Tag: cleaning clutter

It’s time to transition—goodbye, summer and hello, fall!

Posted on by Jordank

It seems like we were just having our garage sales and greeting our kids as they got off the bus, ready for summer. While some of us are scrambling to get in that last minute vacation, many children only have a few days left before a new school year is underway! Translation—fall is upon us.

If you checked out our back-to-school tips, you’ll remember that we talked about the clothes shopping excursions that typically accompany a new school year. Sure your children (and yourself!) may only have gotten a few new items for their wardrobes, but you’d be surprised by just how much space a couple pairs of jeans, some sweaters, and new coats will take up in your closet. Not to mention, you have summer clothes you still need to keep out—where do you put it all?

Our friends over at The Huffington Post have some great tips for helping make that summer-to-fall closet transition a little easier. Here are their suggestions:

1.)    Go through your summer clothes. Now that the season is (almost) over, try on everything. If you don’t wear it or it doesn’t fit anymore, put it in a plastic bag for donation. Then go to our website, fill out a donation pickup request form, and we’ll pick the items up for you!

2.)    Don’t pack it all away yet. The weather is still warm for the rest of August and most of September, so only pack up a few items. Keep any pieces that can be worn in the fall easily accessible in your closet.

3.)    Evaluate old fall clothes. Just like your old summer clothes, try on these fall items. If they are too big or no longer fit your style, donate them to us! We’ll be happy to help those pants and sweaters find a home in a new closet.

4.)    “Hang fall clothes, organizing by type.” By keeping flannel shirts separate from the big sweaters and jackets, you’ll be better able to see smaller items. It also lets you see all of the pieces you own, to keep you from buying things you don’t need!

Now that you have the knowledge you need, start getting your closets prepared for fall today!

Fight the Chaos of Home Renovations!

Posted on by Jordank

While we’ve talked about summer being a great time to clean out closets, host garage sales, move, and even take some relaxing (and a bit stressful) vacations, there is one other very common activity or project that takes place in the summer: home renovations and remodeling. For many people, summer is a great time to take advantage of the good weather and make that much needed addition to your home, redo the flooring in your kitchen, or turn the garage into a dual purpose space for both vehicles and entertaining.

With remodeling, though, comes chaos and a mess. After you just spent hours—maybe even days—on spring cleaning, you’re inviting sawdust and messes to accumulate once again in your home. You may think that there’s no way to possibly avoid all of the mess that you’ll have once the remodel is over. While we can’t promise a pristine home, we do have a few tips to make your renovation experiences a little less stressful.

One suggestion we have is to take your renovation one room at a time. Some people like the idea of getting everything fixed up at once. However, doing that will not only lead to more stress and chaos, but it will also lead to a bigger mess and more displaced items.

Another idea is to keep similar items grouped and packed away together. For example, if you’re renovating the kitchen, have boxes or storage containers ready, and group all plates and bowls together in the box. This will make it easier to find things during the renovation, and it will also make it easier to move your items back into a room after the remodel is over.

And, of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you that if you find anything in preparation for the remodel that you no longer want or need, donate these items to us. If your possessions are small, simply put them in a box that’s clearly marked for donation. We’ll make sure they don’t take up space during your renovation, and they’ll find a place in a welcoming new home!