The Foolproof System For Home Organization
How to get started with home organization in three easy stages:
#1. Have a good thorough declutter
#2. Get yourself organized with planners, checklists and templates
#3. Set up regular routines and establish good habits
Stage 1: The 8 Step Plan To De Clutter Your Home
#1. Choose something you want to de clutter. It could be a room, closet, wardrobe or drawer. It doesn't matter how big or small the job. And it doesn't matter where you start - just don't start with something that's going to overwhelm you.
#2. Whatever you've chosen, completely empty it. While it's empty, give it a good clean.
#3. Sort the contents into piles for trash, recycle, give-away, sell or keep. It's important to be ruthless in deciding what you're going to let go. If you come across any important items like keys, credit cards or passports, put them in a safe place straight away!
#4. Organize what you're going to keep. Store similar things together and store related things together. For example, if it's a wardrobe, keep all your jeans together.
#5. Make best use of storage space. Use additional storage boxes or drawer dividers for better organization. Maybe there's room for additional shelving or a shoe rack. Label boxes so it's easy to find stuff.
#6. Find new homes for stuff. Odds are you will find things that don't really belong where you found them. So put them where it makes sense to store them. Also pack away out of season items into the loft or under bed storage.
#7. Do a final tidy up after your declutter session.
#8. Keep repeating the above process until you've decluttered the whole house. This may take lots of small sessions over a few weeks or you could blitz it all in three days.
Get and stay organized with these top declutter your home tips
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Stage 2: Get Yourself Organized With Planners, Checklists and Templates
Planning is easy with a few simple tools.
#1. Create some printable templates on your computer. Use these for menu planning before you go grocery shopping.
#2. Have a handy list you can add shopping items to as and when you discover you are running low on something.
#3. Use a diary to schedule actions and appointments, like pay a credit card bill.
#4. Create your own checklists and cleaning schedules using your computer.
Stage 3: Set Up Regular Routines
This is the key to being in control of your home.
Daily Routines:
#1. Clear the clutter. Go round the house with a basket. Collect everything that's in the wrong place. Return everything to it's rightful home.
#2. Deal with all mail. Aim to handle everything once. Schedule any bill payments or other actions in your diary.
#3. Check your diary, planners and checklists and draw up a "to do" list of actions for the day.
#4. If you have children, get them involved in picking up and putting away their toys before bath time
Weekly Routines:
#1. Clear the clutter. Collect all the old newspapers and magazines and send for recycle.
#2. Do a quick tour the house. Check for any visible clutter that is appearing or building up. Pay particular attention to floors and surfaces. Deal with any problems.
#3. Take on a small declutter project. It could be one of the closets, a drawer, a filing cabinet in your home office if you have one, or even something in the garage or garden shed.
Monthly Routines:
#1. Check all the smoke detectors are working.
#2. Clean the oven
#3. Clean the fridge
