With every season comes change and opportunity. This is always a great excuse to get my family in action in the continued battle against clutter. In a household full of children, organizing and maximizing space is essential to my own sanity.
If you’re ready to wage war with the clutter as well, there are a few simple steps that will get you decluttered and organized, no matter what the space! When endeavoring the massive transition from winter to spring it can be paralyzing, but the key is to just begin somewhere. Pick a room and get started. Start small if you have to, and then move on to bigger areas as you go, before you know it, you’ll feel grateful for that urge to purge.
1. Take It All Out
Whether you’re organizing a drawer, a closet, a laundry room or another area in your home, get everything out an in the open. This helps you start with a blank slate… and while you’re at it, you can see just what you have and how much you have while you assess your storage needs.
2. Let It Go
Don’t be afraid to purge, and then purge again! Be ruthless in your endeavor to fight the clutter. Seriously though, if you can’t remember the last time you used it, you really don’t need it.
3. Corral Like Items
As your sort through what is left, pair like items together. This way you’p know just how much of each item you have left and what kind of storage options you’ll need. Use shelves, bins, hangers that won’t hurt your clothes and allow for more space in your closet, and any other tools you need to make sure that every item has a place. Many times I’ll use smaller bins inside of larger bins just to keep things corralled and in the right place.
Labeling is a great idea here as well, especially in a home with more than one person. After you’ve spent time organizing, you want others to be able to find items and put them back in the correct place after they’ve been used. Feel free to get creative! You can use certain colors for certain items or people in the home, utilize shelving units with wheels for items that may need to be used or carted from room to room… here the options are endless and are based on your own home needs!
Begin with a your essentials and plan your room and storage around your daily life. Start with the end in mind. And once you’ve come this far? Don’t be afraid to tweak and change what you’ve already done. Things change, you might have a better idea as your sort through different rooms, whatever you need there is always a solution to make it happen!