If you’re working on organizing your home, you may know the three areas that are the toughest to keep tidy: the closets, the pantry, and that dreaded garage! These spaces tend to become “catch-alls”, especially if you have children, and it can be super hard to keep them up as the year wanes on. Here’s how to get a head start on making your home usable, tidy, and how to maintain the clutter-free environment!
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Start by clearing out the things you don’t use. This seems pretty obvious, but you’ll be surprised at how many things are in the crevasses and closets that you simply forgot you owned. The less items that are in the garage/pantry/closets, the less you’ll need to organize and clean, so it’s a major win to get rid of as much as you can. Begin by actually removing everything, and we mean EVERYTHING. Be sure to ask your family members before you throw all of their things away (ha!). Vacuum, sweep or mop, and scrub away any dirt in grout/hardwood/tile or carpet. You want to start with a very clean and sanitized space so you don’t have to continue moving things in and out repeatedly.
Tackle just one space at a time: It is very easy to get overwhelmed quickly when you start this project. Instead of committing to do every closet in the house, pick just one. Spend a whole day working on the pantry, and allow a few solid days to tackle a large project like the garage. Enlist older children or your spouse to help, but delegate tasks so you’re all not hovering in one tiny space or getting in each other’s way. It actually helps if you can split it up over five weekends or five days to do two days of closets, one on the pantry, and two for the garage. Block out the time and commit to it…you’ll be so glad you did.
Ditch the packaging in the pantry: If you’re used to keeping all the boxes/containers in your pantry, this may sound strange, but the aesthetic and organization that happens when you put your staples and food into glass or plastic bins will motivate you to keep it tidy. It also looks beautiful and cohesive in your space, and allows you to clearly see what you have on hand. We recommend Amazon, Ikea, or the Container Store for inexpensive and durable containers to get your pantry under control. I recently saw a great idea where instead of a spice cupboard, someone used a drawer! They minimized their spices to what they really used and then laid they flat in a kitchen drawer, making them easier to sort, find, and maintain, rather than rifling through a cupboard. Keep cereal, baking supplies, chips, crackers, and kid’s snacks in clear, easy to see containers, and get can racks for things like chicken broth, beans, and veggies. You will also save time by making the pantry more efficient.
In the closets, make a system: If you have children, sort out clothing that is too big or too small, and designate a bin for each. Get rid of things with stains, items that don’t fit, and don’t forget their dressers or wardrobes in addition to their closets. If you’re using the closets to additional toy storage, figure out how to separate out both toys and clothes, so that you have it divided neatly in half (top and bottom, or left and right sides, etc.) If you can afford to, buy matching hangers so that the clothes will hang evenly (and look nicer), and purchase matching plastic bins or drawers for additional storage. If you have a larger budget and a walk-in closet, consider adding wooden shelves to provide more space for baskets and bins for hairbows, belts, hats, scarves, winter wear, etc. If your kids are past the baby stage, cycle seasonal clothes to the garage to free up space and help your children find their current items more easily. If you are organizing your own closet, follow the same steps. You may find that you hardly wear the majority of your closet, and you could donate or consign the nicer items. This purging and organizing will also save you time (which we can all use, right?!), because you will stop searching for missing shoes, certain sweaters or tops, or by being overwhelmed by the amount of clothes/decisions.
-Beautify the storage: As we mentioned, pretty storage solutions will motivate you to keep your things in their place. Ikea has an amazing selection of white totes of various sizes, as well as metal hooks and baskets for hanging storage if your space is small. If you can’t afford a ton of new items, focus on one area at a time, as your budget allows. It is better to fully complete a single space, than to put off all of the closets/messes until you can afford them all. It is also an emotional process, because you will feel more likely to continue if you can “complete” one fully at a time!
Beautiful storage solutions can free up the time you spend cleaning, organizing, and putting things away. This is a principal many people use when they live a minimalist lifestyle, but you don’t have to be a minimalist to appreciate and utilize these ideas! Good luck as you organize and plan out a tidier 2020!