Probably one reason so many people dread cleaning is because they realize some serious picking up and straightening will precede the dust cloth and mop.
Cleaning is an easier chore when the house is tidy and you’re not trying to dust a coffee table piled high with magazines or vacuum a bedroom when the floor is covered with clothes and toys. Probably one reason so many people dread cleaning is because they realize some serious picking up and straightening will precede the dust cloth and mop.
But making your house orderly and organized can make cleaning easier, faster and more effective. Plus, your household and your life will run a little smoother – and can’t we all use that?
Here are a few tips from the Housekeeping Channel to get you started on the path to organizing:
1. When in doubt, toss it, recycle it or donate it. If you haven’t worn that sweater the last two winters, you probably aren’t going to wear it this year. Check medicine cabinets and bathroom drawers for expired items. If that stack of news magazines is more than a year old, it’s a safe bet it’s all old news by now.
2. If you’ve been saving for “someday” for five years, maybe it’s time to toss those old shoe boxes or paint samples.
3. Find a place for everything and keep it there. Not only does it reduce household clutter, but it makes it easier for you to find what you need without a 30-minute frantic search.
4. Label, label, label. Don’t trust yourself to remember what’s in a storage box or freezer bag that’s been out of sight for months. Be specific with your labeling as opposed to “Misc. Clothing.”
Read more tips online.
Getting organized doesn’t have to be a monumental process that eats up every weekend for a month. Take your organizing efforts one step – one room or one space – at a time.
Here are a few more tips and some weekly and monthly checklists to help you get a handle on mail, meals, paperwork, laundry, bills and children’s paperwork and projects.
