Organizing Your Home in the New Year Part II

In “Organizing Your Home in the New Year Part I” we discussed five effective home organization strategies for de-cluttering your home for the long-term. Here are five more fundamental home organization strategies. Combat Nostalgia. Nothing is more adorable than the proud expression on your child’s face when they bring home artwork from school. Unfortunately, it seems to multiply as the years roll by. Can you imagine what you’d have collected over the course of their entire academic career if you never threw anything away? Why not take a picture of your child with their creation as a way of preserving the memory and letting that be your keepsake? You can always save the extra special creations, even framing some of them to display in your home. Clear your closets. When it comes to the average closet, the 80/20 rule applies. Most of us wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time. This is why it’s a good idea to sort through the family’s closets at the end of each season. Closet organizational systems are ideal but the only way you’ll know what components you need is to establish what wardrobe pieces must remain and which ones can be sent away beforehand. Avoid holding onto something because you think you might need it someday. When it comes to organizing your closets getting rid of things is the order of the day rather than rearranging them. Don’t forget your laundry room. Many newer homes today have main floor laundry rooms yet too many homeowners aren’t taking advantage of the organizational systems that are ideal for these spaces. Organizational systems like cabinets and shelves just below the ceiling are a great way to add storage space in a crowded room. Make organization kits of your own. Nearly all of us perform those mundane tasks of shining our own shoes, paying the bills and giving ourselves a much needed manicure. When you can’t find the tools you need to perform those dreaded tasks it can put even the most cheerful person in a bad mood. This is why making organization kits of your own like shoeshine kits with the polish, sponges and cloths together in a container makes good sense. You can do the same by creating manicure kits and bill-paying kits so you can easily find everything you need to make executing these everyday tasks easier.   Be loyal to yourself and create a schedule. Whether your kitchen counters need to be de-cluttered daily or weekly, it’s important that de-cluttering is done systematically. By removing all the items from a defined area like a desk drawer or a cabinet and spreading them out to see what you’re facing, you can better determine what you need to save and what you need to pitch. Some opt to sort their drawer’s or cabinet’s contents into two piles – one for what you regularly use and the other for what you don’t use. The important thing to remember is that organizing takes time and it’s better to allot four hours rather than just two for certain areas. When de-cluttering takes longer than you think, don’t get discouraged. Simply remind yourself that by organizing now you are saving yourself time in the future so you won’t have to waste time finding things later. By following some of these tried and true organization strategies, you’re sure to have a more organized home in 2013.