The Incredibly Easy One-Touch Cleaning Rule Will Keep You Clutter-Free

How often do you quickly tidy one area of your home by just moving the mess somewhere else? Have you ever come home only to put your coat on a chair temporarily before you finally hang it up in the closet? (I know I’m guilty of this, because it just feels easier in the moment after a long day).

It might not feel like a time suck, but it actually makes you put in more effort in the long run—all those steps add up, and it makes keeping your home clutter-free a slightly harder task. So, if you find yourself shuffling items from place to place before putting them away—and if keeping your home neat and tidy is something you feel like you’re struggling with—it might be time to start following the One Touch Rule.

The One Touch Rule is one of those tips that is all over the internet—bloggers swear by it and sites dedicated to productivity praise it—because it’s so simple yet so life-changing. If you’re not familiar, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: You use one (and only one) touch to get any particular item from where it is to where it needs to be.

So, in the aforementioned example of the coat, rather than drop it on the couch when you walk in only to hang it up later when it’s time to sit down (that’s two touches—three if you move it somewhere else temporarily too), you would simply walk in and hang the coat up in your closet. One touch, one movement, less effort overall.

Seriously, that’s it. That’s all there is to it. Easy, right?

Following the One Touch Rule means that when you ultimately do need to have a full-on cleaning sesh, you won’t have to put in as much effort putting things where they belong, because most of your things will have already been one-touched away to their proper homes.

It takes getting used to, especially if it’s the opposite of your usual habits, but it’ll definitely make a difference in your home—it’ll look less cluttered, and you’ll save yourself time in the long run.