Can you apply Kaizen at home?

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March 10, 2026 | 12:00am

I told reader Johnny, if you ask Japanese Kaizen expert Chihiro Nakao, he would tell you that “Kaizen is for the workplace only. You must never do Kaizen at home. You should relax.” Maybe Mr. Nakao, who co-authored the 2015 book “Kaizen Forever” thinks Kaizen demands discipline and measurement that could turn family life into factory work.

But I disagree. It doesn’t have to be that way.

For example, when doing the laundry, the fastest way to dry a bath towel is to hang it horizontally, not vertically. In my informal tests, horizontal hanging dried towels roughly twice as fast as vertical hanging. It depends much on the time of the day and the kind of towel fabric, say cotton or microfiber.

Another example, doing the laundry and washing the dishes are essential to maintaining domestic diplomacy. They’re enjoyable, practical, simple and sustainable solutions at home – far cheaper than marriage counseling.

They’re ridiculously small, continual improvements. Third example, improve how you wash your socks and avoid losing them. You have to hang them in pairs. Then, fold them so they can be untangled in five seconds or less.

These are not total transformations, but one micro upgrade at a time. That’s Kaizen – having an evolution, not revolution. Let’s apply the same thinking to a simple household scene. Something in this scene is screaming – “Waste is somewhere in this ref.” Can you spot the biggest form of waste?

Kaizen and Lean Thinking lists eight types of waste in the form of DOWNTIME (Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-use of talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion and Extra-processing).

Let’s limit it to four choices: A) Waiting. B) Inventory. C) Motion. D) Overproduction.

What’s piling up, taking forever or being done way more than needed? Pause, think and enjoy the absurdity.       Once you’ve decided, scroll down to see if your “waste compass” is correct. Ready?

The answer is B. A refrigerator full of food and drinks is inventory. It hides things that are slowly turning into poison, if not a science project you never planned to conduct.

In the fridge, inventory eventually reveals the ugly truth in due time – usually with a smell.

Homework

Spotting Kaizen opportunities at home starts by identifying everyday irritations. They include a cluttered kitchen drawer, a tangled charging cable or a missing towel hook. They’re small annoyances that signal improvement opportunities.

Kaizen begins not with big ideas, but with curious eyes and small fixes. Here are the key lessons as your homework:

1. Standardize simple routines. Even if you’re not interested in ISO, it’s better to create mini-systems, like having a fixed place for keys and wallets. The goal is common-sense and simplicity, not rigidity.

2. Eliminate confusion. Waste includes searching for lost items, overbuying groceries, repeating overcooked vegetables or waiting unnecessarily like when someone is in the bathroom.

3. Look for something to improve. What keeps you annoyed with a certain style, situation or system at home? That recurring annoyance is your Kaizen project. Make it as part of the challenge.

4. Involve all family members. At work, Kaizen is best done with the active participation of all team members. It’s the same thing at home. On weekends, do it while spending precious time with your spouse, son or daughter.

5. Improve relationships with your loved ones. Instead of confrontations, improve how you listen and reduce interruptions by adding appreciation statements. Kaizen works better if there’s no emotional baggage.

6. Monitor small wins. Do this by having a Kaizen board on the fridge’s door. The board may include all issues, tiny fixes and the result. Momentum like this builds motivation and strong bonds with the family.

7. Solve issues without spending money. Improve with the current resources on hand. When your kitchen feels cramped, reposition frequently used items within arm’s reach and move rarely used items inside a cabinet.

8. Eliminate motion wastes in daily routines. Walking back and forth for your socks or car keys? Place the socks inside a drawer. And put a small basket for your car keys near the door. Use the same basket for your house keys as well.

9. Reduce cleaning time by layout change. Place trash bins where trash actually appears. Keep cleaning supplies where dirt usually appears, but ensure they’re out of reach by young kids. Less friction, less problem.

In summary, you’ll learn that Kaizen at home means systems over sermons – small, daily improvements quietly beating dramatic lectures about discipline, order and responsibility. That means having tiny improvements – too small to argue about, too useful to ignore.

Small improvements at home prevent big arguments later.

Rey Elbo is a quality and productivity enthusiast. Share your story to [email protected] or DM Facebook, LinkedIn, X or via https://reyelbo.com. Anonymity is given to those who ignore the wonders of Kaizen.