Summary

Gaia, a home coach with extensive moving experience, introduces the Flash Ritual Method for efficient home organization, emphasizing mood setting, decluttering, and systematic cleaning to transform tidying into a joyful and dynamic process.

Abstract

In the article "Efficient Home Organization — The Flash Ritual Method," Gaia, a seasoned home coach, shares her method for quickly and mindfully organizing a home. She advocates for setting the right mood before starting, using elements like music and scents to make the task enjoyable. The method involves a swift decluttering process, focusing on visible areas, and organizing items by type for efficiency. Gaia emphasizes the importance of assigning a place for everything and moving objects to their best possible location. The cleaning process follows a vertical approach, starting from high points like shelves and working down to the floors. Special attention is given to the bathroom, with a tailored quick-clean routine. The article concludes with Gaia encouraging readers to take pride in their work and enjoy the results of their effort.

Opinions

Gaia believes that setting the mood is crucial for a positive cleaning experience, transforming it from a dreaded chore into an energizing and pleasurable activity.
She insists that decluttering should be the first step in cleaning, prioritizing visibility over perfection, and suggests that recycling can be handled later when time permits.
The concept of "home" is important, and Gaia's approach to organizing is centered around creating a sense of belonging and peace for the inhabitants.
Grouping objects by type is recommended as a practical strategy for those who struggle with deciding where items should be placed.
Gaia promotes the idea that cleaning can be a dynamic and joyful event, contrary to the common belief that it is inherently stressful and painful.
She encourages readers to take a moment to appreciate their cleaned space, suggesting that some self-congratulation is well-deserved after completing the cleaning ritual.
Gaia invites readers to join her newsletter for more in-depth home-related content, emphasizing themes of well-being and hope.

Efficient Home Organization — The Flash Ritual Method

master the art of tidying up without hating every second of it

In this article, you can find out all the tips and tricks to tidy your house (mindfully) with the speed of light! Results may vary from home to home, but just for reference, I live in an apartment with a total of six rooms, and doing this takes me less than an hour.

My name is Gaia and I’m a writer, a researcher, and a home coach. I’m 29 years old, and I moved homes 24 times. That means that, on average, I only spent 14.5 months in each house. I had to live with a constant sense of change and instability, and at first, that broke me rather badly.

But then I turned it into a superpower, and now my beloved job is helping people feel at home. If interested in the topic of home care and want to learn more about it check out this longer ritual.

Conceptually, a quick ritual matches a quick read, so let’s dive in straight away :)

1. Set The Mood

If you are familiar with my work, at this point you will know that I believe that setting up the mood is fundamental. If you jump into tasks that you might find difficult, without the right mindset, you can end up procrastinating, stressing out, or even feeling anxious about activities that could be otherwise energizing and pleasurable!

Setting up the right mood is a way to give space and importance to what you are doing, even if it’s just something as simple as cleaning your house (on a tight schedule).

At first, it might feel like this is a useless step, but I can assure you that it isn’t. This is the way you show yourself that your habits are important, even when in a rush.

Cleaning your spaces can be a joyful and dynamic event, even if we were taught that it has to be stressful and painful.

To set the mood, all you have to do is pick the elements that make you feel energized and optimistic! It is as simple as lighting up a candle, finding the best music playlist, opening the windows, and even picking a comfy outfit that makes you feel ready to act!

I personally enjoy the combination of open windows, essential oils, and an interesting podcast. How long will this take to set up? 5 minutes? I promise you, it is worth it.

2. Decluttering is Law

To clean up your house quickly, you have to see it as one space, and not as a space composed of different rooms (the bathroom is the only exception).

So armed with a garbage bin, just walk around the house and unapologetically toss in it every little piece of clutter like used tissues, empty food packages, and so on. Later on, when you have time you can sort the content of this bin out in line with your recycling habits.

Don’t start decluttering drawers and places that are normally out of sight. That requires more time. Work on a need-to-know basis, and only declutter things that everyone will be able to see at first glance.

3. Where Do Things Belong?

Everything, in a home, has its own place. Maybe it’s not their ideal place, but objects normally tend to be placed back somewhere. If that’s not the case in your home at the moment, that’s fine.

But for the sake of this ritual, pretend like it is and whenever you come across an object that looks misplaced, tune in with your intuition, and move it to the best possible place.

Pro Tip

If you find this difficult, group objects by type! Books with books, clothes with clothes, toys with toys et cetera. You got this.

4. From Top To Bottom

Now, look around vertically!

Are there spiderwebs in the corners? Swipe them away with a broom!
How do your shelves look? If they are messy, give them a (quick) fix. Pull books together, move decorations, and dust;
Windows and mirrors: clean windows and mirrors with a spray. Pull curtains on the sides to let the light flow in during the day, and draw them at night. If you don’t have enough time just clean the windows in the rooms people will be in (i.e. living room over the kitchen);
Tables and surfaces: spray the surfaces and group objects together if still needed. Wash dishes and spray stove. Everything that can still be moved to a closed drawer, you can move now. Water plants, and remove dead ones.
Chairs, sofas, beds: Do they look comfy? Fix pillows, add covers to sofas, and fold any blanket in the living room. If there are crumbs, either vacuum them or swipe them on the floor. Make the bed, and check the bedstands.
Floors: swipe, vacuum, and mop. If you don’t have time, go for the vacuum only (remember to vacuum carpets!). But in my experience, this step takes much less time than expected, every single time.

5. The Bathroom

Even if in a rush, the bathroom always needs a little bit more time. But to make it extra quick, you can follow step 4, in this specific room:

check for cobwebs and dust lamps;
if there are shelves, group objects together, dust surfaces and throw away the clutter;
spray mirror and other surfaces;
clean the toilet seat, add paper roll, and check if the shower plate is clean;
add clean towels, soap, and scented spray;
vacuum and mop the floor. Change carpets, or vacuum them;

6. Walk Around and Be Proud

At this point, you are basically done. Walk around the house and see how everything looks! If there’s anything else to be done, and you still have time, go on and do it. Once finished, throw away the garbage, light some nice candles or anyway some soothing light, and enjoy a cleaner and more peaceful home ❤

I personally enjoy making myself tea, showering, and sit in my favorite spot, to admire my work :) some gloating is allowed!

Thank you for reading this, and let me know how it worked for you! Until next time,

All the best,

Gaia

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