Are you still finding ripped up wrapping paper around the house? Did you rearrange the furniture to make way for the Christmas tree and now it’s time to move things back?
Well, January is National Get Organized Month. We gathered a few easy tips from Simple Spaces that you can use in 2011 to help your family get on the right track for the New Year:
- Make sure everything in your house has a “home”. Let this be a family rule – if you take it out, put it back, if you open it, close it, if you make a mess, clean it up.
- Make a weekly meal plan and corresponding grocery list each Sunday for the entire week. This will cut down on impromptu, frequent trips to the grocery store and last-minute drive-thru dinners.
- Place two-compartment hampers in designated spots and teach family members to sort their own laundry when putting it in the hamper.
- Clean out the refrigerator before your weekly trip to the grocery store. Throw out food that has expired and any leftovers that no one will eat. This will keep things tidy and make room for the groceries.
Purchase a plastic caddy with a handle for all of your cleaning supplies. Rather than having cleaners scattered in cabinets throughout the house, put all necessary cleaners in the caddy to carry from room to room when cleaning day comes around.- Set aside a time to go through each closet in your home with the respective family member. Remove all of the clothing items that no longer fit, are no longer in fashion or haven’t been worn in a year. They can be donated or taken to a local consignment store.
- Save your countertop space for items that are used on a daily basis. Only have two appliances out at one time and consider storing items such as mixers and utensil holders. etc. in the pantry instead.
- Sort through your mail next to a trash can or shredder. Deal with junk mail right on the spot instead of letting it clutter your desk or countertops.
- If you continually add things to your home without taking anything out, your home will soon be overflowing. You can control clutter by making a rule that, when you buy something new, something old must go.
- Still need help? Consider hiring a Professional Organizer to get you organized and teach you methods for long-term success!
A big thank you to Jenna Ruhe and Laurie Malloy at Simple Spaces LLC of Northwest Arkansas for providing these tips! Simple Spaces specializes in professional organizing, home staging (when you’re trying to sell) and estate and relocation services. Click here to visit the Simple Spaces website to see how they can help you organize/clean/simplify your home or business.
