What are your top 3 organizational tricks?

[lakotajm]

Yeah, I know, don't even try, but what if your husband has way too many clothes and you cannot convince him that a person simply does not need 25 pairs of socks or 30 shirts, etc.? Would it be evil if I purged them while he was out of the house?:DI've heard of people doing this to the kids-what about dh?

Maybe it's a pipe dream, but I can dream....

Lakota

 

I haven't read the rest yet - sorry if these are repeats ...

 

1. Make sure everything has a home. If you can't find a home for something, you really don't need it.

Example: When you gather the mail, don't throw it in a pile to sort later, place the bills in the appropriate file, toss out the junk, and file or use all other pieces. Or you find a good deal on peanut butter and buy a case - do you REALLY have the space to store it?

* And put everything in its home now, rather than waiting for later.

 

2. You don't need as many multiples of items as you think.

Examples: We have 4 people in our house - so that means 8 bath towels. 4 to use now, and 4 to use while the others are in the wash or for guests. 6 sets of sheets - 3 on our beds and 3 for while those are in the wash. (Also, I store the extra set between the boxsprings and matress on each bed, that way they are not taking up any space I could use for something else.)

This mindset can be applied to almost everything in your house. Clothes (Really, how many pairs of socks and underwear does one person need? :tongue_smilie:), books (I know, almost blasphemy here!), dishes, even cleaning supplies (I've pretty much paired down to vinegar, baking soda, and bleach). I've even pared down my small kitchen appliances - ones that were only used a few times a year, I gave away (bread maker, waffle maker, sandwich maker, hand mixer... yes, my MIL was always giving me some sort of "maker" for Christmas. ;)).

 

3. Do NOT keep something with the idea that maybe, someday you'll be able to find a use for it. All it will do is collect junk. If it's not useful NOW, give it to someone who will use it. Also, go through your storage at least once a year (if not more) and toss out things that you really don't need.

 

I am brutal when it comes to purging. I don't keep too many things for "sentimental" reasons. It drives my dh batty sometimes, but he is appreciative of the fact that we don't have clutter and we can still fit all our items into one U-Haul truck when we move (which is pretty often).

[Frontier Mom]

I'm all about the Desk Apprentice but how do you make use of the two pocket folders? Just wondering.

 

The Desk Apprentice

Lots of labeled duotang/two pocket folders

Labeled cardboard magazine holders

[TheCoffeeChick]

Would it be evil if I purged them while he was out of the house?:DI've heard of people doing this to the kids-what about dh?

Maybe it's a pipe dream, but I can dream....

Lakota

 

 

Not evil at all - I do it! ;)

 

The clothes are easiest for me because he'll have something hanging in the closet that I KNOW has not been worn in ages, but if I ask, he'll say, "Oh, yeah, I'll wear that"....yeah, right. :001_rolleyes: So every beginning of the month, take out 5 or 6 shirts from the closet or drawer and put them in a box. If he asks specifically for a shirt you've taken out, just say it must be in the wash. Then take that shirt out (while he's not there) and put it away. But 9 times out of 10 he won't even notice. After a few months, if there's never a question about a missing item, I bring them to the thrift store. My dh actually knows I do this -- but really, I hardly ever take a piece of clothing that he remembers or likes. :)

[jth]

Because I'm a perfectionist, I often don't clean or unclutter because in my faulty reasoning, I think if I don't have the time to do it right, why bother at all. .

 

OMG, you could be my sister...that is so ME!!!! :lol: so happy to know I'm not alone in my screwed-up logic!! :tongue_smilie:

[happygrrl]

Read the book by Peter Walsh "It's All Too Much".

It had been mentioned so many times on this board that I finally bought it.

Changed. My. Life.

[gardenmom5]

In a nutshell?

I have been organizing lately.

Love the container store.

 

drawer dividers, drawer dividers, drawer dividers. wow I can find things now!

de-clutter/de-junk (less 'stuff' to wade through)

I just put turntables in my pantry closet. love them. looking to pick up an over-door cubby organizer for really small stuff so it's easily found instead of being lost on the shelves.

[gardenmom5]

Yeah, I know, don't even try, but what if your husband has way too many clothes and you cannot convince him that a person simply does not need 25 pairs of socks or 30 shirts, etc.? Would it be evil if I purged them while he was out of the house?:DI've heard of people doing this to the kids-what about dh?

Maybe it's a pipe dream, but I can dream....

Lakota

 

tell me what you're missing and I'll tell you if I got rid of it . . . .

 

I helped my sil de-clutter. she and her dh are both packrats. her dh insists he's neat and not a packrat, and we weren't allowed to get rid of any of his 'stuff". we started in the garage - large two car with an extra full bay-sized shop area. floor-to-ceiling end-to-end apple boxes of "stuff". (and "stuff" piled up in front too.) I did seriously combine the boxes to reduce the bulk. we also wrote his name in large font sharpie on each box. he was forced to acknowledge the amount of "stuff" that really was his. until he saw his name, he was convined all those boxes were sil's "stuff'.

[2squared]

Not evil at all - I do it! ;)

 

The clothes are easiest for me because he'll have something hanging in the closet that I KNOW has not been worn in ages, but if I ask, he'll say, "Oh, yeah, I'll wear that"....yeah, right. :001_rolleyes: So every beginning of the month, take out 5 or 6 shirts from the closet or drawer and put them in a box. If he asks specifically for a shirt you've taken out, just say it must be in the wash. Then take that shirt out (while he's not there) and put it away. But 9 times out of 10 he won't even notice. After a few months, if there's never a question about a missing item, I bring them to the thrift store. My dh actually knows I do this -- but really, I hardly ever take a piece of clothing that he remembers or likes. :)

 

:D This is pretty much what I do. Reminds me that I should go through dh's drawers again. The bottom of his clothes piles are begging to be packed up.

[KungFuPanda]

Because I'm a perfectionist, I often don't clean or unclutter because in my faulty reasoning, I think if I don't have the time to do it right, why bother at all. It doesn't work. :glare: I've had to force myself to stay focused on ONE SMALL area (ie: over the dishwasher) and don't stop till it's immaculate. Then I can look back on that area and feel great about tackling the next area. Kinda like eating an elephant. This method has helped me focus and be successful.

 

 

Letting go of that philosophy is what actually got my house into decent shape. I put stuff off until I had the time and energy to do it RIGHT. Once I had kids, time and energy went out the window.

 

Now I do a quick crappy job on everything and my whole house stays neater. If I'm not satisfied the next day, I do another pass and go deeper.

 

My new motto is "Strike while the iron is hot." This means I clean as fast as I can before I get tired :001_smile:

Edited July 29, 2011 by KungFuPanda

[Forget-Me-Not]

 

5. Fold extra sheet sets so that the fitted sheet, top sheet and one pillow case will fit inside the other pillow case. That way, they stay together (no hunting for matches!) and the linen closet stays neat, too. :)

 

I'd love to know how you do this. I have serious lack of skill in the sheet-folding-dept and my linen closet looks like it. Can you provide a video tutorial? :lol:

[pfamilygal]

I haven't read all the replies, but I'm tempted to say just (1) declutter, (2) declutter, (3) declutter :)

 

That really is the most important thing for me. If I don't need it/haven't used it in a few months, it goes. Having fewer things makes organization SO much easier.

 

One of my favorite inexpensive organizational items, though, are the over the door shoe holders (the kind with the clear vinyl pockets.)

 

They are great for storing fabric too. I adore sewing, and for my small cuts I have a few of those over the bedroom/closet doors. I can see all my scraps at once!

 

I am a binder/page protector queen. I have all my recipes, take out menus, etc in binders.

[apond]

For the last six months i have known that a move was in our future. Not sure when but to help it go better I have been getting rid of stuff. Lots of stuff I have been ruthless with getting rid of stuff. It feels great. It is amazing how much easier it is to clean a house when you have less stuff to clean.

 

One things that has made a huge difference is doing a "quick pick" every night while I am making dinner.

[Already Gone]

I think I've read all the responses, but this may have been mentioned and I missed it: concentrate your decluttering efforts at the sites you do the most work and living, at least at first. This may be common sense, but it's taken me a long time to grasp it. Yes, the closet with the seasonal stuff (Christmas decorations, etc.) is a nightmare and screams at me every time I walk past it. However, I only get in it a few times a year, and I don't even walk past it all that often. It makes more sense for me to weed through my closet so I don't have to dig through pointless clothes every day, or to organize my pantry (also known as the Place Food Goes to Die), even though objectively those areas are more organized and decluttered than the seasonal closet.

[justamouse]

put things away in the right spot when you're done using them

 

use a calendar

 

clean up after yourself and teach your children the same

 

do laundry daily

 

Make a menu, shop by it, use it

 

clean out the fridge weekly and wipe it down

 

Every season go through the clothes and make three piles: Keep for the next kid, throwaway, pass on to goodwill

 

if you don't need it, don't buy it. (this includes crafts. Finish the last one then buy what you need for the new)

Edited July 29, 2011 by justamouse

[KungFuPanda]

(Also, I store the extra set (of sheets) between the boxsprings and matress on each bed, that way they are not taking up any space.)

 

SO TOTALLY STEALING THIS!!!!

 

I can get some bins out of my bedroom if I can free up the shelves in the linen closet that hold sheets. (I'm working towards having nothing on the floor that isn't furniture.)

[KungFuPanda]

Yeah, I know, don't even try, but what if your husband has way too many clothes and you cannot convince him that a person simply does not need 25 pairs of socks or 30 shirts, etc.? Would it be evil if I purged them while he was out of the house?:DI've heard of people doing this to the kids-what about dh?

Maybe it's a pipe dream, but I can dream....

Lakota

 

Do you manage the laundry? If your husband is like mine, he always wears the same 10 outfits that gravitate to the top of various drawers. You may be able to get rid of the stuff he never wears without him even noticing. Put a box in the basement and move a few things at a time there. When it's full, date it. If he doesn't ask for anything in a year, donate/trash it.

[woolybear]

Do Just One Thing. I just started this and it's really helping. Usually I look at projects and some of them are so huge, I put it off until I have more time or energy. Or I make a list and it's overwhelming. With doing just one thing, I just pick one thing that needs doing and go with it. So much more actually gets done this way. I don't spend time thinking about it. I'm doing it instead.

 

This idea came from Bravewriter.

[laundrycrisis]

Now I do a quick crappy job on everything and my whole house stays neater. If I'm not satisfied the next day, I do another pass and go deeper.

 

My new motto is "Strike while the iron is hot." This means I clean as fast as I can before I get tired :001_smile:

 

These are awesome ! :D

[Sandsam]

1. Get rid of everything you can.

2. Find reasons not to bring more things into your home.

3. The more frequently it is used, the more accessible it should be. The less frequently it is used, the less accessible it should be.

 

:iagree:

 

I follow these. I am a reformed shopper/collector, esp of kids' toys and books. I now plow through the house looking for things to donate or pitch. I am burned out from managing all the 'stuff'.