The Home Reset: Easy Systems and Habits to Organize Every Room

This practical debut from Karissa at Home blogger Barker provides tips for tidying up one’s home. The suggestions revolve around developing habits that will keep spaces cleaner. For instance, she encourages readers to get in the practice of clearing items from the bathroom counter while brushing their teeth and putting their house key in its designated spot as soon as they return home. Rewarding oneself for completing tasks can help habits stick, Barker contends, suggesting that readers might make morning coffee contingent upon making their bed. The guidance aims to make keeping spaces clean as convenient as possible, as when Barker proposes installing a backpack hook near where children work on school assignments so they’ll be more likely to put their things in the bag when finished. Barker’s advice is refreshingly flexible, as when she recommends washing a load of laundry per day but notes that may not be feasible for many, who should instead seek consistency within whatever schedule works for them. Additionally, agendas for each room of the house break down the cleaning process into manageable components (eight steps for “resetting” the kitchen include clearing counters, wiping down the stove and refrigerator, washing dishes, and mopping the floor). Buoyed by commonsense advice, this will give readers the boost they need to get their homes in order. (Oct.)