Take advantage of the new year's resolution momentum and organize your home for a fresh start in 2019. Organization improves the flow and management of your home. Benefits of an organized home range from improved mood to increased productivity and better eating and sleeping habits. Here are helpful tips to keep you focused in organizing each room of your home.
1. Gather baskets or bins to sort into before you start.
Label the bins before you start working. Some useful categories for your sorting bins might be:
Other Room Items: Children’s toys or home office supplies that have walked their way into another room can fill this bin. Once your room is de-cluttered, return items to the right room.
Recycle: You can keep this bin going from room to room and donate all items once you have finished your home organization and de-cluttering.
Fix and Mend: Stuffies that need stitches or a muddy pair of sneakers that need extra TLC.
Trash: While the trash bin is an obvious choice, notice if each room has access to a local trash bin, and if not, put one into the area.
Donate: Set specific dates to take out recycle and donate items so they do not go forgotten.
This will allow you to stay focused on task at hand.
2. Organize and De-clutter Room by Room
Bathroom
Start with medicine cabinet and vanity drawers. Remove all item and sort into the correct bins. Clean drawers and shelves then place items used most frequently within easiest reach. Don’t forget to clean and organize under the bathroom sink!
Bedroom
Make your bed first. There is something about a made bed that helps make a room feel put together. Tackle table surfaces next, then inside dressers or drawers. Sort out-of-place items and place items used most frequently within easiest reach.
Closet
Sort clothing by type or style. For example, pull together all your jeans and decide how to sort from there. It is easier to make decisions when you have the whole collection in front of you. Four bins of clothing could look like this:
Donate: This bin can hold clothes to be donated by any member of the family. Set a date to drop unwanted clothes at your local shelter or Goodwill.
Put away. This bin can hold clothing items found anywhere in your home that need to be put away, hung in closet or sorted into dresser drawers.
Dirty clothes. This one will hit the laundry room.
Repair: If you can have it mended or hemmed, keep separate and schedule a date you will take them to a local seamstress or dry cleaners.
Entryway, mudrooms, and foyers
One of the most used areas in your home, entryways regardless of size tend to collect clutter.
Start with any surfaces such as tables, consoles, or desks. After cleaning the top surfaces, clean out drawers. Designate (if you do not already have) areas for your important items as you walk out the door, such as keys. Limit items so that the most important are accessible and in plain sight.
Kitchen
Kitchens hold the heart of a home. It requires regular cleaning and de-cluttering to keep it well-oiled and operational. Plan categories in the room to keep organizing focused.
Create kitchen zones to keep you focused when organizing. For example, cabinets above or around your stove.
Clean out each zone completely. Look at the items in the area, and sort into bins. Tackling the biggest areas such as a pantry first will give you the most bang for your buck. Sample method such as pantry, upper cabinets, and lower cabinets then counter tops.
Sort items as necessary then clean and put back the essential items in that zone.
Living Room
Often a very active room in your home, living rooms can seem difficult to keep de-cluttered. Create permanent storage areas for your most frequently used items.
Start with the surfaces within your home. Bookcases, console, side tables, coffee tables, and entertainment centers.
Move on to electronics. Remove anything that is not connected to your television. Determine a place for TV controllers and chargers. This will help prevent confusion when you are looking for them later.
Create a toy bin in the living room to help reduce visual clutter. Don't forget to sort any toys that need repairs or need to be donated.
3. Enjoy the home and health benefits of an organized and de-cluttered home.
Aside from your peace of mind, de-cluttering benefits you in other ways. Clutter attracts pests and gives them shelter. Think of the cluttered areas as their own little supply shops. Removing the clutter will help reduce pests seeking shelter.
Still tackling holiday décor? Read Un-Deck the Halls for 4 steps to safely store your holiday decorations.
Recent Comments