Make some of your #spring #cleaning chores seasonal, The Spruce says, in order to get ready for warmer weather. Clean the grill, patio and garden furniture as soon as daytime temperatures warm up; also wash the windows to take advantage of sunnier days. You can also start sorting your heaviest sweaters, coats, flannel sheets and woolen blankets into #storage bins for next winter; you won’t need them in just a few weeks. If you find anything you just don’t want, donate it to ClothingDonations.org.
Tag: storage
The Difference Between Decluttering and Storage
#Decluttering isn’t easy. Even when you find the time to do it and prepare yourself to keep, donate or trash all of the clothes that don’t fit, tchotchkes and other #junk, you can quickly get bogged down in the decision-making.
Many of your possessions will carry memories that make you linger over the decision or leave it for another day. After a few of these quandaries, you may just throw in the towel, shove a bunch of random items in a box and “store” it out of sight.
That is not decluttering — nor is it storage. It’s simply putting off the inevitable.
Storage is for things you use. You may use such things infrequently but regularly, like holiday decorations. You can keep these things from adding to #clutter by sorting it into dedicated, labeled bins and putting the bins in a predictable out-of-the way location.
You also have things you use frequently that need to be stored. Think of your kitchen cabinets and closets; they already hold any number of items that you’ll usse this week, maybe multiple times.
When you have #stuff that doesn’t have a “home,” however (meaning its own drawer, shelf, bin, box or display), you have #clutter. And as a result, any serious decluttering is going to involve a lot of #organizing.
So your goal in decluttering is really twofold: to weed out anything that you don’t use, and to make sure that anything you do use has a place. This is a tall order, the Organizing Blog is well aware.
Start small with a single closet, kitchen cabinet or desk drawer. Figure out what kinds of things should “live” there, and separate out anything that’s broken, disused or just in the wrong place. You can toss, donate, and relocate or store these items, respectively.
Leave only what you know you use frequently in immediate-access locations — and if you don’t use something frequently in its current location, find a place where it can stay until you need it. Otherwise, it will just get in the way.
Once you’ve organized and/or stored the #stuff you use, contact ClothingDonations.org for a free, contactless #donation #pickup if — er, when — you want to get rid of the lightly used clothing and household items you don’t. We’ll help find them new homes, and help veterans at the same time.
Easy Ways to Organize Your Bathroom
Small bathrooms can quickly become cluttered with personal care items, towels and other supplies. Martha Stewart offers 25 suggestions on how to keep such a small space more organized, such as a door-back towel ladder, sliding cabinet trays and magnetized organizers. And always think creatively to repurpose storage accessories used elsewhere in the home, Country Living says; for example, you can use wine racks to store towels, spice racks and shoe organizers to hold shampoo bottles, and office file boxes to organize small appliances.
Pack Up That Winter Wardrobe
Winter is having an extended stay this year. March’s bluster is going strong into April in many northern states, and snow is lingering on the ground in parts of the Northeast. But most of the nation is gradually warming up, and soon enough, it will be warm and sunny again.
That means that you won’t need to wear those many sweaters, flannels, corduroys, boots and parkas to stay warm much longer. In fact, you’ll soon forget all about winterwear as you don linens, shorts and swimwear for your summer vacation. So do yourself a favor, and start storing your winter clothes now.
Not only does storing winter clothing prolong its life, it gets it out of your way when you don’t need it. With a closet and dresser that’s uncluttered by off-season garments, you’ll be able to find what you want when you want it — fast. You can always keep a go-to sweater, hoodie or jacket accessible in case of an unusually chilly day, Insider says.
Before you store winter clothes, wash or dry-clean them according to label instructions to get rid of any dirt, odors and stains. If any items aren’t worth saving due to damage, grime or general dinginess, take this golden opportunity to trash it rather than store it. Worn-out basics such as T-shirts can go directly to the rag bag or trash.
Better items that you just didn’t wear over the winter can go into a donation pile. Whether they were off-trend or no longer fit right, there’s no reason to waste your space storing them if they don’t get worn. Put them in boxes or bags and contact ClothingDonations.org for a donation pickup. Someone else might be looking for just such an item before long.
Finally, place the “keepers” — the winter clothing that you know you will want to wear when the weather turns cold again — into airtight fabric garment bags and plastic bins for storage. Put the bags and bins in a dry area of your home, far from what is fast becoming your everyday spring clothing.
Getting winter clothing out of the way will make it easier to find the clothing you will actually be wearing in the spring and summer, making for an uncluttered closet and easy morning routine. And it will give you the chance to edit your wardrobe for the winters ahead, making for an uncluttered life!
Declutter Your Deck or Patio
Clutter can be just as frustrating and unappealing on a deck or patio, says the Houselogic blog. The solution? Make do-it-yourself bins to organize and hide your stuff. Paint wooden crates a fun color using a waterproof paint and/or sealant, and place them wherever you need storage. Attach casters, and they can be moved alongside the table or grill easily, or serve double-duty as extra seating. “Storage can be as important outdoors as it is indoors,” landscaper Keith Sacks says.