Got stuff? Your kitchen's probably teeming with novelty appliances, gadgets and gifts that once were vital, and today are clutter. Learn to ditch what's not used and regain your space.
Laundry overflowing in the laundry room
Don't wait too long to do a load of wash. Clothes, towels and bed sheets have a tendency to pile up within a day or two. It is recommended that you do a load of clothes each day, or every two days, to keep it under control.
Dirty clothes in piles on the floor? Corral them with a laundry sorter from the start, and you won't have to spend time separating them. Instruct anyone else in your home to put all clothes needing to be washed, right in the laundry sorter. Make it a rule that any clothes not in the laundry sorter, don't get washed.
Give each family member their own clothes basket. When their clothes are done, put them in each person's clothes basket, and instruct that family member to do a pick-up. Each family member, over the age of 6 should be able to put his or her own clean clothes away.
Toys all over the floor
Every toy needs a home. Install shelves so youngsters have a place to store their treasures. Be sure shelves are low enough for children to reach, so they have the ability to return their toys when they're done playing.
Toy boxes are also an option, although it's a bit more difficult to keep toys separated and easily accessible in a deep box. But, they're certainly better than having toys strewn about.
Install hooks for jump ropes. Use clean trash cans for baseball bats and hockey sticks, or how about a large wire basket for basketballs and soccer balls?
Papers and mail covering the table
Deal with paper every single day, before it turns into a paper monster. When it comes to paper and mail, every home should be run like an organized office. Perhaps institute a Home In-box, where initially, all papers and mail get placed on a daily basis.
Then, once a day, sort mail, being sure to put bills into your Bill Paying System, papers that need to be referenced in the future into your filing system, papers that need to be distributed to other family members in a mail basket or file designated for that person, and of course, papers that are trash should be immediately placed in the recycle bin.
Papers requiring quick further action should be handled immediately. For instance, school permission slips can be quickly signed and given back to your child. Papers requiring more in depth reading or study, should be placed in an action folder or Tickler file.
Kitchen storage areas stuffed to the brim
Pop corn poppers, bread machines, juicers, ice cream makers and other novelty appliances are great, IF you use them regularly. If you don't, they're just taking up precious space. Donate appliances you never use.
Only keep enough storage containers for what you typically store. There's no need to have 30 whipped cream containers and 17 margarine tubs, if you never use them. Determine how many you realistically use, and toss the rest. If you have Rubbermaid or Tupperware containers you don't use, give them away to a friend or donate them to The Salvation Army.
How many sets of dishes, silverware or glasses do you have? If you entertain frequently and you need 25 glasses, fine. But if you have a family of 4 and rarely have more than 6 people over at a time, having tons of glasses is probably overkill.
Keep plastic, foil and other wraps organized, in plastic containers, and keep them together--this way, you won't spend money buying stuff you already have.
Hang hooks under cabinets for tea cups and mugs. This can free up a bunch of space in your cabinets.
by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now! http://www.getorganizednow.com FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak and E-zine, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home, your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now! Web site.
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