11 House Rules an Old Italian Butcher Never Breaks — They Keep a House Clean Every Day

How to keep your house clean when it is messy again by Tuesday: 11 simple house rules from a butcher who passed every inspection for 41 years. It was never you. Your house just never had rules. My name is Enzo. I am 74, born in Bari, and for 41 years my wife Carmela and I ran a butcher shop in Newark, NJ, where the health inspector could walk in any morning of the year. I did not do it by working harder. I did it with rules, the same rules every day, until the rules did themselves. These are the 11 I still live by in the old house we bought in 1977, plus one rule that belongs to Carmela. WHAT I SHOW YOU • The 10-minute closing order that keeps the house clean every morning • Why every thing needs one address (my shop's knife board, and how to make one in your garage) • How to stop clutter at the front door, and what to do with the mail • Why a broken thing gets three days • Where everyday things belong, and why it matters more with every birthday • The "maybe" box with a date, and why you should never open it • Why you empty first and buy containers last • Carmela's rule: one in, one out CHAPTERS 0:00 Trailer 0:24 Clean on Saturday, messy again by Tuesday 3:23 Rule 1 · The same order every night 5:13 Rule 2 · Every thing has one address 7:06 Rule 3 · If it can hang, it hangs 8:31 Rule 4 · The door is the border (mail, keys, shoes) 10:13 Rule 5 · Never put the knife down dirty 11:40 Rule 6 · A broken thing gets three days 13:38 Rule 7 · Everyday things between your knees and shoulders 15:21 Rule 8 · A flat surface is for working, not for keeping 16:52 Rule 9 · If it has no date, it has no future 18:37 Rule 10 · Empty first, measure second, buy last 20:12 Rule 11 · Label the outside, on two sides 21:38 Carmela's rule · One in, one out 22:30 The four things to remember WHAT I USE: a white pegboard panel (about $15) and a bag of hooks (about $8) from a home improvement store, a marker, painter's tape, a tape measure, masking tape and glass jars. Prices are rounded and vary by store and region. SAFETY: If it is electric, if it is gas, if it is on the roof, do not fix it yourself, call a professional. The CDC reports that about one in four Americans over 65 falls each year, and many falls start with reaching, so keep everyday things between your knees and shoulders. Tell me in the comments which of these rules your house breaks the most, and what town you are writing from. I like to imagine all of your houses. I read every comment, slowly. — The Enzo Family — 🍝 Enzo's Kitchen: How to cook it.    / @enzoskitchenx   📒 Enzo's Method: What to buy, how to store it, and how to save money.    / @enzosmethod   Next time: the cold is coming, and the mice come inside looking for a warm house. For 41 years my butcher shop never had one, and I will show you how. Fix one thing today. A presto, my friend. #declutter #homeorganization #cleanhouse #organizingtips #enzostricks