Nobody is immune to clutter especially parents with young kids under foot. Despite being an organizing consultant, there are days when I’m just plain too tired after a long day to stay on top of it all. Even with good systems in place, there are times when you just can’t do it all – something has to give.
As I see it, there’s more value in enjoying your life than in keeping it perfectly organized. That said having a few good container storage strategies in place really does go along way to keeping both the stress and the clutter at bay when you’re really busy. First and foremost, come up with a focused plan of attack that is realistic and works within your existing schedule e.g. plan one hour sessions to conquer your clutter each week instead of aiming to clutter bust your home from top-to-bottom in one weekend alone. The latter may be unrealistic while the former should be much more manageable. Get the whole family involved and soon you’ll find satisfaction in accomplishing things one step at a time. It’s amazing how just one clutter free ‘hot spot’ (mine is our dining room table – its great surface to just dump stuff on) can really inspire improvements elsewhere in your home. Drag and drop. Whether you’re cleaning out your front closet or pantry drag everything out and drop what you don’t want in the appropriate bag or box e.g. trash bag or giveaway (garage sale/friends or relatives/the food bank). Be ruthless - get rid of anything you don’t need like outgrown footwear, food nobody likes etc. Clean. Now, sweep out the closet and/or wipe down the shelves. Store like things together. When you categorize items into groups of like things, it’s much easier to find what you need right away. Using a select few storage containers eliminates having to hunt all over for related items. For example, a pocket organizer hung on the back of your closet door will keep sunscreen, sunglasses, swim goggles, ear plugs, bathing caps and the like in one main location. Keeping snack foods together and storing all you baking ingredients on the same shelf will also be beneficial in your pantry. Prioritize container storage. Setting priorities as to what goes where is also beneficial. Think easy access for the things your family uses most often. If you have young children you’ll want to make sure they can access the items they need. Likewise, infrequently used items are most appropriate for high shelves or remote nooks and crannies. Now for the best ways to contain your stuff – your options range from bins, baskets, hooks and mini-shelves. The key is to make the most of your available space. Where possible your storage items should be clearly visible or boxed and labelled. You’ll also want a flexible storage system that can be adapted to your changing needs. Make the most of vertical space. Stacking bins are great for maximizing space especially ones with slide-out drawers on the side. Pile it sideways. As far as I’m concerned, putting your home office files on their side is the best way to go. When things are extra busy, I seem to have a combination of both but turning your paperwork on its side really does free up a lot of surface area. I find a collection of black plastic magazine holders from a local dollar does the job quite nicely. If you have a large number of files you want to store together look into vertical folder organizers available through most office supply outlets. Moveable storage. You can’t beat rolling cart for easy access. Simply roll out the cart when you need it and storage it away in a closet or under a table when you don’t. Open storage. If you have an open storage shelf your best bet is to coordinate your storage containers with your décor e.g. willow baskets in your family room or colorful plastic bins in your kid’s room. |