I Use the “No Doors” Method, and It Helps Me Clean with the Biggest Impact

My family is large and boisterous. I have five very active kids and two huge dogs, and any time we are all home things can get chaotic — and messy — fast. A typical day after school looks like an absolute cyclone of things like backpacks, lunch boxes, permission slips, art projects, shoes, and more scattered all over the floors and counters.

We have systems and routines, like completing a Power 10, in place, and we have designated spots for everything. But I don’t always have the time to pick things up (or like to nag others to do so), especially when I want to be present and enjoy family time. Cleaning and then being in a visually peaceful space makes me feel so much calmer, so I have found that the best solution is to clean up the areas that are within eyesight — the areas that I literally can’t close a door on. 

I’ve coined this solution the “no doors” method, and it gives me a picked-up-looking house and a calmed-down demeanor in no time. For me, the “no doors” method defines the areas that need picking up, making the task of putting everything away feel manageable. At the end of a few minutes of cleaning up, anywhere you turn in the common areas is nice and neat. In our house, this means picking up the bonus room upstairs, the family room, the living room, the kitchen, and the front hallway. 

The other easily overlooked benefit of this method is remembering that it’s more than OK to close the door on the messes I can close the doors on! For example, the kids got super into a fort-building marathon last week during our snow days and through the weekend. I didn’t have the heart to have them clean it up yet, and although the mess makes me smile, it also bothers me. We can all be happy just by closing the door on the boys’ room!

While I don’t want to miss moments because I’m cleaning up, I also don’t want to turn into a mean mom because messes overwhelm me. I know that I need to do what I can to minimize the impact that messes have on me. The “no doors” method allows me to do quick tidy-ups that make our home feel put-together and peaceful every single time.