I just found this awesome blog called unclutter.com and thought I’d share it. If you’re anything like me, cleaning and organizing does not come easy. I dread sorting and sometimes just give up not knowing where to begin. But I do really love that feeling of a clean, organized space and it makes you feel awesome once it’s done. This website gives tons of easy tips to keep an uncluttered home and office. After spending some time there, I came up with a list of practical things to keep each room looking neat and organized. Each room has photo examples that link to places you can buy those storage items mentioned. Hopefully this will help you and we can get our houses uncluttered together!
Bedroom
1. Use the space under your bed. Bins or slide-out drawers are great for hiding away extra blankets, books, or other items you rarely use but would like within reach.
2. Keep your nightstand clear. It is an definitely an area that is easy to build up clutter fast and can make your whole room look messy. Keep out only necessities that you regularly reach for: current book or magazine you are reading (keep other stowed away in a basket or drawer), reading glasses, lamp, alarm clock. Get a cute basket to put these in and voila! Uncluttered!
3. Get clothes off the floor. This is a major problem for me. So I set up two small baskets within my closet: One for lights and darks. All clean clothes that just need to be hung up I lay out on my bed so that it is in my way and I remember to do it.
Kitchen
1. Be realistic. Most people use the same four pots and pans over and over again. As well as the same utensils and appliances. Keep these out and store/toss the rest.
2. Store old recipe books. Put together a three-ring binder with page inserts and collect your favorite recipes here. Keep only the ones that you will realistically make and with ingredients you usually have on hand. Prepare the recipe that week. If your family doesn’t find it to be a hit, then toss the recipe out.
3. Handle your mail only once. It’s best to open mail right beside a recycling bin or trashcan. Don’t put it in a pile to “sort later.” Put the bills you will have to mail in one basket, and items you want to look through like catalogs, coupon books, etc in another.
Closet
1. Take inventory! See my post on checklisting what you own and toss out what you won’t wear…
Does every item in your closet represent your current style and the image you wish to project to others? Does every item fit you well and complement your body type? Do you like to wear everything you own and do you have an event you will wear each item to?
Ask yourself these questions and make sure you have at least two complementary pieces to go in coordination with each item. Get rid of duplicates, badly worn pieces, and uncomfortable items.
2. Now organize it. Put sweaters together, tshirts together, etc. Do you have shelves? Stack it! Place shoes on one shelf, bags on another, etc. Use hooks on the inner doors to hang ties, belts, etc.
3. Store it. Out of season clothes are only going to be in your way. Get them out of your closet and put them in labeled tubs until you need them.
Bathroom
1. Bathroom drawers can easily become junk drawers with toothbrushes, makeup, soaps all tossed in together. Put together cute containers that can keep items you need within reach, but again, put like with like – makeup in one basket, soaps in another.
2. Toss unused items. Don’t save makeup colors that you know you’ll never get bold enough to wear. Do you really need 20 towels? Only keep what you’ll use regularly. Everything else will just be in your way. If you’re not sure you’ll use it, keep a basket of random items under your sink for a month. If items are not used by the end of the month, toss them.
3. Need more storage or counter space? Add a standing cabinet and paint it a color that matches the bathroom. Use wooden boxes and trays to help categorize the items.
Kids Rooms
1. Make sure they know the rules. Bring the kids together and let them know that new rules will be put into place to keep the house neater. Make sure there is a place for everything so that your child can easily put things away on their own. Make it a habit for everyone to pick up toys fifteen minutes before bedtime.
2. Create unique storage spots. A simple mug rack hung low in the child’s room can serve as a hitching post for miscellaneous possessions, such as belts, hats, necklaces, and gloves. Rain gutters, cut, painted and hung low can be posted to the walls to become a small bookshelf. Gather small buckets to hold art supplies. Use a clothesline to display ever changing art on the walls.
3. Use baskets and bins. Shallow wicker baskets — the kind adults use to sort mail — are equally efficient for storing toy soldiers, action figures, and stray dinosaurs. For added kid appeal, purchase baskets in bright, eye-popping colors. Consider purchasing open-front stackable bins that will keep toys off the floor where they might cause someone to trip, yet let kids retrieve playthings without assistance. Stackable units are a blessing if your child has more toys than one bin can hold. Stash boxes of second-string toys in the back of a closet or under a bed.
Office
1. Create a place for everything. Disguise supplies by storing them in decor items on a shelf. Store like with like -pens, papers, post its, etc. Use baskets, tins, file folders etc to get these items off your desk and into an easy to reach container.
2. Get rid of excess supplies. Gather up all of your writing implements, and test your pens and markers. Get rid of those that don’t work, and sharpen all of your pencils. Finally, put all of these items in an organized container that is near where you use them. Get everything out of your office that doesn’t belong there.
3. Make a habit of keeping your desk clear. Take a minute to put away items before lunch and before you leave at the end of the day. Then you won’t have buildup from the entire week or month.
This post is linked to New Nostalgia’s Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays
