Organizing Home Tips

Typically, heavy duty cleaning and organizing is done once a year. When spring rolls around it is nice to open the windows in your house and clean up after hibernating all winter. But why wait until spring to thoroughly clean your home? Follow these tips to help tidy up your home in a few easy steps.

Tackle one area at a time: You will be able to get more done, more effectively by focusing on one room/area at a time. If you try to multitask during cleaning then it actually takes you longer to get your chores done. Also, try starting with the more difficult areas to clean such as the bathroom or kitchen, and then move to easier areas. Getting the more difficult rooms done in the beginning allows you to save some energy for the rest of the home.

Get Rid of Stuff!: Getting rid of items that just take up space in your home can make you feel better and can even earn a little money. Again, work on one room at a time. Start two piles in each room: a sell/donate pile for items that are in good shape and a trash pile for items that are in poor condition. Don’t be afraid to get rid of stuff! Chances are that if you have not used it in the past year, you will not miss it when it is gone. This is especially true for clothing, kids toys, kitchen accessories and old books. You will be amazed at the new space that you will have once you get rid of the old and unused.

Deep clean: After you have sorted, purged and organized it is time to clean. Again, tackle one room at a time. This is the perfect time to do those biannual cleaning chores such as cleaning the carpets and washing the inside of kitchen cabinets and drawers. Once those chores are done, you can move to daily/weekly tasks such as dusting and vacuuming.

Other helpful tips:

Sort your paper documents such as bill stubs, medical documentation, etc. Shred any unnecessary documents and neatly file away important documents in a filing cabinet or other storage container.

For out of control craft supplies, separate supplies into logical piles. Since I scrapbook and make hand made greeting cards, my piles were paper, rubber stamps, and miscellaneous craft tools. Consolidate into an easily accessible storage container such as a toolbox on wheels. Many craft stores sell craft storage containers that are perfect for keeping your items organized.

Sort through bathroom cabinets and get rid of any expired medicines, make up, and other toiletries. Using expired items can make you sick!

Keep a purge mentality all year long. This will make your job much easier when the time comes to clean and organize again.

After you have finished, kick up your feet and enjoy your freshly clean home.
About The Author

Amanda Pinkston is a writer for The Craft Cafe. Find card making, scrapbooking, free printables, recipes and more at http://www.thecraftcafe.com

How many times have you said to yourself I wish I could stay organized? I am a professional organizer and I tell the women I work with it is possible to keep organized but I don’t think it is possible to stay organized. The word stay gives the impression that once a task is done it is done for good. But if you have a life, live with someone, have children or have a home no matter how organized things are they just get undone. Here are six tips to help you keep organized by clearing clutter and getting a grip on clutter control on a consistent basis.

1. Put things back after using them AKA: get rid of the evidence. This is an easy habit to get into and it will make a big difference in clutter control. Teach your family to put things back after using them. If you make a sandwich put everything away that you took out to make the sandwich before you sit down to eat it. Put the bread back, replace the perishables in the fridge, and put the utensils you used in the dishwasher and wipe off the counter. No evidence remains that you fixed a sandwich. This will help eliminate clutter around the home when you get in the habit of doing this in every room.

2. Don’t set something down to deal with later. Later usually means clutter is starting to creep and piles are being made. When you have something in your hands, go ahead and deal with it then and there. Put it where it belongs. You may think it is simpler at the moment to set something down and deal with it later, but it just creates more work later. Get in the habit now of putting it away the second you’re done with it. Teach your family members to do the same.

3. Every night plan on a nightly pick up that will take no more than 10 to 15 minutes. Things do get undone and left out and papers and magazines dropped where they were read and maybe the laundry is folded and sitting on the couch—you get the idea. Have family members help pick up before going to bed because then you won’t have a mess staring you in the face the next morning. This is doing clutter control a little at a time which makes the task easy.

4. Involve the family in learning to keep organized. The reality is that every member of the family plays an important role in maintaining an organized home. Hold a family meeting to decide as a family which responsibilities will be done by each family member.

5. When you are living with the things you love and use and that light you up keep it that way by making sure that everything you bring into your home has a purpose and that you need it or just can’t live without it. Clutter control can be possible if you can adopt the attitude of one in and one out. When you buy something, let something else go. This isn’t always possible to do if you are buying things you need and use but it is something to consider.

6. Keep a toolbox in a place where everyone knows not only where to go to get a tool, but where to go to put it back when they are finished with it. By keeping a toolbox handy, you’ll have the correct tool for the job. It is much easier to pound a nail with a hammer than a shoe, or screw in a screw with a screwdriver rather than a butter knife (which scratches and bends your good knife). Get into the habit of putting the tools back in the tool box as soon as you finish with them.

Clutter Control will be effortless when you use these timely organizing tips and you will be able to Keep organized.

About The Author

Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living.

Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.

Organizing your home is a tedious process that presents many obstacles. There may be times when the challenges appear to be insurmountable, but with the proper home organization plan, these challenges can be overcome. Several challenges faced while cleaning your house are creating a strategic plan, finding the right storage products and putting your items back into their proper location. Completing this process is a rewarding experience.

One of the greatest challenges facing the intrepid home organizer is finding time to take apart an entire household and put it back together with some semblance of efficiency. Many people tend to think that all housework needs to be completed at the same time; however, this is not the case. There is nothing wrong with working on the bedroom one day, and cleaning the kitchen a few weeks later. You can even follow this pattern until you clean the entire house. Each room should only take a day, and it can be relatively simply to set aside a day and time.

Another way to reduce the time spent organizing your home is to plan everything out. Take a day and go through your entire house with a pencil and paper. Take note of where everything is located and what can be improved. Draw a rough plan, and then remove each item as you begin organizing your house. This way, you should know precisely where every item is going to be stored. This simple preparation can save hours of work on each room, and in turn, it substantially reduces the amount of time needed to complete the process.

Another major problem faced by budding home decorators, is finding the right resources to properly organize the various items scattered throughout the living space. An investment in the best storage products for the job can turn even the smallest of homes into seemingly spacious abodes. Whether you are struggling with all of the small miscellaneous items that never seem to have a place to stay, or some major equipment from your favorite hobby, there is an organizational tool that meets your needs.

It is important to properly identify what your needs are. If you are an avid cook, then make sure you invest heavily in your kitchen organization, and do not worry as much about spending for the rest of the house. If you are a sportsman, or really enjoy working in your garden, then outfitting your garage with some of the best products should be a priority. However, do not waste your money on items that you are not planning to use. This scenario requires proper planning and inventory.

You do not need to know every item that you own, but you should have a good idea of what you are getting into before investing in storage products. In a broad sense, good storage devices should follow a few rules. The storage solution should allow for easy access to the items that they are holding. The items should also be easy to retrieve. Accessibility is crucial and quality containers or racks should be sturdy, durable, and easy to move around. Reducing clutter is one of the main reasons for getting organized in the first place and because of this you should find the best storage solutions for your home. If your storage containers make it difficult to get everything in order, your may need to rethink your organizational strategy.

Another problem that is often faced while organizing your home is when you begin moving your items around. This issue is the moment when you realize that you have forgotten something important, and have no simple solution. This is where a willingness to be flexible comes into play. Efficient systems are not inherently rigid and in many cases, the more rigid systems fall apart shortly after they are started. This is simply because if you miss one step, the entire process can fail. Be sure to build flexibility into your home. Do not buy just enough storage to cram everything in, because you want to stay organized during the cleaning process. Make sure to leave room for new items that you plan to purchase. Leave extra space for these anticipated purchases, and there may be things that catch you off guard. A flexible system is often the easiest to follow.

Having the efficient and organized home that you have dreamed of is within your reach. With good time management, planning, investment in storage devices and flexibility, even the most difficult projects can be completed in an efficient time frame. Remember to be patient with whatever system you choose, and patience is important for successfully organizing your home. Revising a solid plan is easier than trying to make a new one, and being willing to troubleshoot can save time, money and stress. You can overcome your home organizational problems by following these tips.
About The Author

Nick Kakolowski is a freelance writer and blogger who writes about DIY topics and home care, often focusing on a specific area such as home organization.

http://www.shopgetorganized.com

Do you ever feel life is passing you by in a whirl wind of activities and personal drama’s? Do you wish for simpler days? That probably isn’t going to happen but what can happen is that you can reduce clutter and simplify your life just by making a few simple choices and maybe a couple of changes. As a professional organizer I suggest 6 organizing tips to reduce clutter and simplify our lives.

1. If you have a project you have been resisting doing and it keeps nagging at you then complete it now. By getting the hardest task or project done and out of the way you won’t have the worry of getting it done later and you will have the freedom of moving on to doing other things you would rather be doing with a clear conscience.

2. Do you get a plethora of paper coming into your home and your life on a daily basis? You can chose to stop unwanted paper from taking up your time, causing you stress and creating clutter. Get off junk mail lists. Proquo.com is just one of many companies that will remove you from unwanted mail lists. To find other companies that offer this service do a search on the Internet. I have reduced the amount of junk mail I receive by 95% by signing up to have my name removed from lists. Reduce the number of catalogs you are receiving and other unwanted mail.

3. Reduce clutter in your home, office and car. Having too much stuff causes stress because it takes time and effort to maintain it and it takes our attention away from other things we would rather be focusing on. It wastes our time because when we have clutter around we have to search for things we have but can’t find quickly. Donate, sell or give away unwanted and unused items. These are great ways to simplify space. We are not only helping ourselves but we are helping our family and others.

4. Getting rid of debt can reduce clutter if this is something that is on your mind and that you worry about. Or if you use your cards to purchase “stuff” because it is on sale or because it is a good buy or too cute to pass up and you have no need for it. Having less is one way to simplify.

5. Pay your bills on line and have companies send your statements over the internet rather than sending paper bills. This eliminates you having to use your time to write out a check, use an envelope and a stamp (which saves money) and put it in the mail box. Make a folder on the computer to send the notifications you receive when your financial institution notifies you that a bill has been paid. This is a great way to reduce clutter and simplify your life.

6. Instead of trying to remember everything you have to do in your mind use a planner. Take it with you everywhere you go. This will reduce clutter in your purse, car, on your desk, and on your kitchen counter as you won’t have those pesky little pieces of paper with notes and appointments stuck or lost all over the place.

Think of the benefits you receive when you reduce clutter and simplify your life. Keep your eye on the goal as you work towards simplifying your life.

About The Author

Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living.

Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.