3 Tips to Help Your Messy Partner Get Organized

It’s extremely common in relationships – one partner is super tidy and the other is not. This can be a cause of stress for many people, but it doesn’t have to be! 

Before getting started, make sure to have a conversation with your partner to identify problem areas and gauge how much time and effort he or she is willing to put into getting more organized. Take baby steps, if need be! 

You can point out that living a more organized lifestyle can allow you to have more one-on-one quality time, as well as save you time, money and stress in the long run. 

Once you’ve started implementing these tips and tricks, make sure to be a positive source of encouragement for your partner – and let them know when they’ve done a good job or are showing improvement. 

As you go through this process, try your best not be accusatory to your “messy” spouse. Avoid saying things like they’re a “hoarder” or “gross” – the goal here is to slowly develop healthier and more organized habits as a couple – that takes work!  

Learning to be organized won’t happen overnight, but if your partner is willing, here are some helpful tips to help your significant other start the year off organized:

Edit Together 

The first step to creating an organized home is to get rid of the excess clutter that isn’t functional for your lifestyle. Work together as a team to determine which items to keep, toss or donate. We recommend working room-by-room to go through all of your belongings. Have discussions about each item and ask yourself the following questions to determine whether to keep it or let it go:

• When was the last time we used this? 
• Do we have more of this item? 
• Is this item sentimental? If yes, where should we store it? If not, do we still need it? 

Assign Manageable Chores

To help a household run smoothly, assign chores based on what makes the most sense for your household. Chores don’t need to be split 50/50 – they just need to be assigned in a fashion that both people are comfortable with, and in a way that chores are being completed with ease. 

For example, if one partner works from home, then maybe he or she can be in charge of daily household tasks like wiping down countertops or light vacuuming throughout the week. If another partner works outside of the home, and maybe has longer hours, he or she can be in charge of weekly or monthly tasks like taking out the trash before trash day, or cleaning the gutters. 

Establish “Neat” and “Drop Zones”

If your partner is the type to have sections of “organized chaos” at home (like a chair in the bedroom overflowing with clothes” establish places in your home that are meant to be tidy, and other places where your partner is allowed to drop things. 

For example, get a lidded basket where your partner can drop things like keys, sunglasses, their wallet, or other small everyday items when they get home. The basket allows them to have their “organized chaos” in a drop zone, and the lid keeps it out of sight. 

If you need some extra help but aren’t sure where to start, reach out to Horderly to schedule an in-home or virtual organizing session. 

For more information on all things Horderly – including lots of great tips, tricks, and other #HorderlyHabits – check out our blog or reach out for more information!

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