The start of a new year signifies the start of a new you—and what better place is there to begin making positive changes to your lifestyle than right at home? 2016 presents the perfect opportunity to tidy-up and get organized. These simple steps are sure to help clear the way for a successful, much-needed home cleanse.
Keep it clutter-free
The easiest way to get organized is to clear out what you don’t need. We all know it’s much easier to accumulate items than eliminate them, but it’s important to realize that a cluttered home most likely means an unorganized home. So if you don’t need it, get rid of it. HGTV suggests beginning with keeping flat surfaces clear, especially in family rooms and living rooms, where people often gather. Papers, books, brochures and magazines can pile up in no time, and it’s essential to “sort and purge,” as the article states. Bring the functionality back to coffee tables and nightstands, and if you can’t get rid of it, store whatever clutter has accumulated on their surfaces in bins or drawers under the table. With this in mind, maintaining clean drawers is another major piece of the organization process. Real Simple points out the importance of organizing drawers based on “making sense of the mess,” and categorizing items that belong together into designated sections.
Effective Storage Solutions
Space—finding space for items in your home is a vital part of proper organization. In addition to closets, cabinets and drawers, effective storage spots can be found all throughout the house with a little strategic and creative thinking. For example, instead of letting your entryway pile up with jackets, gloves, scarves, handbags and shoes, The Nest provides clever ways to tidy-up, suggesting the use of hooks, decorative ladders and other storage ideas for a neater first impression. Good Housekeeping additionally suggests using cubbies or baskets to store these common entryway items that are often left astray. Other ways to take advantage of home space include the use of storage bins or baskets beneath beds, above cabinets or even behind couches, where all objects will remain neatly kept and out of sight. Westchester Magazine even recommends homeowners to label stored items for further organization.
Closet Cleanse
Whether you want to admit it or not, cleaning the closet is an unavoidable task when it comes to organizing your home. Then again, it is a new year—new year, new you, right? Before beginning, decide where all unwanted articles of clothing and accessories will be going—a charity, a thrift store, a friend? By doing so, you’ll have more of a purpose to eliminate any unnecessary items. House Beautiful suggests grilling yourself over each piece of clothing, and asking what’s more important…the outfit or the cleared space? The next step is to set up your closet into zones according to function, and then sort by color. Matching hangers can add a great aesthetic touch! Staggering shoes is also a useful tactic to clear up extra shelf space, while added bins and other space solutions such as hooks and shelves, will complete your transforming closet cleanse.
The Kitchen
Keeping the kitchen clean can often be a tiring and difficult undertaking. Make your life easier and the heart of your home a little cleaner by following just a few simple organizing tips such as labeling jars and grouping your storage space logically. Houzz advises removing the outer packaging of your favorite snacks and stashing them in wire pantry baskets. This permits clear visibility, easy access and effective use of space. Another trick to try out involves a wall-mounted rack for those often lost lids, as well as added shelving with hooks to hang pots and pans in a convenient location. Wasted space above upper kitchen cabinets can also be used to store less frequently used items such as holiday dishes and crock pots, in stylish wicker baskets.
