Simple Steps to Organizing - The Linen Closet Part 2

Today we conquer the towels.
Typically the problem is that we just have too many towels.








The Sorting Process

1. Go get your towels…all of them. 
2. Take out of that pile any towel that is stained, torn, or has a moldy smell. Put them in a bag and donate them to your local SPCA.
3. Pick two large towels and two wash cloths (if you use those) for each person that is in the house. 
4. Pick two hand towels for each bathroom in the house. 
5. Pick one full set of towels for guests. 
6. Any remaining towels? Donate them.

Put the towels away…

1. Each person should have a hook or a bar in the bathroom for their bath towel and wash cloth.
2. Fold and put away the back up sets and guest towels. 

Hopefully you have freed up a lot of space in your linen closet.

Simple Steps to Organizing - The Linen Closet Part 1

It's time to organize your linens. The goal of this exercise is to reduce your sheet collection down to two sets per bed…no more than 3!








Reduce the Amount of Sheets you have
Go get all of your linens.
Fold them and put them into matching sets.
Pick your two favorite sets for each bed…don't forget to check the sheets that already on the beds in your home as you may want to replace one of those sets.
Put the remaining sets of sheets in a bag and donate them. Check out your area for a local family shelter.

Decide the location to store your sheets 
There are two choices - in the linen closet or in the room with the matching bed.

Put the sheets away
You can store them in categories - pillow cases in a stack, fitted sheets in a stack, top sheets in a stack.
You can store them  in their set. Fold the fitted sheet, the top sheet and one pillow case. Take the folded sheets and put them into the matching pillow case. Now you have a pillow case bag of the matching set.

Simple Steps to Organizing - The Utensil Drawer

In the past 6 years that I have been organizing I have noticed that one drawer in the kitchen that can be come a collection of a variety of stuff is the utensil drawer. I am a strong believer that everything has a place and everything in its place. Let's make that happen in the utensil drawer by following these steps.

1. Empty the drawer.
2. If you have a utensil divider…please clean it. Now wipe down the drawer. It is amazing how dirty this drawer can get. 
3. Sort your silverware - knives, forks, little spoons, large spoons, serving utensils.
4. Now do you have more than one set of silverware? Do you have a random spoon that doesn't match your set? Take out all the items that do not match your set and put them in a bag for donation. 
5. You may also have utensils that you do not use - i.e. small butter knives. If you don't use them, donate them. I get it that you think its cute but that is no reason to keep something. Pass it along. 
6. Put the utensil divider back in the drawer. Put the utensils in each slot.
7. The remaining items you took out - i.e. plastic utensils, paper chop sticks,  rubber bands, packets of salt, pepper,…throw them away. Use real utensils and I guarantee you already have a salt and pepper shaker. 

Utensil drawer is for utensils only. Imagine that!

Simple Steps to Organizing - The Car

As we head into the weekend I thought I should give you a super easy assignment.
Do you have a car? Then this task is for you.
1. While you fill the tank, go through the car and remove all the trash - on the floor, in the console, in the back seat, in the trunk. Toss that trash into the garbage can next to the gas pump.
2. Now grab all the items that really don't belong in the car…sports equipment, clothes, books, magazines, and put them in a pile.  When you get home take all of those items out of the car and put them away.
Now isn't that nice?

Simple Steps to Organizing - The Closet

Hello fellow Organizers.

Today's post has different degrees of organization. You decide the level you want to achieve. You can apply this technique to one closet, two closets, or all of your closets.





Steps to Closet Organization:

1. Take out all hangers that have nothing hanging on them.
You have now created extra room in the closet. Your goal has been reached. Want to take organizing to the next level then proceed to step 2.

2. Step 2 has two options…
a) Take all clothes that are on metal hangers from the dry cleaner and replace with the empty hangers you removed in step 1.
b) Replace all of your hangers with the slim felt hangers. The slim hangers help maximize the space in your closet. While you are replacing the hangers purge your clothes. Just keep what you LOVE!

3. Top Tier Organization
When you put your clothes back in the closet, divide them up in to groups - shirts, sweaters, jackets, pants, skirts. And then for the ultimate in organization…with in each category group by color from light to dark.

Happy closet organizing!

Simple Steps to Organizing - The Media Pile

Do you have VHS tapes and no player?
Do you have DVDS and yet you watch all your movies on On Demand and/or Netflix?
Do you have CDS and no CD player?

You know what to do. Get some bags from your collection of bags and fill them with the tapes, dvds and cds.

Drop the bags off at your local Goodwill.
Yes, that was simple!

Simple Steps to Organizing - The Refrigerator Door

It is time to create space in your refrigerator.
Open the door and take out all the condiments…mayo, ketchup, mustard, dressings. You get the idea.
Wipe down each shelf.
Throw out all items that have expired.
Throw out all items you really don't use…you know those ones that people brought for a party.
Put the remaining ones back.
Voila. You have created space in your refrigerator.

Simple Steps to Organizing - Flower Vases

Do you have a cabinet filled with flower vases? Were flowers delivered in those flower vases? Are you getting my point? Most flowers are delivered in flower vases so you don't need to keep all of them.
Go through your collection and keep 3 favorites. The remaining ones you can bring back to your local florist.
Wasn't that easy?

Simple Steps to Organizing - The Laundry

Tackling the piles of dirty clothes around the home can be challenging for families.  So what would Andrea do? I suggest a 3 bag laundry sorter like the one pictured here.

This is the product description…I couldn't have said it better myself.

Create an efficient system for organizing laundry with this Amazon Basics three-bag laundry sorter. From lights, darks, and colors to workout clothes, bedding, and rugs and rags, the triple laundry sorter makes it easy to keep things separated and moving along in an orderly fashion. No need to create messy piles on the floor or to dig through mountains of laundry for a full load, hoping you didn't miss that favorite shirt on the bottom of the heap. The sorter offers at-a-glance convenience when it comes to monitoring when it's time to throw in a full load--and having that pre-sorted load ready to go.

If you have kids, consider purchasing one for them too and place in a convenient place so that when the clothes come off they go right in a bag. Teach your kids how to do the wash. This one small tool, can help reduce the amount of work that has to be done around the house and you are teaching your kids taking responsibility for their belongings.

Where to buy?

Small Steps to Organizing - Tupperware

I don't know why it is but we just love containers. So let's take a look at your food containers. Like always, the first step is to pull them all out. The containers that are food stained, cracked and look like they have seen a better day, toss. Now with the remaining containers match up lids to containers. Containers with no lids, toss those too. OK now take a look at what is remaining and ask yourself which ones do I really use and which ones can go. By now you should have really leaned your supply down to a manageable amount.  Wipe down the cabinet where you store the containers and now put them away. I like to store my containers with the lids on so that it keeps me honest to how many I have.

What is my favorite brand? I look Martha Stewart's line as they have snap closures and don't take on food stains. You can find them at Macy's which as you know always seems to have a sale going on.

Small Steps to Organizing - Business Cards

Have you collected a bunch of business cards and you don't know what to do with them? Yes, it is time to go through them. Ask yourself - will I need this?, why? when? 

If you have answered no, toss them. 

If you have answered yes, there are two ways you can go. Personally, I just enter the information into my phone and toss the card. But if you are someone who just "needs to keep the card" then get a marker and write a note on the card with some info about why you would contact this person. That way the next time you flip through the stack you will know the purpose for each one. Best way to keep cards is in groups according to services i.e. accountant, lawyer, plumber, etc.

First things first…toss the cards you won't use. 

Small Steps to Organizing - Charging Cords

Do you have a drawer, a container a bin of…charging cords? Do you know what each cord charges? OK, it is time to do the deed. Match up the cords to the correct device. Now put a sticky tag on each cord with the name of the device it changes.  Dump the rest of the cords. Going forward…when you get rid of a device add the charging cord too.

Small Steps to Organizing - Pens and Pencils

Hello Blog Readers. I am going to attempt to post regularly a series on Small Steps to Organizing. Today I will start super small.

Pens and Pencils

Do you have them all over your home for just in case? Go get all the pens and pencils in your house. Yes, go get all of them. I bet you have many. OK, now attempt to write with each one. The ones that don't work, throw away. Now do you still have a large bunch? I bet you do. Gather together all of your favorite ones and put them in the jar.

What happens to the rest?

• Put one in your purse.
• Put one in your work bag. 
• Put one in your car.

The rest…donate back to your office, your kid's school. You get the idea.

Now pick a central location for that jar of pens and pencils. You never have to look for a pen again.

Plastic Containers and Their Many Uses by Jessica Kane

Plastic Containers and Their Many Uses 

Everyone has storage needs, but not all storage containers are created equal. One option that many people overlook is plastic containers. They have the light weight that people love when it comes to cardboard boxes but without the flimsiness. They're superb when it comes to permanent shelving and are much easier to move around than other forms of shelving. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes that can fit any décor, any space, and within the confines of any budget. There are numerous ways that plastic containers can be used to make your life much easier, so let's take a closer look and see exactly how people are using them.  

Organization 

Plastic containers make it incredibly easy to organize and sort any number of things. Regardless of whether you need a variety of smaller containers to hold different nuts and bolts from around the shop or larger options that can be used for paper or perishable items, plastic containers are a fantastic way to keep your things organized. Finding a proper place is important and saves you tons of time having to remember where you put something that you might not use on a regular basis. There's no going wrong with plastic containers when it comes to organization. 

Long Term Storage 

Another way plastic containers are great things to have is long term storage. Things such as cardboard boxes will generally get the job done but can easily break down in long term storage. In addition to that, they can be dangerous if you're dealing with heavier items, as the bottom my bust. You also have to worry about the environment in which they're stored, as a leak in an attic can easily destroy whatever a cardboard box contains. Plastic containers, on the other hand, will shield anything from dampness and will easily withstand even the heaviest objects. The handles are perfect when it comes to moving them and many plastic containers actually stack very easily and securely on top of one another.  

Quick Hauling 

In addition to long term storage, plastic containers are ideal to have around for whenever you need to move things from one location to another. When they're not being used, they will generally fit inside one another and not take up much room. When you do need them, they can be used to store virtually anything to keep it safe on a trek to a different location. The handles, as mentioned above, make them ideal and safe options for the movers themselves. Whenever you have things that need to be moved, plastic containers are the way to go. 

Environment Proofing 

Regardless of whether you have old heirlooms that you need to keep away from water or perishable food items that need a temporary shelter from the environment, plastic containers are ideal. They don't let in any type of moisture and many can even be secured to be water tight. Regardless of whether your needs are short term or long term, a plastic container is one of the best ways to keep your valuables safe.  

Easy Shelving 

Another great thing about plastic containers is that they can be made in just about any shape. They easily stack upon one another and allow for quick access to whatever you need without having to worry about taking down an entire pile of stored goods, such as you would have to with cardboard boxes. Plastic containers make great shelves and will easily fit within just about any area you need in, regardless of how tall, short, wide, or skinny you need it to be. In addition to all that, moving the shelves is very easy. It bears loads very well, and if you do need to move the whole unit, it can generally be broken down into numerous different components to make things easier. Even for larger plastic pieces, the whole container is much lighter than a comparable piece of more traditional shelving. Overall, plastic containers are ideal for shelving. 

Regardless of what your specific storage needs happen to be, make sure to look into plastic containers to get the best value. 

Jessica Kane is a professional writer who has an interest in keeping things organized and in order. She currently writes for FlexCon, a leading vendor of bulk plastic storage containers, bins & boxes.