What’s the difference between them?
Those piles of papers never leave their spot on the kitchen island, the kids’ toys never quite seem to get put away, and there’s always laundry waiting to be hung and folded.
These are all common problems in any busy house, but the key question is: Do you need to level up your tidying routines, or just get organised? Can a cleaner help, or an organiser?
Common confusion
People often use the terms tidying and organising interchangeably, but the truth is that tidying isn’t organising, and organising isn’t (just) tidying.
How often have you had that big tidy-up which takes a whole weekend? The one where you spend hours putting things away and setting things right, only for things to go right back to where you started within a couple of weeks? Rinse and repeat forever.
If this sounds familiar, it’s likely that there are better places to focus your energy to break the cycle of serial tidying.
Tidying v. Organising: what’s the difference?
Tidying vs. Organising: what’s the difference?
Tidying and organisation are two very different things. They’re different processes that fulfil different roles within our homes.
If your house was a car, tidying is the bonnet, organisation is the engine.
Both are important, but you can successfully drive around without a bonnet. If your engine is missing, you’re not going anywhere.
Tidying…
Tidying is surface level. It’s setting things back in place so that rooms feel clear and calm. The cushions are in place, the beds are made, the floors and worktops are clear.
Everything is great. Until you try to find something.
Like the swan that glides across the water with feet frantically paddling underneath, a “tidy” house can hide the chaos of disorganisation fantastically well. And it can all come tumbling down very quickly.
When this happens, it’s time to clear the diary and have that big tidy up again.
Or, there’s a better way.
Organising…
Organising a home is a more in depth process than tidying. It’s about finding ways to make your home run more smoothly – to help you keep track of everything you own, and to make sure tidying up is a quick whip round rather than a long-drawn out process. It involves getting rid of things you no longer want or need, so you can use your storage more effectively and efficiently, and creating a layout that means you know where everything in your home lives without even thinking about it.
Those decisions (what to keep and where things will be stored) made during the organising process are what makes tidying easier and faster.
Every item is considered and given a home according to where it’s used, how often it’s used and how much space it takes up. By doing this you improve the accessibility and visibility of the things you own. And things that are easy to see and easy to get to are quick and easy to put away.
Of course, not all tidying is a waste of effort. There are the daily and weekly routines that keep your home in shape, but without organising your home, your cycle of tidying is much bigger than it needs to be.
