How to Organize and Declutter Your Home
How to Organize and Declutter Your Home By
Martina L. Stuart
h ttp://ww w.Your Websit eLinkG oes Here.c om
Graph ic Goes Here (Opti ona l)
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
NOTICE: You Do NOT Have the Right to Reprint or Resell this Report! You Also MAY NOT Give Away, Sell or Share the Content Herein If you obtained this report from anywhere other than http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com , you have a pirated copy. Please help stop Internet crime by reporting this to: mailto:[email protected]
© 2010 Copyright Martina L. Stuart
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author. DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update his opinion based on the new conditions. The report is for informational purposes only. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this report, neither the author nor his affilia tes/partners assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a fully qualified professional should be sought. This report is not intended for use as a source of legal or accounting advice. You should be aware of any laws which govern business transactions or other business practices in your country and state.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 2
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Foreword I do not usually get a lot of visitors at home, save for some of those who come knocking on your door, offering you all sorts of gadgets. Maybe I just got so used to seeing all the clutter in my home, I do not think there is any. Maybe I just got so busy and pre-occupied with work, I hardly even notice the entire scatter around me, I don’t know. I’m a sentimental type of person. Every little thing given to me as a present, I would keep even if I do not really need it. I always thought, someday, it would come in handy, so better keep it on hand than to lose it later. The recent visit from a friend became an eye opener for me. We have not seen each other for three years since she lived abroad with her husband. The last time she stepped into my home was when she helped me organized the place when I moved in. As soon as she stepped into my front door, she was like, “Whoa! What happened? Obviously, a lot of things changed while I was gone, and I mean A LOT!” I know it’s impossible to have a 100% clutter-free home but at this time, my only goal is to know where to start, how to get started and how to maintain any decluttering success I made. In this report, I wrote about my success in one of the major re-organization I made with my home and how I did it. It involved several planning and putting them into writing before I got myself started. Readers, I hope you also find the insights, tips and advices useful in your lives especially if you think you are facing a major problem on the current state of your home. I wish for you to enjoy reading it page by page to the end. Cheers,
MARTINA L. STUART
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 3
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Introduction Clutter does not always mean the lack of organization or of poor habits. Sometimes, the rate at which we acquire things can also contribute to the clutter around the house. Small tokens and presents given during special occasions may cause our home to beco me a little too crowded for comfort. Sometimes, our attachment to certain things leaves a feeling of difficulty for us to let go of those things. However, there comes a point in our lives when we have to make a decision on each item we possess, whether to let go or to let it stay for keeps. Organizers and home professionals recommend that you schedule your decluttering act ivity at least once a year. Doing some minor re-organization and decluttering on small areas of the house three times a year can also benefit you in the long run. You can’t imagine how much time it could save you on your major decluttering act ivity when you do some minor regular reorganizations. You’ll have enough clothes to start your own second-hand business especially if there are four or more of you at home. Based on surveys, the average household owns twice as much eat ing and cooking utensil than they should have. This shows that any part of the house would need decluttering anytime, not just your closet or your bookshelf. Learn to remove items from your home. Change your mentality that you can save a lot in the future if your try to store everything you have acquired over the years. It does not necessarily apply to all things you own. Chances are the clothes you are keeping now at the back of your closet will not be of interest to you anymore when the fad returns.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 4
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Do no t hold on to anything and everything from the past. Some things should stay, while some should go. It is a part of our letting go process, and thus, a part of our gro wth as a person.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 5
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
How Do I Get Started? Getting started with decluttering and cleaning up is the hardest part of achieving your goal. If you find your entire home and not just a cupboard needs cleaning up, you are at a loss on where to start and what to do first. If you find these issues challenging your mind, try starting from the smallest, less cluttered part of your home. You need to start with manageable, easy to achieve goals. It can motivate you to go on with bigger, longer and more complicated tasks at hand.
Power Tip: Add more motivation to your activity. Plan a reward for every task you finish. Write this down on a piece of paper before starting.
It could be a nice, relaxing massage, a bottle of wine, a delicious dinner, or anything you As atogeneral rule follow simple love do when you wantthese to relax andguidelines: unwind.
The smaller, the simpler, the better. Decluttering a big room in your house and succeeding on your task seem a very fulfilling idea. However, if you target on cleaning up the whole house, avoid starting out too big. Should you not be able to finish decluttering a big room, you would end up not wanting to continue with future tasks later.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 6
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Do not pull out everything out at once . Just like a closet full of clutter, hauling everything out seems a lot tempting. However, avoid doing this or it may overwhelm you. Deal with smaller sections one at a time. I used to be guilty of doing that every time I want to re-arrange my closet. I usually haul everything out before I start folding them again and putting them back inside. Aside from being tedious job, it is also a complete waste of time. It doubles all the work you have.
Take a break. Decluttering can be done throughout the day if you are aiming for a general cleaning. However, take a break in between 30 to 45 minutes increments. Do something fun during your break.
Power Tips: Hidden areas of the house that needs decluttering also include:
-
Medicine cabinets
-
Closets
-
Basements, attics, storage area and crawlspace
-
Junk drawers
-
Garage
-
outdoors
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 7
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Before starting your decluttering activity, have the following things ready:
Four rigid, sturdy big boxes or container It can be anything from laundry baskets, wooden crates, plastic crates as long as it can carry a lot of stuff inside. Marking pens Use them to label your boxes or container. You can also write on a piece of paper and tape them later on to the containers. The labels should read: RECYCLE, GIVE AWAY, PUT AWAY, TRASH. Garbage bag You need to line your trash box or container with a garbage bag. You may also line the other four containers with the garbage bag for easy disposal. Timer You can’t all your time on one task at hand especially if you only have a day to finish the whole house. You need to limit each of your tasks so you can finish right on time.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 8
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
As soon as you picked the room you want to declutter:
4 Simple Startup Steps To Eliminating C lutter 1. Start decluttering from the door going clockwise. 2. Declutter the flat surfaces next. This includes tables, chairs, shelves, desks, counters and everything horizontal. 3. Declutter last the hidden areas. Open all drawers, closets, storage bins and other areas not outright visible as you enter the room. Surprisingly, drawers need a lot of decluttering too. I usually find my drawers full of tiny things ranging from a paper clip, bobby pin, hairclip, staple wires, to small screws. 4. Pick all the items you want to sort. Now it’s time to decide which box or container each item should go.
Power Tips:
Do not let the garbage bag sit inside your house for a long time.
Schedule three dumping times in a week. You can do it on intervals like M-W-F or T-Th-S. This will be enough to complete the dumping portion of your decluttering activity.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 9
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
The Sorting After gathering all the items you want sorted, the next step is to decide which box they should go. How do you know then if an item is a clutter or not? How do you determine if an item should go into the throw away box? Ask yourself the following questions:
Are you keeping an item thinking you might have for future use? How long since you last used the item? I sometimes buy things I don’t really need but since it went on sale, I thought I might buy it for future use. Oftentimes, it ends up staying in one corner of the house. If you cannot remember how long has it been since you last used the item, I th ink it’s time to put it in the “Give away” or “Put away” container.
Do you find the item useful to you? Do you often use the item?
If the item brings you some assistance take for example an old but working desk lamp, do not put it away no matter how old. However, if the changing days make it impossible to use the item, such as a traditional razor where you need to buy the traditional-looking blade (not the disposable ones), then it’s time to put it in the “Put Away” or “Trash” container.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 10
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Is the condition still working? Is the item broken, awaiting repair but you still do not have the money and the time to do it?
I used to have this cute little rechargeable electric fan I would carry around during hot, summer days. However recently, it just stopped working no matter if you fully charge it. I said I would take it somewhere for repair but never did get the chance. I decided to put it away as trash or else risk keeping another clutter around the house.
How many of a particular item do you need? If you have lots of a certain item, what do you do with the excess?
I did not have a bridal registry during our wedding, so I received a lot of duplicate items. We have three toasters at home. I use one of those and the other two; I just placed inside the kitchen cupboard since I haven’t really decided what to do with it. However, with the recent decluttering I made around the house, I decided to put the other one inside the “Give away” and the other inside the “Put away” container, just in case the one I’m currently using breaks down.
Do you need the information your item brings? Do you really need to keep it?
If there is one thing overflowing in our house, that would be books, lots of pocketbooks. We were raised as book lovers and during our younger years, my sister and I love to hunt for bargain books and bestselling books alike.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 11
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Even after I got married, I never had the heart to give it out away so I decided to keep it in my bookshelf. I guess it’s about time to give it away so other people may appreciate it as well.
Do you like the item or are you just keeping it because somebody special gave it to you? I must confess, not everything my mom gives me during Christmas are put to good use. I don’t know why, but she seems to love giving me sweaters and mittens every Christmas. Well, things change my tastes for fashion change, so I end up stuffing it at the ba ck of my closet. I decided to take it all out and put it inside the “Give away” container. A lot of homeless people will surely appreciate it when winter comes.
Do you keep the item as a reminder of all the good times you had or to remind you of one special person? I have this wine glass I kept all this years. It’s the one my dad used when he made a toast during my engagement party some 10 years ago. I could never forget all the sweet and endearing words he said to me. I had always been a Daddy’s girl and ever since he’s gone, I placed it with the other trinkets in my bric-a-brac and decorated it with colored stones. However it means so much to me, I decided to put it away.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 12
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Are you keeping the item because of guilt?
I bought this ultra expensive evening gown and I have been keeping it ever since. Though I seldom use it nowadays, I had trouble giving it away because I spent so much money on it. I finally decided to give it to my sister who is fonder of dinner and cocktails and fine dining. That way, I could still borrow it once in a while.
It helps you save time if you add another box for items you are still ”undecided” of. Since you haven’t got all day to decide whether to toss or to keep a particular item, just put it in an “undecided” box. However, keep in mind, you can only put one item inside the “undecided” box for every 10 items you successfully sort into the other boxes. That way, you can control the number of items you place inside the undecided box.
If I keep the item, would I be able to clean it? I’m a busy woman; I have a career, two children and a house to manage. I own several big home decors such as porcelain statues. I love them seeing them around the living room and some in the dining area but admittedly, I could not clean it regularly, so it goes inside the “put away” container.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 13
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Do I have a space to store the item?
I have spaces allotted for my precious statues. However, as the family got bigger and bigger, some things have to go to give way for more important things.
Does it get in the way of other things? Definitely, if you need to move an item or shuffle several items in order to get what you want, it’s high time to put away those items. It will just create more clutter every time you shuffle it around.
Does it bring a special use other than just look pretty?
Home accessories can spice up an otherwise boring home but there should be a limit to it. They are there to enhance your home, but if they get too crowded, they make a room appear full of clutter.
Will I still be interested in it after six months?
You must ask this question before buying an item in the first place. But if you are the type to indulge in impulse buying once in a while, that leaves you no choice but to pack it away or give it to charity. For the sake of saving yourself a lot of money, try contemplating on whether you really need to buy the item or not.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 14
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Am I willing to pack and unpack the item if ever we move in a couple of years? Luckily, I don’t need to go through this, at least not anytime soon. But for those whose jobs or their spouse’s jobs take them to several places, lose all the non-essential things, unless you want to pack large home decors and duplicate appliances.
After you have done sorting all items in one room, take the garbage bag lining out of the “trash” container. Do the same for the rest of the four bags and put away for a while to be dealt with later. Do the same for the other rooms you want to declutter.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 15
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Attacking Your Wardrobe I like to stay in fashion; so naturally, I always update my wardrobe with the latest style. I am not really particular about signature clothes and items; I even buy my clothes from thrift shops and flea markets. I always end up with twice as much clothes as my husband has so I really have to declutter our closet regularly since we both share a big built-in closet.
2 A closet be fore be ing dec lutte red
Photo c redit: Apreche
Crowded but neatly piled clothes are still okay for me, if you ask my opinion. However, if you are on a morning rush, not finding a piece of clothing you are looking for can be a pain, not to mention, it can really ruin a day. It can leave you annoyed and frustrated. It may even cause you to purchase unnecessary clothing or it can
1 Afte r be ing decluttered
leave your clothes especially those with special care instructions poorly cared for.
Photo c redit: Liz (perspicacious.org)
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 16
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Power Tips: To fold towels fold lengthwise into three parts. Fold into a perfect square .Pile neatly and store. To store sheets and pillowcase sets, fold the sheet neatly and put inside the matching pillow case. Tablecloths and runners are quite bulky. To free up space in your closet, you can hang them over the towel rack on the back of the closet door. Bulky linen such as winter blankets should be kept at the topmost part of your linen closet. Same goes for out of season items. Towels and kitchen linens can be placed in the middle part of the closet.
Decluttering your closet should be made separately from decluttering other parts of your bedroom. Here are few simple steps to do it:
1. Have four boxes ready. One box should be for clothes that you won’t be using anymore. Label it “for Charity / Donation”.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 17
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
The other box should be for seasonal items you would be using when the right season comes. Label them “Seasonal Items”. If you want to be more meticulous, you can separate each piece of clothing according to season. Don’t forget to label each box. This box or boxes should be then put away on another part of the house where you can still retrieve them. The third would be for clothes that needed “Mending or Repair”. These are the items whose hems needed fixing, missing a button or two and has minor tears that do not really need professional skills. However, if the damage in the item cannot be repaired or paying for repair is far more expensive than buying a new one, it is time to throw them in the “Discard” pile.
2. Take out everything you want to sort out of your closet. These items will be washed, ironed and mended (if needed). I’m sure you have also experienced taking out your old clothes from the closet and found yourself staring out at some nasty yellowish stains. Sometimes, these stains come off after washing, other unfortunately don’t. If you really care for that piece of clothing and you are willing to spend a few dollars on it, try taking it for dry cleaning. Some stains not removed by ordinary washing can be done by dry cleaning. After washing or dry cleaning, iron or steam clothes only if indicated on care instructions.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 18
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
It would be eas ier for you to assess where the item should go after you’ve seen permanent stains, wrinkles, shrinking or even tears and broken zippers.
Power Tips: Thoroughly cleaned and unused suitcases are one of the best storage containers available at home. They can be used to store seasonal items such as bulky winter clothing. Be sure to line with acid-free tissue before storing items. Avoid using cardboard boxes as temporary storage. They attract more bugs than plastic containers. To keep bugs out of your closet, line it with cedar blocks. Avoid using mothballs especially if you have young children at home. Mothballs are deadly when ingested.
3. Evaluate your clothing needs. By now, the only clothing items left in your closet should be wearable items. The “mending or repair”, “charity or donation” and the “discard” boxes should have been taken away. All that is left at this point should be the “Seasonal” box (es). As soon as you start returning your clothes, evaluate each of the items whether they are for work, casual days, workout days, or party. Items belonging on the same classification are easier to manage when grouped or piled together. They tend to be eas ier to find.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 19
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
All items which you fail to use a few years or so, should be inside the “donation” box. They could anywhere be between items that do not fit anymore, items that went out of style or items that do not coordinate with the rest of your wardrobe. I used to have around six pairs of denim jeans. It took quite a space inside the closet, when I took all six jeans out, I sorted those that I think were still in style and then I discarded about two pairs for being outdated. At least, the reduction in th e number of items gave way for brand new, more fashionable ones. Aside from clothes per se, try sorting you accessories such as belts, scarves, ties, and handbags. Discard all unused items in the pile.
4. Make a list of clothes you need to buy. After discarding pieces of clothing, several items may be needed. For instance, my pretty white skirt needs two to three different tops. After cleaning out my closet, all three tops I used to match with this white skirt were thrown away due to stains and some badly needed mending. I recall feeling excited about making my shopping list. I mean, who wouldn’t be, right? However, do not just walk in on some dainty-looking department store on any time and day you want. That shopping list you have must be kept inside your handbag and must be carried at all t imes. Shop only when stores are on sale or you see some really neat thrift or surplus shops selling very affordable clothes.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 20
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Keep your shopping to those items found in the list. If ever you decide to go shopping for items not on your list, you risk adding clutter to your otherwise organized closet even before you pay for them.
Power Tips: Keep a few dollars together with your shopping list. It must be enough to buy all the pieces of clothing you need. Estimate a specific amount for the whole list. When the time comes when you find yourself in the middle of a bazaar or clearance sale, use this money for your purchases. That way, you won’t be opening your wallet and you would not be tempted to use your credit card or spend a few dollar s on some extra clothing.
5. What to do with the “Charity / Donation”? Those items you placed inside the “Charity / Donation” boxes should go to charity such as your local nursing home or shelter. However, if you want to hit two birds with one stone and you feel like earning a few dollars out of your declutter items, organize a garage sale or a yard sale. Aside from those items, include other items you discarded from other areas of the house. Consider giving your unused clothing to family and some closed friends. Other people may be more grateful to use them rather than keep them or throw them away.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 21
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Closets and wardrobe cabinets need a lot of decluttering. Based on my experience, I declutter my closet once every six months. This saves me a lot of time and money looking for the piece of clothing I want.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 22
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Living an Organized and Clutter-free Life There are times in my life when I suddenly realize I need to keep everything more organized than it really is. Although most of the time, I end up going back to the same old me, busy and disorganized.
You will be amazed at how spacious a clutter-free room is after the
I know a clutter-free home will keep everybody more
reorganization.
Photo Credit: Rubbermaid Products
relaxed and less stressful at home. It can, in an indirect way, affect relat ionships at home.
If there is one thing I have learned with this whole decluttering experience, it is running a well-organized home while improving your characteristic as a person.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 23
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
In order to run a clutter-free life, you need to be all or at least one of these characteristics:
Avoid being a junk–lover. I don’t consider myself a junk-lover, not really. But I know somebody who depicts the true sense of the word, my mom. She keeps everything from old clothes way back in the 80s, shoes, souvenirs from each trip she had with my Dad, tokens given to her; just about everything.
When I was young, I admired her for coming up with things we need at school such as costumes and materials for art projects. However, when I grew up and had a home myself, I came to realize it’s not a very good thing at all to keep everything you had in your home some 10 or 15 years ago. Some things just have to go.
Clear everything you have not used for more than six months. Chances are, you have not even remembered you own such an item, right? Things such as old candles, old make-ups, unopened canned goods, year-old condiments and other things you can find inside hidden areas should be thrown away. If you still think an item should stay, find a way to recycle it.
Be a regular declutterer.
Most of us only resolve to declutter our home the first time we do it. I know, because I am like that t oo. The moment a few months have passed, we forget about what we have promised.
To keep yourself from forgetting a constant, monthly task, write it down in your planner, calendar or put a sticky note somewhere you can see all the time such as your bathroom mirror or dresser. You need to do some clean up once every two months. Employ the help of your husband or children to remind you to do it on the scheduled date. It would be much better if they can also help you during your house clean up.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 24
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
System is the key to organization. One thing me and my family always need to look for often are keys – key to the main door, key to the basement, key to the storage room and even key to the car.
To keep it more organized, I placed a peg right at the side of our main door. That way, we will be able to find the keys easily as soon as we enter the house or on our way out of the house (if looking for the car key).
A particular warning though, all duplicate keys must not be kept together with the original ones. Keep the duplicate keys somewhere safe such as a bedside drawer. It always comes in handy when somebody loses the original one.
File all paperwork and important documents.
Just like in the office, I find having a filing cabinet right at home convenient to manage my files easily. I bought a steel filing cabinet to store important documents such as land title, mortgage papers, certificates to recent invoices and official receipts (within the year).
You need to keep your life and financial documents safely since it is quite hard to obtain a copy if ever the original one got lost. It might cost you money and definitely time and effort to request for another copy.
A steel cabinet or at least a sturdy one can help protect your documents in case of fire. Be sure to keep it someplace where you can easily move it in case of emergency.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 25
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Make it a habit to donate to charity. Give your family’s old clothes and toys to orphanage or social welfare organizations. Give your CDs to your neighbor’s teenage son. I don’t think you would be planning on watching each CD or DVD copy you own. Besides, the Internet just makes everything easy. You can always download a movie if you want to watch it (or watch it again).
Power Tips: When folding items inside the “Keep Away” box, heavy items should go to the bottom most part while the lightest should be on top of the pile. Stack items loosely so air can still circulate. This will prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Avoid storing clothes in plastic bags where air cannot circulate freely. A good storage area must be CLEAN, DRY, COOL and DARK. A clean and dry area will prevent mold and mildew growth. A dark area, on the other hand, will keep clothes from fading due to exposure to sunlight. It also keeps the area cool since it is not exposed to the heat of the sun.
File and compile.
My Dad used to cut news articles and magazine clips of some new recipe he finds in what he is reading. He would then put it somewhere next to where we put our scratch pad and pen on the counter. It would accumulate over the years and sometimes, our scratch pad holder becomes a paper weight for all those clippings.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 26
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
To keep news and magazine clippings scattering everywhere, put it inside a clear file folder where you can easily browse through it if you need it. This way, you can easily store them somewhere such as the filing cabinet you have at home or maybe in your book shelf.
My decluttering and house cleaning lasted for a whole full day. Luckily, my friend was there to help me out. She helped me keep things organized while we do the cleaning. She also entertained me with a lot of her stories from living abroad. I never really noticed the time. Luckily, we always set the timer for each room, so when it sets off, we only have five minutes to wrap everything up before moving on to the next part of the house. My friend and I agreed we will be driving some of my family’s used clothing, toys and books to nearest social welfare in our town. The rest of the “give away” items which were too bulky, were kept in the storage room in the meantime. We talked about hosting a garage sale in our neighborhood sometime next week. Since it has been a long time since she was back, we would want to invite our other friends to join our garage sale. It would be some sort of a gettogether for us. I decided right then and there to make it a regular event to organize a garage sale a few weeks after my scheduled decluttering act ivity. I’ll then make it a point to invite all of my friends during the said event. It would be fun seeing my friends around plus I also get to earn few extra incomes for my family.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 27
Martina L. Stuart
h ttp://ww w.Your Websit eLinkG oes Here.c om
Graph ic Goes Here (Opti ona l)
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
NOTICE: You Do NOT Have the Right to Reprint or Resell this Report! You Also MAY NOT Give Away, Sell or Share the Content Herein If you obtained this report from anywhere other than http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com , you have a pirated copy. Please help stop Internet crime by reporting this to: mailto:[email protected]
© 2010 Copyright Martina L. Stuart
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author. DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update his opinion based on the new conditions. The report is for informational purposes only. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this report, neither the author nor his affilia tes/partners assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a fully qualified professional should be sought. This report is not intended for use as a source of legal or accounting advice. You should be aware of any laws which govern business transactions or other business practices in your country and state.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 2
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Foreword I do not usually get a lot of visitors at home, save for some of those who come knocking on your door, offering you all sorts of gadgets. Maybe I just got so used to seeing all the clutter in my home, I do not think there is any. Maybe I just got so busy and pre-occupied with work, I hardly even notice the entire scatter around me, I don’t know. I’m a sentimental type of person. Every little thing given to me as a present, I would keep even if I do not really need it. I always thought, someday, it would come in handy, so better keep it on hand than to lose it later. The recent visit from a friend became an eye opener for me. We have not seen each other for three years since she lived abroad with her husband. The last time she stepped into my home was when she helped me organized the place when I moved in. As soon as she stepped into my front door, she was like, “Whoa! What happened? Obviously, a lot of things changed while I was gone, and I mean A LOT!” I know it’s impossible to have a 100% clutter-free home but at this time, my only goal is to know where to start, how to get started and how to maintain any decluttering success I made. In this report, I wrote about my success in one of the major re-organization I made with my home and how I did it. It involved several planning and putting them into writing before I got myself started. Readers, I hope you also find the insights, tips and advices useful in your lives especially if you think you are facing a major problem on the current state of your home. I wish for you to enjoy reading it page by page to the end. Cheers,
MARTINA L. STUART
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 3
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Introduction Clutter does not always mean the lack of organization or of poor habits. Sometimes, the rate at which we acquire things can also contribute to the clutter around the house. Small tokens and presents given during special occasions may cause our home to beco me a little too crowded for comfort. Sometimes, our attachment to certain things leaves a feeling of difficulty for us to let go of those things. However, there comes a point in our lives when we have to make a decision on each item we possess, whether to let go or to let it stay for keeps. Organizers and home professionals recommend that you schedule your decluttering act ivity at least once a year. Doing some minor re-organization and decluttering on small areas of the house three times a year can also benefit you in the long run. You can’t imagine how much time it could save you on your major decluttering act ivity when you do some minor regular reorganizations. You’ll have enough clothes to start your own second-hand business especially if there are four or more of you at home. Based on surveys, the average household owns twice as much eat ing and cooking utensil than they should have. This shows that any part of the house would need decluttering anytime, not just your closet or your bookshelf. Learn to remove items from your home. Change your mentality that you can save a lot in the future if your try to store everything you have acquired over the years. It does not necessarily apply to all things you own. Chances are the clothes you are keeping now at the back of your closet will not be of interest to you anymore when the fad returns.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 4
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Do no t hold on to anything and everything from the past. Some things should stay, while some should go. It is a part of our letting go process, and thus, a part of our gro wth as a person.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 5
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
How Do I Get Started? Getting started with decluttering and cleaning up is the hardest part of achieving your goal. If you find your entire home and not just a cupboard needs cleaning up, you are at a loss on where to start and what to do first. If you find these issues challenging your mind, try starting from the smallest, less cluttered part of your home. You need to start with manageable, easy to achieve goals. It can motivate you to go on with bigger, longer and more complicated tasks at hand.
Power Tip: Add more motivation to your activity. Plan a reward for every task you finish. Write this down on a piece of paper before starting.
It could be a nice, relaxing massage, a bottle of wine, a delicious dinner, or anything you As atogeneral rule follow simple love do when you wantthese to relax andguidelines: unwind.
The smaller, the simpler, the better. Decluttering a big room in your house and succeeding on your task seem a very fulfilling idea. However, if you target on cleaning up the whole house, avoid starting out too big. Should you not be able to finish decluttering a big room, you would end up not wanting to continue with future tasks later.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 6
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Do not pull out everything out at once . Just like a closet full of clutter, hauling everything out seems a lot tempting. However, avoid doing this or it may overwhelm you. Deal with smaller sections one at a time. I used to be guilty of doing that every time I want to re-arrange my closet. I usually haul everything out before I start folding them again and putting them back inside. Aside from being tedious job, it is also a complete waste of time. It doubles all the work you have.
Take a break. Decluttering can be done throughout the day if you are aiming for a general cleaning. However, take a break in between 30 to 45 minutes increments. Do something fun during your break.
Power Tips: Hidden areas of the house that needs decluttering also include:
-
Medicine cabinets
-
Closets
-
Basements, attics, storage area and crawlspace
-
Junk drawers
-
Garage
-
outdoors
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 7
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Before starting your decluttering activity, have the following things ready:
Four rigid, sturdy big boxes or container It can be anything from laundry baskets, wooden crates, plastic crates as long as it can carry a lot of stuff inside. Marking pens Use them to label your boxes or container. You can also write on a piece of paper and tape them later on to the containers. The labels should read: RECYCLE, GIVE AWAY, PUT AWAY, TRASH. Garbage bag You need to line your trash box or container with a garbage bag. You may also line the other four containers with the garbage bag for easy disposal. Timer You can’t all your time on one task at hand especially if you only have a day to finish the whole house. You need to limit each of your tasks so you can finish right on time.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 8
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
As soon as you picked the room you want to declutter:
4 Simple Startup Steps To Eliminating C lutter 1. Start decluttering from the door going clockwise. 2. Declutter the flat surfaces next. This includes tables, chairs, shelves, desks, counters and everything horizontal. 3. Declutter last the hidden areas. Open all drawers, closets, storage bins and other areas not outright visible as you enter the room. Surprisingly, drawers need a lot of decluttering too. I usually find my drawers full of tiny things ranging from a paper clip, bobby pin, hairclip, staple wires, to small screws. 4. Pick all the items you want to sort. Now it’s time to decide which box or container each item should go.
Power Tips:
Do not let the garbage bag sit inside your house for a long time.
Schedule three dumping times in a week. You can do it on intervals like M-W-F or T-Th-S. This will be enough to complete the dumping portion of your decluttering activity.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 9
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
The Sorting After gathering all the items you want sorted, the next step is to decide which box they should go. How do you know then if an item is a clutter or not? How do you determine if an item should go into the throw away box? Ask yourself the following questions:
Are you keeping an item thinking you might have for future use? How long since you last used the item? I sometimes buy things I don’t really need but since it went on sale, I thought I might buy it for future use. Oftentimes, it ends up staying in one corner of the house. If you cannot remember how long has it been since you last used the item, I th ink it’s time to put it in the “Give away” or “Put away” container.
Do you find the item useful to you? Do you often use the item?
If the item brings you some assistance take for example an old but working desk lamp, do not put it away no matter how old. However, if the changing days make it impossible to use the item, such as a traditional razor where you need to buy the traditional-looking blade (not the disposable ones), then it’s time to put it in the “Put Away” or “Trash” container.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 10
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Is the condition still working? Is the item broken, awaiting repair but you still do not have the money and the time to do it?
I used to have this cute little rechargeable electric fan I would carry around during hot, summer days. However recently, it just stopped working no matter if you fully charge it. I said I would take it somewhere for repair but never did get the chance. I decided to put it away as trash or else risk keeping another clutter around the house.
How many of a particular item do you need? If you have lots of a certain item, what do you do with the excess?
I did not have a bridal registry during our wedding, so I received a lot of duplicate items. We have three toasters at home. I use one of those and the other two; I just placed inside the kitchen cupboard since I haven’t really decided what to do with it. However, with the recent decluttering I made around the house, I decided to put the other one inside the “Give away” and the other inside the “Put away” container, just in case the one I’m currently using breaks down.
Do you need the information your item brings? Do you really need to keep it?
If there is one thing overflowing in our house, that would be books, lots of pocketbooks. We were raised as book lovers and during our younger years, my sister and I love to hunt for bargain books and bestselling books alike.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 11
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Even after I got married, I never had the heart to give it out away so I decided to keep it in my bookshelf. I guess it’s about time to give it away so other people may appreciate it as well.
Do you like the item or are you just keeping it because somebody special gave it to you? I must confess, not everything my mom gives me during Christmas are put to good use. I don’t know why, but she seems to love giving me sweaters and mittens every Christmas. Well, things change my tastes for fashion change, so I end up stuffing it at the ba ck of my closet. I decided to take it all out and put it inside the “Give away” container. A lot of homeless people will surely appreciate it when winter comes.
Do you keep the item as a reminder of all the good times you had or to remind you of one special person? I have this wine glass I kept all this years. It’s the one my dad used when he made a toast during my engagement party some 10 years ago. I could never forget all the sweet and endearing words he said to me. I had always been a Daddy’s girl and ever since he’s gone, I placed it with the other trinkets in my bric-a-brac and decorated it with colored stones. However it means so much to me, I decided to put it away.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 12
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Are you keeping the item because of guilt?
I bought this ultra expensive evening gown and I have been keeping it ever since. Though I seldom use it nowadays, I had trouble giving it away because I spent so much money on it. I finally decided to give it to my sister who is fonder of dinner and cocktails and fine dining. That way, I could still borrow it once in a while.
It helps you save time if you add another box for items you are still ”undecided” of. Since you haven’t got all day to decide whether to toss or to keep a particular item, just put it in an “undecided” box. However, keep in mind, you can only put one item inside the “undecided” box for every 10 items you successfully sort into the other boxes. That way, you can control the number of items you place inside the undecided box.
If I keep the item, would I be able to clean it? I’m a busy woman; I have a career, two children and a house to manage. I own several big home decors such as porcelain statues. I love them seeing them around the living room and some in the dining area but admittedly, I could not clean it regularly, so it goes inside the “put away” container.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 13
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Do I have a space to store the item?
I have spaces allotted for my precious statues. However, as the family got bigger and bigger, some things have to go to give way for more important things.
Does it get in the way of other things? Definitely, if you need to move an item or shuffle several items in order to get what you want, it’s high time to put away those items. It will just create more clutter every time you shuffle it around.
Does it bring a special use other than just look pretty?
Home accessories can spice up an otherwise boring home but there should be a limit to it. They are there to enhance your home, but if they get too crowded, they make a room appear full of clutter.
Will I still be interested in it after six months?
You must ask this question before buying an item in the first place. But if you are the type to indulge in impulse buying once in a while, that leaves you no choice but to pack it away or give it to charity. For the sake of saving yourself a lot of money, try contemplating on whether you really need to buy the item or not.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 14
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Am I willing to pack and unpack the item if ever we move in a couple of years? Luckily, I don’t need to go through this, at least not anytime soon. But for those whose jobs or their spouse’s jobs take them to several places, lose all the non-essential things, unless you want to pack large home decors and duplicate appliances.
After you have done sorting all items in one room, take the garbage bag lining out of the “trash” container. Do the same for the rest of the four bags and put away for a while to be dealt with later. Do the same for the other rooms you want to declutter.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 15
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Attacking Your Wardrobe I like to stay in fashion; so naturally, I always update my wardrobe with the latest style. I am not really particular about signature clothes and items; I even buy my clothes from thrift shops and flea markets. I always end up with twice as much clothes as my husband has so I really have to declutter our closet regularly since we both share a big built-in closet.
2 A closet be fore be ing dec lutte red
Photo c redit: Apreche
Crowded but neatly piled clothes are still okay for me, if you ask my opinion. However, if you are on a morning rush, not finding a piece of clothing you are looking for can be a pain, not to mention, it can really ruin a day. It can leave you annoyed and frustrated. It may even cause you to purchase unnecessary clothing or it can
1 Afte r be ing decluttered
leave your clothes especially those with special care instructions poorly cared for.
Photo c redit: Liz (perspicacious.org)
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 16
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Power Tips: To fold towels fold lengthwise into three parts. Fold into a perfect square .Pile neatly and store. To store sheets and pillowcase sets, fold the sheet neatly and put inside the matching pillow case. Tablecloths and runners are quite bulky. To free up space in your closet, you can hang them over the towel rack on the back of the closet door. Bulky linen such as winter blankets should be kept at the topmost part of your linen closet. Same goes for out of season items. Towels and kitchen linens can be placed in the middle part of the closet.
Decluttering your closet should be made separately from decluttering other parts of your bedroom. Here are few simple steps to do it:
1. Have four boxes ready. One box should be for clothes that you won’t be using anymore. Label it “for Charity / Donation”.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 17
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
The other box should be for seasonal items you would be using when the right season comes. Label them “Seasonal Items”. If you want to be more meticulous, you can separate each piece of clothing according to season. Don’t forget to label each box. This box or boxes should be then put away on another part of the house where you can still retrieve them. The third would be for clothes that needed “Mending or Repair”. These are the items whose hems needed fixing, missing a button or two and has minor tears that do not really need professional skills. However, if the damage in the item cannot be repaired or paying for repair is far more expensive than buying a new one, it is time to throw them in the “Discard” pile.
2. Take out everything you want to sort out of your closet. These items will be washed, ironed and mended (if needed). I’m sure you have also experienced taking out your old clothes from the closet and found yourself staring out at some nasty yellowish stains. Sometimes, these stains come off after washing, other unfortunately don’t. If you really care for that piece of clothing and you are willing to spend a few dollars on it, try taking it for dry cleaning. Some stains not removed by ordinary washing can be done by dry cleaning. After washing or dry cleaning, iron or steam clothes only if indicated on care instructions.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 18
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
It would be eas ier for you to assess where the item should go after you’ve seen permanent stains, wrinkles, shrinking or even tears and broken zippers.
Power Tips: Thoroughly cleaned and unused suitcases are one of the best storage containers available at home. They can be used to store seasonal items such as bulky winter clothing. Be sure to line with acid-free tissue before storing items. Avoid using cardboard boxes as temporary storage. They attract more bugs than plastic containers. To keep bugs out of your closet, line it with cedar blocks. Avoid using mothballs especially if you have young children at home. Mothballs are deadly when ingested.
3. Evaluate your clothing needs. By now, the only clothing items left in your closet should be wearable items. The “mending or repair”, “charity or donation” and the “discard” boxes should have been taken away. All that is left at this point should be the “Seasonal” box (es). As soon as you start returning your clothes, evaluate each of the items whether they are for work, casual days, workout days, or party. Items belonging on the same classification are easier to manage when grouped or piled together. They tend to be eas ier to find.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 19
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
All items which you fail to use a few years or so, should be inside the “donation” box. They could anywhere be between items that do not fit anymore, items that went out of style or items that do not coordinate with the rest of your wardrobe. I used to have around six pairs of denim jeans. It took quite a space inside the closet, when I took all six jeans out, I sorted those that I think were still in style and then I discarded about two pairs for being outdated. At least, the reduction in th e number of items gave way for brand new, more fashionable ones. Aside from clothes per se, try sorting you accessories such as belts, scarves, ties, and handbags. Discard all unused items in the pile.
4. Make a list of clothes you need to buy. After discarding pieces of clothing, several items may be needed. For instance, my pretty white skirt needs two to three different tops. After cleaning out my closet, all three tops I used to match with this white skirt were thrown away due to stains and some badly needed mending. I recall feeling excited about making my shopping list. I mean, who wouldn’t be, right? However, do not just walk in on some dainty-looking department store on any time and day you want. That shopping list you have must be kept inside your handbag and must be carried at all t imes. Shop only when stores are on sale or you see some really neat thrift or surplus shops selling very affordable clothes.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 20
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Keep your shopping to those items found in the list. If ever you decide to go shopping for items not on your list, you risk adding clutter to your otherwise organized closet even before you pay for them.
Power Tips: Keep a few dollars together with your shopping list. It must be enough to buy all the pieces of clothing you need. Estimate a specific amount for the whole list. When the time comes when you find yourself in the middle of a bazaar or clearance sale, use this money for your purchases. That way, you won’t be opening your wallet and you would not be tempted to use your credit card or spend a few dollar s on some extra clothing.
5. What to do with the “Charity / Donation”? Those items you placed inside the “Charity / Donation” boxes should go to charity such as your local nursing home or shelter. However, if you want to hit two birds with one stone and you feel like earning a few dollars out of your declutter items, organize a garage sale or a yard sale. Aside from those items, include other items you discarded from other areas of the house. Consider giving your unused clothing to family and some closed friends. Other people may be more grateful to use them rather than keep them or throw them away.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 21
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Closets and wardrobe cabinets need a lot of decluttering. Based on my experience, I declutter my closet once every six months. This saves me a lot of time and money looking for the piece of clothing I want.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 22
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Living an Organized and Clutter-free Life There are times in my life when I suddenly realize I need to keep everything more organized than it really is. Although most of the time, I end up going back to the same old me, busy and disorganized.
You will be amazed at how spacious a clutter-free room is after the
I know a clutter-free home will keep everybody more
reorganization.
Photo Credit: Rubbermaid Products
relaxed and less stressful at home. It can, in an indirect way, affect relat ionships at home.
If there is one thing I have learned with this whole decluttering experience, it is running a well-organized home while improving your characteristic as a person.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 23
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
In order to run a clutter-free life, you need to be all or at least one of these characteristics:
Avoid being a junk–lover. I don’t consider myself a junk-lover, not really. But I know somebody who depicts the true sense of the word, my mom. She keeps everything from old clothes way back in the 80s, shoes, souvenirs from each trip she had with my Dad, tokens given to her; just about everything.
When I was young, I admired her for coming up with things we need at school such as costumes and materials for art projects. However, when I grew up and had a home myself, I came to realize it’s not a very good thing at all to keep everything you had in your home some 10 or 15 years ago. Some things just have to go.
Clear everything you have not used for more than six months. Chances are, you have not even remembered you own such an item, right? Things such as old candles, old make-ups, unopened canned goods, year-old condiments and other things you can find inside hidden areas should be thrown away. If you still think an item should stay, find a way to recycle it.
Be a regular declutterer.
Most of us only resolve to declutter our home the first time we do it. I know, because I am like that t oo. The moment a few months have passed, we forget about what we have promised.
To keep yourself from forgetting a constant, monthly task, write it down in your planner, calendar or put a sticky note somewhere you can see all the time such as your bathroom mirror or dresser. You need to do some clean up once every two months. Employ the help of your husband or children to remind you to do it on the scheduled date. It would be much better if they can also help you during your house clean up.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 24
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
System is the key to organization. One thing me and my family always need to look for often are keys – key to the main door, key to the basement, key to the storage room and even key to the car.
To keep it more organized, I placed a peg right at the side of our main door. That way, we will be able to find the keys easily as soon as we enter the house or on our way out of the house (if looking for the car key).
A particular warning though, all duplicate keys must not be kept together with the original ones. Keep the duplicate keys somewhere safe such as a bedside drawer. It always comes in handy when somebody loses the original one.
File all paperwork and important documents.
Just like in the office, I find having a filing cabinet right at home convenient to manage my files easily. I bought a steel filing cabinet to store important documents such as land title, mortgage papers, certificates to recent invoices and official receipts (within the year).
You need to keep your life and financial documents safely since it is quite hard to obtain a copy if ever the original one got lost. It might cost you money and definitely time and effort to request for another copy.
A steel cabinet or at least a sturdy one can help protect your documents in case of fire. Be sure to keep it someplace where you can easily move it in case of emergency.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 25
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
Make it a habit to donate to charity. Give your family’s old clothes and toys to orphanage or social welfare organizations. Give your CDs to your neighbor’s teenage son. I don’t think you would be planning on watching each CD or DVD copy you own. Besides, the Internet just makes everything easy. You can always download a movie if you want to watch it (or watch it again).
Power Tips: When folding items inside the “Keep Away” box, heavy items should go to the bottom most part while the lightest should be on top of the pile. Stack items loosely so air can still circulate. This will prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Avoid storing clothes in plastic bags where air cannot circulate freely. A good storage area must be CLEAN, DRY, COOL and DARK. A clean and dry area will prevent mold and mildew growth. A dark area, on the other hand, will keep clothes from fading due to exposure to sunlight. It also keeps the area cool since it is not exposed to the heat of the sun.
File and compile.
My Dad used to cut news articles and magazine clips of some new recipe he finds in what he is reading. He would then put it somewhere next to where we put our scratch pad and pen on the counter. It would accumulate over the years and sometimes, our scratch pad holder becomes a paper weight for all those clippings.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 26
Home Organization Guide: “How To Organize And Declutter Your Home”
To keep news and magazine clippings scattering everywhere, put it inside a clear file folder where you can easily browse through it if you need it. This way, you can easily store them somewhere such as the filing cabinet you have at home or maybe in your book shelf.
My decluttering and house cleaning lasted for a whole full day. Luckily, my friend was there to help me out. She helped me keep things organized while we do the cleaning. She also entertained me with a lot of her stories from living abroad. I never really noticed the time. Luckily, we always set the timer for each room, so when it sets off, we only have five minutes to wrap everything up before moving on to the next part of the house. My friend and I agreed we will be driving some of my family’s used clothing, toys and books to nearest social welfare in our town. The rest of the “give away” items which were too bulky, were kept in the storage room in the meantime. We talked about hosting a garage sale in our neighborhood sometime next week. Since it has been a long time since she was back, we would want to invite our other friends to join our garage sale. It would be some sort of a gettogether for us. I decided right then and there to make it a regular event to organize a garage sale a few weeks after my scheduled decluttering act ivity. I’ll then make it a point to invite all of my friends during the said event. It would be fun seeing my friends around plus I also get to earn few extra incomes for my family.
© 2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved.
http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com
Page 27
