50 Ways to Organize Your Home, Part I
Posted on February 10, 2010 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Organization,Simplification
Wednesdays are simplicity days at SimpleProductivity blog.
Over the next three weeks, I’ve decided to offer a sampling of my tips on how to simplify and organize your home.
Kitchen
- Group like things together. Keep serving utensils in one place, silverware together, drinking vessels together.
- Keep things where they are used. Keep the coffee by the coffeepot, plastic kid’s tumblers by the fridge, potholders by the stove, cutting boards by the knives.
- Use racks to organize. Most department and home specialty stores carry racks to make the most of cupboard space.
- Minimize small appliances and keep them out of sight. If you use a small appliance only a few times a year, get rid of them. Keep them out of sight to free up the visual in the kitchen.
Bathroom
- Keep medicines together, away from the damp. Invest in a small medicine cabinet to keep medicines. Regularly purge to get rid of expired meds.
- Use drawer organizers to keep things neat. Dollar stores carry plastic baskets meant for drawers. Use them to corral brushes, toothpaste and makeup.
- Keep cleaners in the bathroom. You’re much more likely to clean if you don’t have to go to another area of the house for supplies. Keep disinfectant wipes, soap and a toilet brush in each bathroom. (Yes, that’s all I use to keep our bathroom clean).
- Eliminate excess linens. Have at most two towels for each family member and an appropriate amount for guests. Same for sheets and blankets.
Bedroom
- Purge clothing regularly. Remove worn, stained, torn and outgrown clothing to keep drawers uncluttered.
- Use empty luggage to store off-season clothes.
- Keep horizontal surfaces clear. Clutter breeds on horizontals. Keep them clear.
- Open things regularly. Clutter breeds in dark corners, out of sight. Review the dark cupboards regularly
Car
- Have a garbage bag handy. This makes it easy to put trash in one area.
- Empty the car regularly. Make it a weekly routine to remove things that don’t belong in the car.
- Keep a small folder for papers. Keep registration and insurance papers together in one place so you can get to them quickly.
- Curb the maps. Remove duplicate maps and ones you will not use again soon. (I purged my maps and found three of my current state, plus a state I have never visited and never will!)
More next time…
Photo by evelynishere
If you enjoyed this post, please buy me a cup of coffee!
