Forget Perfection: Realistic Cleaning & Organizing Tips from a Pro

Living in Chicago, between work, commutes, and trying to actually enjoy the city, keeping your home clean can feel like a second full-time job. If you’ve ever looked at a pile of laundry or a cluttered counter and felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. The good news? A tidy, peaceful space doesn’t require perfection—just a few smart, realistic habits.

As a professional home organizer, I’ve seen it all. My philosophy? A clean home isn’t about Instagram-worthy folding techniques or obsessing over every dust bunny. It’s about creating systems that work for your real, busy life. Let’s ditch the pressure and talk about what actually works.

Embrace the “Chucket Bucket” Method

My bedside table looks pristine, but my secret is a “chucket bucket” stashed underneath. Mail, hair ties, random receipts—instead of letting them pile up on the surface, they all go in the bucket. Once a week, I deal with it. This one trick keeps surfaces clear and my sanity intact. Sometimes, the best cleaning service near me is a simple container and a timer.

Laundry: To Fold or Not to Fold?

Let’s be real: not everything needs to be folded. Kitchen towels? I shove them in a drawer. My secret for apartment cleaning is to prioritize. Save your energy for the clothes that wrinkle, and give yourself permission to be less than perfect with the rest. If the mountain of clean clothes is too much, consider fast cleaning services to help you tackle the backlog.

Conquer the Linens (Without Folding a Fitted Sheet)

I have no idea how to fold a fitted sheet, and I’ve made peace with that. My solution? Cheap, clear plastic bins for each bed size. Sheets get stuffed in their designated bin—no folding required. I even decluttered all my top sheets because I never use them. Your linen closet should work for you, not the other way around. For a truly fresh start, pairing this with a deep cleaning help session can transform the entire room.

The Golden Rule: A Home for Everything

True organization isn’t about how you put things away, but that everything has a place to go. That “bucket of random crap” by my door? That’s the designated home for keys, loose change, and, yes, even mysterious dog diapers. When you know where something belongs, tidying up takes seconds. If setting up these systems feels daunting, a professional home cleaning company can help you establish order.

What “Tidy” Really Means

A tidy house simply means it’s easy to find things and easy to put them away. You shouldn’t have to hunt for your phone charger or dig through a pile to find a clean mug. My home is always tidy, but it’s never perfect. And it doesn’t have to be. Yours doesn’t either. When maintaining that baseline feels impossible, it might be time to schedule a cleaning with a trusted team.

Give Yourself a Break (And Maybe Some Help)

Chicago life is fast-paced. If your goal is simply to clean your apartment without spending your entire weekend doing it, that’s a valid goal. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is call in the experts. As a leading Chicago cleaning company, we understand that you need cleaning services in Chicago that adapt to your life, not the other way around.

I teach people how to organize and manage their home for a living. Watch how I put away laundry. Watch how I put away my curling iron. Okay, this is just a bucket where I toss random crap when I come home. And there’s a dog diaper in here for a dog that isn’t even mine. Why? Nobody knows. I don’t fold anything, including kitchen towels. I just shove them in here because people who fold have their lives together in ways that I never ever will. Want to see my linen closet? I have absolutely no idea how to fold a fitted sheet. So, I just shoved them in these cheap plastic bins and hope and pray that they’re the right size for the bed. Also, just decluttered all my top sheets because I never use them again because top sheets are also for people who have their lives together. My bedside table is always clean and tidy because I have a chucket bucket under here where I just toss everything. I just toss everything in this bucket and then I just shove it back under the bed as one does. Watch how I put away groceries. Yep. True organization is about having a home for everything, not how you put things in that home. A tidy house just means it’s easy to find things. It’s easy to put away. And you don’t have to hunt. My house is always tidy, but it isn’t perfect. And it doesn’t have to be. Yours doesn’t either.