Organization tips from the experts!
The “lazy days of summer” are far, far behind us and school is in full swing. Now is the time to do your homework and see if your house could use a little help in the organization department. Open that catch-all drawer…did you find an electric bill from 2007? Peek in your closet, can you find the pair of shoes you’re searching for without a map and compass? What about your linen closet, could your child build a fort for the entire neighborhood with all the sheets and towels you’ve stuffed in there? As overwhelming as organizing these nooks and crannies can seem, we’ve found the best tips from the experts to help you divide and conquer these pesky projects (and then some!) that have gone unattended since spring!
President of National Association of Professional Organizers, John Trosko gives strategies for optimizing your closet space:
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- Organizing your closet should be a continual practice, not a one-time episode. Break it down into smaller steps so you don’t get overwhelmed
- Because there are tons of ways to organize a closet, John tells us instead of pulling everything out of the closet, split the organizing into small tasks (top shelf, bottom shelf, closet rods, drawers, etc.). As you’re going through your belongings, categorize items together.
- All of your clothes should have a purpose for today and tomorrow–not yesterday. Set up bins to keep, donate, trash, mend and recycle. And, because you will undoubtedly come across items that need to be returned to their proper home, you need to make a bin for that too. Because you don’t want these relocations to distract you, it’s important not to return them while you’re organizing (a classic mistake which undermines your organizing mission).
- Once you’re done organizing, make a list of containers you’ll need for your slimmer closet. Some that John can’t live without; clothes hamper, shelf dividers, sewing kit, jars for buttons and several large containers for rotating seasonal clothing.
- Once you’re done organizing, John mentions that you might want to primp your closet and invest in a few optional decorative touches. Paint, new lights, and arranging items by color will help unify the visual look of your new space.
- The most important step in the organizing process is maintenance. John notes that you must follow the habit of tidying everyday to maintain your new space. He finds that it’s best to tidy prior to laundry day or during seasonal changes–your closet is somewhat emptier and you have space to move around.
Family Circle Magazine suggests these helpful tips for taming the avalanche of sheets and towels in your linen closet
- Limit yourself to two sets of sheets for each bed (store backups elsewhere)
- As for towels, keep three sets per family member (tops) in the closet
- If the coat closet is your problem spot, keep its contents in active rotation. Hang only in-season coats on the rod. Put extras in large plastic bins on the top shelf, or move them into spare closets. Put gloves, hats, and a lint brush in an over-the-door shoe holder.
Family Circle Magazine helps you junk the “junk” in your catch-all drawers
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- First empty and clean it
- Toss what isn’t worth saving and find a more appropriate spot for things (such as phone chargers)
- Come up with the best use for the drawer—scissors, spare batteries, and receipts, perhaps? Arrange the contents in a modular drawer organizer. These components come in a variety of lengths and widths, so you can find the perfect configuration for even the smallest spaces. To keep things from shifting, cut a rubber drawer liner to fit underneath.
- Martha Stewart suggests these tips for decorating/organizing children’s school schedules and projects
- Magnetic Lunch Chart – kids may be more likely to eat their lunch if they help choose the menu. When they use this magnetic chart to map out their meals for the week, it saves time and helps make grocery shopping easier.
- Create Study Center – allow kids to complete their homework at the kitchen table while you finish dinner. There’s no need to worry about them becoming distracted, because this homemade study center fashioned from cardboard will keep them focused even in the busiest of rooms.
- Art-Project Storage – preserve the artwork of budding young artists with these tips: Label mailing tubes, available at office-supply stores, by semester or year, and fill with rolled-up stacks of artwork, or showcase the pieces with the help of a large collage display.