a great way to show appreciation for someone and can also be incredibly practical. Cleaning gifts come in many forms, including cleaning tools, gadgets, and supplies.

Moreover, suppose you have experience with a particular gift. In that case, you can inform them of tips on using it and why you find it valuable. Personal experience goes a long way when deciding on your cleaning gift.

If You Are Still Stumped!

If you have given the idea of a worthy, functional, and practical cleaning gift some serious thought but are still unsure. Then consider an exceptional gift – a cleaning session by A Clean Vision.

We can relieve the stress of deciding on a special cleaning gift for the neat freak in your life. A Clean Vision has been helping homeowners of the Upper Valley keep their homes clean and tidy since 1993!

If you need help deciding on a cleaning gift or cleaning your own home or office, call us at 802-295-6065.

The Seven Benefits of Home Cleaning

Having a clean home has many benefits and can make your living space more enjoyable and relaxing. A clean home can reduce stress, improve air quality, and help you and your family stay healthy. Not to mention, it looks great and can help boost your morale and pride.

Home cleaning is a task that many of us would rather avoid, but with the right tools and techniques and a little help from a home cleaning service, it can be quick and simple. Taking the time to give your home a deep clean not only benefits you now but can also help prevent dust and dirt build up, making it easier to maintain a clean home.

Benefits of Home Cleaning

Reducing Allergens

Dust and other allergens can spread easily through your home and can build up in your furniture and flooring. Regular home cleaning removes these harmful allergens from your home and helps keep your family healthier.

Home cleaning is an important part of preventing allergens in your home.

The outdoor air can smell fresher but can also contain many allergens, such as pollen or grass, that can be difficult to remove from your indoor air. If you are concerned about the quality of your indoor air, then air purifiers, or air filters, can help reduce indoor allergens by catching and removing particles from the air.

Few people may think about their bedding, but your bed is a major source of allergens in your home. This can be a problem for people who suffer from allergies. Wash your bedding often in hot water to remove allergens, and avoid using a humidifier in your bedroom to reduce indoor pollutants.

Improving Air Quality

Air quality in your home can greatly impact your health, especially if you suffer from allergies or other health issues. There are many ways to improve the air quality in your home.

Air purifiers and filters can help remove harmful particles from the air, such as dust and pollen, and slow down the rate at which mold grows.

Air fresheners can also help improve the smell of the air in your home, and your family will appreciate a clean/fresh smell rather than a musty odor. Home cleaning can be a great way to improve the air quality in your home.

Regular home cleaning can help remove these particles from your home and improve the smell of the air.

Ventilate your home when the pollen count is low. Fresh air can help clean the air of particles and make your home feel less stuffy and smelly.

Creating a More Pleasant Atmosphere

The smell of your home can make a big difference to your mood and how you feel at home. There are many ways to improve the smell of your home, including adding plants, using scented candles, and using air fresheners.

Home cleaning can also help improve the smell of your home by removing dust, dirt, and other odor-causing particles.

Everyone will benefit from having a clean and tidy home environment.

Staying Healthier

Home cleaning is an important part of staying healthier, but there are other things you can do to keep your home clean. For example, clean your floors regularly. Regularly cleaning your floors can help keep your home cleaner for longer and prevent harmful particles from accumulating in your flooring.

Clean your floors with a damp mop or a vacuum with an attachment, and regularly clean your furniture with a damp cloth or brush.

Making Your Home Look Great

Home cleaning can help your home look great and can make it a more pleasant and enjoyable place to be. Many areas of your home can benefit from regular cleaning, including your flooring, furniture, and walls.

A regular cleaning performed by a well-respected home cleaning service can supplement your cleaning. If you are too busy to do regular cleaning, then a cleaning company can be a great solution.

Regularly cleaning your furniture can help make it look fresh and new.

Dirt and dust can easily build up on your walls, making them look dull and unclean. Regularly cleaning your walls can help make them look cleaner and brighter.

Boosting Morale and Pride

Home cleaning can help boost your morale and pride in your home, making it a more enjoyable place to be. Cleaning your home regularly can help boost your morale and pride in your home.

Your emotional state of mind greatly impacts all areas of your life. Boost your mental state by having a clean and organized home.

Preventing Future Dust and Dirt Build Up

If you do not regularly clean your home, it can become a big task and require a major effort and time to recover from a very dirty home.

Regular cleaning prevents the need to do a major time-consuming cleaning. Stay ahead of the need to do a big cleaning by regularly cleaning your home.

Do not let dirt and dust can accumulate.

If you need help with cleaning your home or office, call us at 802-295-6065. We can relieve the stress of cleaning, save time, and help make your home or office a more pleasant place to be. A Clean Vision has been helping homeowners of the Upper Valley keep their homes clean and tidy since 1993! We can help you too.

A Clean Home and No Yelling

How to achieve a clean home without yelling. A clean home and no yelling, you say. The key is getting your kids to listen.

How to achieve a clean how and without yelling.

Did you know you can stop yelling, which will help get your kids to listen? You want them to listen, but the more you yell at them, the less they will listen.

Stop yelling and

  • The respect will grow.
  • You will feel more connected with your child. And …
  • Your child will listen more.

I know that we usually write about home cleaning and do have posts about creating a team environment to support keeping your home clean.

See these posts for reference:

  1. Good Habits – Create A Habit Cue
  2. Is being Messy and Disorganized Just A Bad Habit?
  3. A Clean and Tidy Home (with Kids!)

This post will be about some ideas on how to encourage your children to listen more. It will be better for everyone as extensive research shows that when parents stop yelling and getting upset with a child, the child has fewer discipline issues and misbehaves less. Now that’s a win for you, the family, and most importantly, the child.

An added benefit is that your child may tend to talk with you more as you yell less. You will learn more about what is going on, creating a better communication atmosphere as both will communicate respectfully.

Let’s ask a question.

Why do you feel the need to yell at your child?

If we examine this question, there may not be easy answers. Perhaps you have had a difficult day. Maybe you wanted to stop by a store to pick up something, and you expected to be in and out quickly only to learn that they were out of stock. A difficult day or an unexpected adverse event can cause your blood pressure to go up and your patience to go down. Your breathing may change, and you may feel more nervous.

Your yelling or getting upset may be due to underlying issues. Your stress may lead to you being hard on your children. If you are stressed, how do you go from being a stressed parent to being a calm, composed, and relaxed parent?

We often feel frustrated when we do not have the control we expect. Sometimes, we wish we had control over things where we have very little control. The example of the store being out of stock of an item you needed is an example.

So, what can you control to reduce your stress level?

Can you do some dinner prep in the morning to reduce evening stress? This is something where you have some control. Could you ensure that backpacks, school bags, and the like are all organized and ready to go the night before to streamline getting prepared to leave your house in the morning? Again, you have some control over this.

Here are some ideas to help you to be a less-stressed parent and work towards win-win communication (with no yelling).

Apply Positive Parenting

To move towards a positive parenting approach, focus on developing a strong, committed relationship between you and your child. Practice communicating based on mutual respect. Part of this approach means explaining what you would like them to do and why it is valuable and important. A positive parenting approach means helping your children learn self-control, which is very valuable to learn (hint, hint).

To make this work, do not resort to punishing immediately, such as yelling. You may not want to resort to punishment at all. Focus on examining why you feel the need to yell and get upset and look for alternative ways. For example, walking away until you are calm and talking to your kids when ready.

You want your children to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do… not because they fear you. Explain to your child why specific tasks and rules are valuable and essential. Teach them to do the right thing. Always show respect; this way, the child will tend towards respect rather than fear.

We show respect by listening to our kids; this will, in return, help your children also respond with respect because your children feel that they are being heard.

Let Your Children Know They Have Some Control

Inform them that if they break a rule, they will lose privileges. Let them know that you are there to enforce the rules, but they can decide if they want to follow the rules or not. They can determine whether they receive a reward for following the rules or face the consequences for breaking the rules.

Never Follow The Monkey

Monkey see . . . Monkey Do. You only have to do it yourself if you want to see your child lose control in frustrating situations. Teach them not to yell by setting an example and not yelling.

If you get mad and start yelling, you are teaching them that it is proper to yell when they are angry or frustrated.

Don’t Break The Rules

If a toy is lost or broken because it was left out, don’t replace it.

If they don’t get to go outside because they didn’t do chores, don’t “give in.”

Don’t even hint that a broken rule/consequence can be ignored.

Remember, They Are Children

Decisions made by a child are not always good decisions. They still have a great deal to learn. if they make a mistake, consider how you can make it a teachable event that does not involve yelling.

It’s OK to Say You’re Sorry

After thinking something over and realizing that you could have managed it differently, it is acceptable to say that you are sorry. This also is mature behavior and is a teaching opportunity too.

Talk

Talking is a very civilized way to work through issues. Yelling and displaying frustration are much less so. If you get into the habit of regularly talking to (not at) your child, you will find it rewarding and enjoyable.

Here are some ways to start a conversation about an event that broke a rule.

  • “The way that you are acting is making me really sad.” “Let’s talk about it.”
  • “I don’t understand why you would do that when you know it isn’t right. I believe that’s not who you are or want to be.”
  • “I feel you should work harder to control your emotions. It may not be easy, but I am confident you can do it. I know you are not a mean or rude person.”

Consider how you can make housecleaning chore rules with rewards and consequences. People like to know where the boundaries are (even children), and everyone likes a reward.

These are some ideas on how to move towards a clean home and no yelling. However, you may really need some expert home-cleaning support.

Call us if you need help with certain aspects of house cleaning. Call us at 802-295-6065 if you live in the Upper Valley and need extra support to keep your home clean and tidy. We have provided homeowners of the Upper Valley with top-notch home cleaning services since 1993.

11 Tips for Efficient and Effective Home Cleaning

Everyone loves a clean and organized home, but most of us hate to clean. Cleaning your home quickly and efficiently is a significant advantage, even if you love to clean!

How, might you ask?

Here are some house cleaning tips that we think will help you to clean your home quickly and effectively.

If given the time to think about it, many people could be confused about some basic principles. For example, what should be done first; vacuum the floor or dust the furniture? Is it better to clean the kitchen before the bathroom, or could you efficiently clean both simultaneously?

Here is some advice on becoming more efficient at cleaning your home. With an increase in efficiency comes a decrease in the time needed to clean your house. 

Efficiency Increasing Home Cleaning Advice

1. Single-Task Cleaning

Have you ever considered cleaning the whole house for a single task rather than cleaning one room at a time?

For example, pick a tack such as dusting. You will then select everything you need to dust surfaces. You will not have to put all the tools for effective dusting down to mop the floor.

If you vacuum, you can stay focused on vacuuming and not have to focus on dusting.

Your cleaning efficiency will increase by selecting one task (dusting, vacuuming, mopping) and performing this specific cleaning task in every room. This approach will be more efficient when compared to cleaning the bathrooms, then the kitchen, and finally the bedrooms. 

A single-task multi-room approach is more efficient. Psychologically, there is an advantage as well as you will not feel that you are in an “endless” loop.

2. Use A Cleaning Caddy

Cleaning efficiency means you do not stop to look for something you need. Keep everything you need for your specific cleaning task in one portable place. This will cut down on time spent looking for the tools you need. Moreover, you will not have to think about gathering them for the next time cleaning is necessary. 

3. Declutter First

Before you start cleaning, declutter the areas you will be cleaning. 

The decluttering process will also require you to make some key decisions.

  1. Where will you put it away?
  2. Is this item no longer useful, and can it be donated?
  3. Is this item no longer useful, and can it be thrown away?

4. Dust and Vacuum

If you have ceiling fans, turn them off before the start of any dusting. Focus dusting on the tops of furniture and the undersides of shelves, picture frames, knickknacks, and TV screens. For areas that are hard to reach, such as blinds or upper shelves, use a microfiber cloth attached to a mop or broom. 

If you change the sheets in a bedroom, do this before starting to vacuum.

5. Clean Mirrors and Windows

Start with a microfiber cloth that has been dampened with your cleaning solution. Have a separate dry cloth to wipe down each glass surface after cleaning with your damp cloth.

6. Use A Disinfectant

Some surfaces should be disinfected. Countertops, appliances, cabinets, doorknobs, light switches, and TV remotes should be periodically disinfected. Cleaning and disinfecting these surfaces will help to make your home a healthy and germ-free environment. An excellent solution to use is one that you can make yourself. Create a solution by mixing one-fourth to a half cup of white or apple cider vinegar with a cup of water.

7. Tubs, Sinks, and Toilets

You can perform this step all at once. Spray cleaner on the kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks, tubs, and toilets. Allow the cleaner to sit for a few minutes. Allowing the cleaning solution to sit, it will have time to dissolve dirt and stains. Your first room will be the kitchen, then proceed to the bathrooms. The last to clean will always be the toilets.

We refer you to the blog post if you also want to clean your garbage disposal.

8. Sweep First, then Mop

Always start with the sweep. After sweeping then, you proceed to mop. You must begin at the point furthest away from where you want to stop. Never mop yourself into a corner. When you have mopped an area of about four feet by four feet, then stop and rinse your Mop.

9. Vacuum In One Pass

You will be able to see anything significant, so do not focus on vacuuming every single square inch. Run your vacuum over every carpeted service just once. If you think you may have missed something or a section needs a double pass, then go for it.

Again, for efficiency, consider what needs to be done and how often. Some tasks may need to be done every week, and others once per month. Make decisions on how often based on your judgment.

10. Keep your Cleaning Tools Clean

We have found that an overlooked part of cleaning the house is keeping your cleaning tools in good shape. Make sure that your vacuum bag is not filled. It will not vacuum as well if the bag is full. In the name of efficiency, keep your cleaning tools operating at an efficient and effective level.

11. Teamwork Counts

If the members of your household can work as a team, then this is a very effective way to clean your home quickly. It may be best to set a schedule with assignments for each person. Do not underestimate how to keep these cleaning task assignment fun and rewarding. A special treat for the team will go a long way toward maintaining a positive team attitude leading to a clean home for everyone.

Call us at 802-295-6065 if you live in the Upper Valley and need extra support to keep your home clean and tidy. We have provided homeowners of the Upper Valley with top-notch home cleaning services since 1993.

Home Cleaning Tips

House cleaning can feel like a full-time job for any busy professional. No sooner have you finished cleaning one area then you need to tidy up someplace else. You are trying to run a household while participating in many other activities.

Home Cleaning Tips

For example, you may need to:

  • Take the kids to sports practice
  • Prepare dinner
  • Take the dog for a walk

You need to establish a balance. But how?

Here are some tips for maintaining a balance between clean and dirty without spending hours with a scrubbing brush.

Take Something Out, then Put it Away

It can seem like a no-brainer, but you would be amazed how many families don’t follow this rule. If you take Something out, put it away. Parents and children can follow this rule for a clutter-free, tidy home.

There are many ways you can establish this rule in your household. 

For example, children can learn quite quickly that if they want to play with their toys, they must put away anything they are no longer playing with. When they get home from school, school uniforms are hung in their room, and school bags go in a set area. A home can run like a well-oiled machine when everything has its place. A well-oiled “machine” (metaphorically) is a home that does the same thing in the same way, over and over, every day.

Establish house rules so that everyone in the household knows what their responsibilities are. Here are some ideas for simple rules that even young children can follow.

  • If you take something out, put it away.
  • If you drop something, pick it up.
  • If you make a mess, clean it up.
  • If you break something, you need to fix it.
  • If you can’t fix it, then call someone who can.
  • If you take it off, put it away where it belongs!

Daily Bathroom Cleaning

Bathroom cleaning is most people’s least favorite job – and it’s not surprising. After all, who wants to spend their free time scrubbing showers, sinks, and toilets? Cleaning as you go can save a lot of elbow grease.

Sprayed toothpaste on the mirror? Clean it off right away. Smeared soap on the shower glass? Wipe it off with a cloth. Taking care of messes as they happen will mean a far smaller job when you carry out a detailed clean on an infrequent basis.

Dishes After Each Meal

According to many studies, house sizes are getting smaller. New home designs often focus on efficient layouts and energy efficiency. A smaller house may translate into a smaller kitchen and a smaller area to stack dishes.

An excellent way to be more efficient is to ensure that the “machines” operate while you do Something else. For example, when you work, ensure your dishwasher is running to clean your dishes. If you have a dishwasher, stack and set it before you leave for work so you can arrive home to clean dishes and a tidy countertop.

If you want to avoid spending valuable leisure time cleaning endless mountains of plates and cups, then clean as you go. Be strict with yourself and do the dishes after each meal. 

Invest in Storage Solutions

Clutter can offer the illusion of an untidy and even dirty home. When surrounded by mess, it can affect your stress levels and happiness. Use new storage solutions to regain control and maintain your clean versus dirty balance.

Add more shelving to bedrooms, cabinets to central areas, and even storage tubs for the kids’ toys where they play with them the most. When everything has its place, you maintain that sense of order.

Hire a Cleaner

If you feel like you spend half your life cleaning your home, why not hire someone to take care of the hard work for you? When you hire a cleaning company, you get to enjoy the simpler things in life without the hassle and worry about whether you have time to clear the breakfast dishes or scrub the bathroom.

Cleaning is one of those tasks you just can’t avoid. However, there are ways to make it a whole lot easier. Encourage your family to operate under a system that reduces the need to spend time keeping your home clean. Everyone will benefit!

Call us at 802-295-6065 if you live in the Upper Valley and need extra support to keep your home clean and tidy. We have provided homeowners of the Upper Valley with top-notch home cleaning services since 1993.

Declutter Your Home

How do you manage to live with clutter? We all seem to have at least a little physical clutter in our lives, whether in our home, the garage, or workplace.

Declutter Your Home

Do we live with clutter because we accept it as inevitable? Do we walk by some clutter every day, which is a way of accepting the clutter? By walking by it every day, we give credence to the clutter. Do you have some clutter in your refrigerator? Many people push some items to the side or take “clutter items” out of their refrigerator to find what they need. After finding the item they have looked for, they put the “clutter items” back in their refrigerator. If you do this, you are working around the clutter rather than addressing it. This means you have accepted clutter; you view it as truth, and with this acceptance, you will be living with this clutter forever (my goodness!).

If these scenarios resonate with you, it’s time to apply the one-touch rule to help reduce the clutter in your home.

What is the one-touch rule?

The one-touch rule was conceived by Ann Gomez, a productivity consultant and the founding president of Toronto-based organization Clear Concept Inc. (https://clearconceptinc.ca/)

Clear Concepts Inc. specializes in business training and ways to improve productivity. Ann’s one-touch rule can also be applied to your home.

Her concept is deceivingly simple. When it comes to clutter, then simplicity translates into effectiveness. Also, her strategy is to focus on building a decluttering habit. Organization of your home is not a one-off approach. Like anything worthwhile, it must become a habit.

The rule is: Put away things immediately. Avoid handling them more than once after you have used an item.

That’s it!

If your system sets items aside to deal with later only creates clutter. To deal with something more than once is what we want to avoid.

Here’s an example that many of us have experienced.

Do family members arrive home and leave their coat, backpack, or purse in random places around your home. Sometimes the backpack is left in the mudroom; other times, in the kitchen; perhaps even in your family room. This requires items left randomly around to be moved more than once.

You end up with a scenario where items that should have a good home keep getting shuffled around like they do not have a place. This leads to clutter.

When the owner of these improperly stored items eventually needs them, they will waste time searching for items that could have been put away in a designated place.

Here is how the one-touch rule can help to declutter your home.

The one-touch rule is simple, and this makes it powerful. If you have a somewhat disorganized home, as you get better at applying the one-touch rule, you will find clutter and the general “mess” significantly reduced. Perhaps even entirely eliminated.

Hang coats on a rack or in the closet and store backpacks, the mail, and other belongings in a well-thought-out and designated place as soon as you walk into your home. With this approach, you will minimize clutter and be more organized. Remember, one thing leads to another, and a little bit of clutter leads to a bit more, and before you know it, there is simply too much clutter.

The one-touch rule can apply to so many other areas of your home:

  • Sorting your mail right after bringing it home.
  • Put dirty clothes in a laundry hamper or bin instead of on the bedroom floor.
  • Hang up clothes in the proper place after wearing them.
  • Put away yard tools in the garage once you’re done with them.
  • Wash dishes (or rinse them and put them in the dishwasher) as soon as you finish a meal.
  • Fix broken items right away instead of leaving the task for later.
  • You can even apply it to your email inbox as you can reply to emails immediately after reading them instead of replying later.

You can also make the one-touch rule easier with effective home storage solutions.

After implementing this rule, you might realize another issue needs to be solved. You may conclude that certain items don’t have a good home.

An item without a proper designated place is a problem that needs to be solved. Otherwise, the one-touch rule will be too challenging. Consider some effective home storage solutions.

The one-touch rule becomes much easier to commit to and maintain by enabling your home with sensible storage solutions.

With some practical front entryway storage solutions like a closet organizer, letter holder, key rack, or shoe rack, an area of your home highly prone to clutter accumulation will be more organized.

A custom closet solution or wardrobe in other areas of your home, such as the bedroom, will also prove to be beneficial in reducing or eliminating clutter.

Add a laundry hamper to your bedroom. Keep your dirty clothes organized (add multiple hampers to keep your dirty clothes sorted by color).

For the garage, develop a tool hanging system to store your yard tools easily.

Give It A Try!

Give your household a week or two to try the one-touch rule. Committing to the one-touch rule will take effort, especially for your household’s “clutter-challenged” housemates.

Give your home a week or two, try the rule and make refinements to make using it easier. You and other family members will be encouraged by the results. Younger children can also adopt this philosophy.

It’s unrealistic to expect any home to use the one-touch rule 100% of the time. Sometimes fatigue and time constraints may make it too challenging to use daily.

Allow yourself and your family members a little leeway when using the rule, but strive for as much consistency with it as possible to obtain your decluttered home objectives.

Call us at 802-295-6065 if you live in the Upper Valley and need extra support to keep your home clean and tidy. We can help you to reduce the stress in your life. We have been providing homeowners of the Upper Valley with top-notch home cleaning services since 1993.

Finding Balance When You’re Stressed and Busy


You budget and care for how you spend your money. It is equally important to care for your time as well.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but many of us still have trouble saying “no” when someone asks us to commit our time to a worthy cause.

All these worthy commitments can add up to a lack of balance and excessive stress for you. It may be challenging to say no to commitments that benefit others, that speak to our ideals, or that may get us ahead in other areas. Indeed, those are commitments we should say yes to, but too many of these can cause an excess of stress.

The following tips are strategies that you can use to find balance, pare down your schedule, and relieve daily stress.

Declutter Your Life

Decluttering has some very definite benefits. First off, your environment will be cleaner. A cleaner environment prevents pests from wanting to share your space with you. If your space is cleaner, this will help reduce dust, mold, and mildew. Too much dust, mold spores, and particles in the air you breath can trigger asthma and allergies.

Decluttering will lead to an improved lifestyle and a sense of well-being. It’s easier to prepare healthy meals in an orderly kitchen. Also, most people sleep better in a neat room with a tidy bed.

Tips for Decluttering Your Spaces

You’ll enjoy the mental health benefits of decluttering more if you make the process low-stress.

Start small. If you pick one drawer or cabinet to organize, you’ll be less likely to get discouraged. The pleasure of seeing and using a well-organized space will serve as positive feedback, prompting you to do more.

Don’t strive for perfection. There’s no need to hide items that you use a lot. Also, try not to judge your spaces against those of other people.

Collecting clutter is associated with a certain mindset.

Characteristics of Clutterers

People who have trouble with clutter often:

  • Struggle with time management and stop tasks before finishing
  • Have perfectionist tendencies and trouble stopping and starting projects
  • Are easily sidetracked, such as those with attention deficits
  • Are “people persons” who spend a lot of time doing things with and for others
  • Make a habit of putting things off, also known as procrastination

Remember That A “NO” Also Means A “Yes”

Usually, when we’re presented with requests on our time, we think about whether we can fit this new activity into our already-packed schedule and whether or not it’s worth it. This often leads to an even more packed schedule. When deciding what to say yes and no to, we find it extremely helpful to remember that every ‘no’ is a ‘yes’ to something else and vice versa.

Learn To Delegate

Never underestimate the importance of delegating effectively. How well you delegate is directly reflected in how empowered the people around you feel. Delegate properly and enable people (and, of course, children) to learn new skills and strengthen the skills they already have. To delegate helps people improve their decision-making abilities and, ultimately, their productivity.

Coordination, communication, and plentiful trust are the keys to effective delegation. The result is a win for everyone. The first rule in effective delegation is finding someone with all the prerequisites. These include strong collaboration, an appropriate level of authority, and reliability.

To start selecting who to delegate, first make a list of tasks you wish to delegate. Then, gather people who you think can take on one or some of these tasks. Show them the list. Let people select tasks themselves based on their strengths and interests. This is a great way to demonstrate trust and inspire action within the group/team.

Do a Good Job

Everything does not need perfection. Live by the 80-20 rule, where you identify the 20% of work that yields 80% of the results, and focus mainly on what’s important, letting the rest slip if necessary. Remember, sometimes focusing on perfection isn’t as important as focusing on speed, especially when looking for balance in your schedule.

Live In The Now With The Future In Mind

Here is a beautiful example. When choosing whether to exercise or watch television, thinking about the long-term benefits of each makes it much easier to skip a moderately entertaining show in favor of getting moving. Both activities can relieve stress, but one contributes to an overall plan for better health, while the other doesn’t.

Stay Organized

A good plan and a clear budget for your time are invaluable in maintaining balance in your life. Being organized is vital to finding balance in life. If you have a schedule where everything fits, you’ll be more efficient with your time.

Add In Some Fun

It is essential to get your errands done. You may need to do laundry, wash the dishes and pack lunches for the next day. However, it can be helpful to include fun things in your life and not load up your day with stressful things.

Give us a call at 802-295-6065 if you live in the Upper Valley and need extra support for keeping your home clean and tidy. We can help you to reduce the stress in your life. We have been providing homeowners of the Upper Valley with top-notch home cleaning services since 1993.