Getting organized is a never ending task because life happens every day. Clutter just seems to gather throughout the week in certain areas of our home.
If you are constantly battling the crawl of clutter, check out these ten tips:
Tips to get organized
Before you get started, you need to get everyone on board. Getting organized and more importantly staying organized is a team effort. If you have small children, consider making it a game with rewards. If it’s just other adults in the home, be sure everyone gets involved and is aware of any changes.
Tackle one room at a time. Choose the place in your home with the most clutter traps. Touch everything in the room and decide to keep it, donate it, or toss it.
Create an Entryway Station. When you walk in the door, you need a place to put your keys and wallet, the mail, your bag, etc. Designate a place near the entrance to your home for these items. And when you are headed out the door, all the stuff you need will be right there. Consider placing a console table, shoe cabinet, and hooks for your coats in the entryway.
- Speed clean before bed. Set a timer for 5 minutes and straighten up a room. In the living room, clear out all things that don’t belong- dishes, shoes, paperwork, clothes, trash, etc. Put the remotes in the same spot, Swiffer dust tables. In the kitchen, load or unload the dishwasher, wipe down the counter. Make it a game and try to get everything straightened up in 5 minutes of less. You will be surprised how much can be done.
- Put like items together. In the kitchen, put like things together for easy access. Dedicate shelves to like items (grains, canned good, vegetables, sauces, etc). This will make meal planning and shopping list making easier as well. Also works for the bathroom. Use open bins to store things like chips, cereals, and bread on pantry shelves.
- Give Away. Anytime you buy something new, put something like it in a giveaway bin. Once a month, drop off your donations to a local charity.
- Label Maker. Become a label maker. Label shelves or bins so others know where to find things as well. Consider making this a craft project, using fancy paper and stencils.
- Divide and Conquer. Divide up drawer space. This will help keep your drawers from becoming full of disorganized junk. Bedside tables and bathroom drawers are perfect for divisions.
- Look Up. Use the vertical space as well. This is great advice for storage areas like garages and laundry rooms. Put things that are used less frequently at the top.
- Go Digital. Do you have a drawer full of owner’s manuals? Get rid of them by downloading the manuals and store them digitally.
- Linen Closet. Store your sheets and pillowcases together. Fold up the flat sheet, fitted sheet, and pillowcases and then store them inside a matching pillowcase. This keeps the sets together—no more rifling through stacks of sheets looking for a match.
Not only can clutter and disorganization add to your stress, it can also become a hazard when it blocks doors, windows, heating vents, or pathways. At extreme levels, clutter can add to your risk of injury, create a fire hazard, and limit mobility. Reduce the clutter in your home to keep your stress levels down and to keep your family safe.
Kelly Bladl writes for SafecoInsurance.com and HomeownersInsurance.com, an online resource for homeowners and drivers across the country. Offering automobile and homeowners insurance quotes, consumers rely on HomeownersInsurance.com for competitive rates from top-rated insurance carriers. The HomeownersInsurance.com blog provides fresh tips and advice on a range of financial topics to help homeowners and homebuyers make educated decisions about their insurance purchases.
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