Japan: Cleaning habits for a clutter-free home

A 33-year-old Japanese woman has shared her method for maintaining a clean home without performing intensive weekend deep cleans. Her approach focuses on three core habits: breaking cleaning tasks into small daily segments, prioritizing decluttering before purchasing storage, and strategic planning.

Rather than buying more cabinets or boxes to hide clutter, she emphasizes the importance of inventorying belongings first. This involves discarding unused clothing, disposing of broken items, checking food expiration dates, and sorting through old magazines. By determining exactly what needs to be kept, she avoids the cycle of buying more storage containers that eventually lead to more clutter. Her philosophy suggests that effective storage must be tailored to a household's specific needs, such as whether they have children or cook frequently, rather than relying on generic organizational tools.