Ideas for Cleaning and Organizing During Isolation.

How to Make Your Home Clean and Organized During Self-Isolation

Most of us know that organizing is one of those household tasks that is not always at the top of our to do list.

Some of us who only have a couple of people in the house do organizational tasks a little bit everyday but when there is a family with kids, organizing can get put off and off. When this happens, the house can become filled with stuff that grows into more stuff.

But – because we are in the middle of having to self-isolate and work from home (in some cases) – now we have the time to organize around the house. And if you have kids that are out of school, get them involved.

And because we have this time on our hands, you can maintain a routine throughout the day. Do a little each day to have a clean and tidy home space, and something else to focus on and keep us active.

There are many tips for organizing that work and these simple organizing tips can help you get some of that stuff and clutter put away.

Closet Cleanse and Organizing Clothes

Doing a closet cleanse and organizing your clothes can be just as satisfying as a shopping trip to the mall. Your older kids will probably have fun doing this also, you never know what you’ll find that was forgotten about.

Arranging clothes by color and category (blouses, t-shirts, coats, pants, etc.) makes a closet and drawers have a little bit of a “wow” factor.

While we’re practicing social distance and self-isolation there may not be donation centers open so for clothes that don’t fit any longer, you may have to store these in the garage until you can donate them.

Organizing Pantry Shelves

In just about every pantry there are items that are never used and expired. This is a good time to clean out the old and organize the shelves.

Thank goodness, garbage pickup is still happening. Toss the old and arrange shelves by category such as: breakfast, lunch, spices, baking items, dinner, quick and easy meals, snacks and so on.

Under Sink Organization

Under sink organization (like bathrooms and under the kitchen sink) can also be cleaned and organized and if you have storage bins you’re not using anywhere else, you can label them for hair supplies, makeup, cleaning supplies, trash bags and so on.

Put Toys Away Before Bed

If the kids are old enough to play with toys, they’re old enough to help put them away. Putting toys away before going to bed helps to:

• Establish a routine that teaches kids about personal responsibility.
• Allow them to start the next day with an uncluttered room.
• Allows you to relax and enjoy a show, a book or whatever it is that you enjoy doing in a clean and tidy.

You can give each child an easy to carry basket for cleaning up toys. Then they can carry it to their room and put toys away where they belong before bed.

These are just some of the things you can easily clean and organize to keep you busy. I’m sure there are more places around the house though so I hope we’ve given you ideas of where to start.

Read Also: Cleaning Tips for Covid

The post Cleaning and Organizing During Self-Isolation appeared first on House Cleaning Central.

Tips for Organizing the Kids Toys

Does your house look like a tornado just blew through that left toys scattered everywhere? Honestly, when my kids were younger, the family room and their bedrooms were littered with toys that seemed to be taking over the entire house.

I liked knowing my children had a safe place to play and have fun in the house, but it can get out of control and overwhelming. Just thinking about cleaning up and knowing within the next two hours, the area I just cleaned will need to be picked up again.

When toys are left out, it not only creates stress because of the mess, but it can be dangerous as well. I have tripped and stepped on my fair share of toys, and it’s not fun.

Below are some ideas for organizing, purging and downsizing the toys in your home.

When to Keep, Toss, or Give Away a Toy

There was a point when we had to start asking ourselves questions about the toys the kids had. The kids weren’t necessarily spoiled but the toys just kept piling up.

When new toys came into the house – the old ones stayed. We really needed to talk with the kids and get them involved in going through their toys and decide what stayed and what we could donate or toss.

Some of the questions that should be considered in this process are:

1. When was the last time the kids played with this toy?
2. Is this toy damaged and/or unsafe to have around?
3. Was this toy a special gift and does it have sentimental value?
4. Has this toy been outgrown and has no real significance?
5. Really? We have two of these?

What Toys can be Thrown Away?

This might be the easiest of things to do. Get a large container or bag to hold the toys you’re tossing. Go through toys and games with the kids and pick out all the broken toys, anything with missing pieces, books that are damaged and so on.

Put these all in the container then set it aside and be sure to let the kids know what a great job they did helping to look for the broken toys.

What Toys Should be Kept or Donated?

This step is going to be hard. Keep your cool and be the loving parents you are. You can use a Keep Container and a Donate Container or if you have lots and lots of toys, just make a couple of piles. These should be toys that are still in decent condition, but aren’t played with anymore.

Toys to be Donated or Sold

If the kids have outgrown toys and you know they haven’t touched it in months these toys should go in the donate container. There is no need to unnecessarily keep them.

You can explain to the kids that some child who is not as lucky to have these toys would be so happy to be able to play with it until they grow out of it. That they are passing on the joy of a toy. I always found once the kids understood the joy of passing the toys on, they were a bit more eager to help with the donate process.

Now some toys we figured we could make a little money on and today with Facebook and Offer Up and the like, we can take a picture, post the item and sell them in a relatively short period of time. You make enough and the whole family can go out for dinner and ice cream. That’s a win in my book!

What Toys to Keep

If toys are regularly played with and offer fun entertainment, are encouraging the kids to be creative, learn and use their imagination, these are always keepers. Board games, books and putting on shows with dress up costumes were always good for family time.

I know me and the kids had hours and years of fun with Legos, plastic horses, painting, matchbox cars, kitchen playsets, etc.

My sisters and I all had kids of various ages so I did keep a container of items that were age appropriate for when they came to visit.

You may have toys or stuffed animals that hold a special meaning or memory. If this is the case but the kids don’t play with them, maybe they can be kept on a shelf up out of the way. Maybe they will become part of a family tradition to be passed on and enjoyed with the next generation?

Organizing the Toys

Now that you and the kids have gone through and decided what needs to be done with their toys, it’s time to get them organized.

There are so many ways to get organized. There are closet organizers, sturdy clear stackable containers, shelves of all sizes and styles, under the bed storage units, basket organizers, hanging hammocks for the stuffed animals – the list is a long one.

I remember using cute storage drawers for my daughters. We labeled the drawers with pictures of the toys that were inside. If your child is learning how to read, you can also use a large font that is easy to read. We had ours broken down into Barbie dolls, Play-Doh, crafts, and there was one that would change with whatever toy she was obsessing over.

How you organize the kid’s toys may depend on your needs and your personal style but the options are kind of endless.

Get the Kids Involved with Cleaning Up the Toys

When you’ve picked the way in which to keep the toys organized, you need to create a system that is age appropriate for the kids to help you put them back when they are finished playing with them.

Maybe a half hour before nap time or bedtime is when you decide toys should be put away – neatly and nicely.

Rotating Toys

After going through all the toys you’re keeping, keep an eye on what is getting used the most. If some things are hit and miss but do offer engaging game play or learning experiences and the kids have shown interest, think about rotating some of these with the toys that are played with over and over again. It might be like getting a new toy for them.

Managing Kids Toys

So how do you manage the toys that eventually make their way into the house? Well. One of the first things you can do is talk to the grandparents.

Talk with the Grandparents

I personally can’t wait to have grandkids and spoil them but I have many friends that do have grandchildren and they have been asked by the parents not to bring new toys with them when they come to visit. Birthdays, holidays, and special occasions are fine.

New Toy In – Old Toy Out

Christmas, birthdays, and other special occasions are when the bulk of new toys come into the house. If you’ve kept an eye on which toys are not played with, maybe you can set them aside somewhere and when new toys come in, get the toys that weren’t played with and donate or sell them.

Re-assessing the Toy Situation

Every few months or so, you and the kids should assess the toy situation. Show them the toys you know they don’t touch much. Have the conversation again about how they can make another child happy with the toys they haven’t used or even the possibility of selling the toy and adding the funds to their piggy bank. It’s up to you how you go about it but re-assessing the toys should be done.

These are just some ideas that might help you out. I’m sure you’ll figure out a system that works for you to help keep the toy clutter down.

The post How to Downsize and Organize Kids Toys appeared first on House Cleaning Central.

Cleaning Out the Garage.

Spring Cleaning the Garage

The garage is generally where things go when they don’t have another home, so figuring out where to start can be overwhelming.

There may be toys, tools, and boxes stacked every which way, but don’t despair; spring cleaning the garage is possible.

The garage is one of my favorite places to clean and organize, although I’m not really sure why? Maybe because it’s a challenge because it doesn’t get cleaned as often as other parts of the home? Whatever my reason, I love the look of a clean and organized garage.

No matter the size or scale of your mess, in the end it will be totally satisfying to spend the time purging, cleaning and organizing your garage.

Set Aside a Dedicated Time

Because the garage can be a catchall for stuff, cleaning and organizing the garage will most likely take up a significant amount of time. We recommend to set aside at least a weekend for you to devote your time to this task.

Gather Supplies for Cleaning

Before cleaning, assess what needs to be done in the garage and then gather up all the necessary supplies you’ll need such as cleaning products, garbage bags, and storage bins and labels.

Move Your Stuff Out of the Garage

If you are lucky enough to actually park cars in the garage, move them outside into the driveway before cleaning, this will allow some extra room to work.

If the garage is used mostly for storage or your husbands workshop, move everything on the floor (that can be moved) out into the driveway. This might be items like your lawn tools, yard care products, card tables and chairs, kid’s toys, holiday storage containers and so on.

If you have shelves or cabinets in the garage, this is a good time to go through and purge these areas as well.

Moving everything (that you can) out of the garage will help you see what you have and help make decisions on what you keep and what you get rid of.

Sort and Organize

Take a look at what you have and create piles for:

1. Items that need to be disposed of like broken tools, old paint, old yard chairs that aren’t safe to sit in, broken toys, etc.
2. The things you won’t use again that are good enough for a garage sale (like toys the kids have outgrown) or to be donated.
3. And a section for what needs to be organized and put back in the garage.

Make sure to check with your local garbage center to properly dispose of any hazardous materials you may have.

Cleaning the Space

Once you’ve emptied out the garage, now is the time to take the opportunity to thoroughly clean floors, walls, workspace, shelves, cabinets, and clean surfaces of dust and dirt and cobwebs.

Organizing the Work Bench

My husband’s work bench gets every little thing piled on top of it, which isn’t helpful when he needs the space to work on a project.

First, clear off anything that doesn’t belong on the work bench. If you have a couple of 5 gallon buckets or a few boxes these will work great for sorting. Gather tools and other items that belong in the work area and sort any non-tool items that don’t belong and go elsewhere.

When you’ve cleared the workbench, put back what belongs on the work bench. If you don’t have a tool box or you have more tools than will fit, here are a few ideas for storing tools and other work bench needs:

• Use a pegboard for excess tools.
• Use component drawers for screws, nails, etc.
• Put tools/supplies used often in a tool caddy.
• Use milk crates for storage under the bench to hold larger items.

Once you have found a home for all your tools and tool related gadgets, you can move onto other parts of your garage.

Organizing Holiday Decorations

The garage is a great place to store holiday decorations and supplies you use throughout the year. Make sure they are organized by season so you can easily find what you need for a particular season.

For example, if you only have a few things for Easter, but a ton of spring decorations, you can probably store them together since you’ll be looking for them around the same time of year.

Make sure to label the storage containers for each holiday. I also use clear storage containers so I can visually see what’s in the container. If they have both Easter and spring decorations, put that on the label and make sure you place them on the shelves with the label visible.

Put the decorations you use infrequently on the top shelves and save lower shelves for frequently used items.

Cleaning the Refrigerator and Freezer

If there are extra appliances in the garage like a refrigerator or freezer that don’t get regular attention, clean them now just like you clean the appliances inside the house.

The first step is to take everything out to clean the interior. Wash the removable shelves in your kitchen sink and dry thoroughly before putting them back in. If you have a freezer in the garage and it needs defrosting, put any items in a cooler so they stay frozen then defrost as usual.

After undertaking the inside, it’s time to clean the outside. Pay extra attention to the top and sides as they might have more dust and grime on them.

Don’t forget to pull the appliances away from the wall and vacuum the coils underneath and behind. Excessive dust in the coils can cause the appliance to function less efficiently.

Cleaning the Lawn Mower

In an ideal world, cleaning the lawn mower is something that really should be done in the fall but hey, sometimes we get busy and forget.

If the lawn mower is stored in the garage because you don’t have a shed and want to keep it out of the elements, you’ll want to clean it before bringing it back in to your spotless garage.

Use the hose to clean the blades carefully by spraying away the dirt, grime, and dried, stuck on grass. Make sure to carefully and fully dry the blades after rinsing so they don’t rust.

Never turn the lawn mower upside down because it could leak gas or oil; instead use a block underneath one side to tilt the mower so the underside is easily accessible.

Finally, use a rag to wipe the top, sides and handle of the lawn mower to ensure any remaining dirt or water is removed.

When you bring it back in the garage, first put down an indoor/outdoor piece of carpeting or rubber mat to keep the garage floor from possibly getting oil, gas, or grass stains.

Organizing Cleaners, Paint and Oil

If you keep extra cleaning supplies, have extra paint and painting supplies, oil for cars and fertilizers think about purchasing a cabinet. There are many different standing cabinets to choose from that will fit your needs and space requirements.

Cabinets are an extra nice way of keeping your garage organized and clean.

Cleaning Garbage and Recycling Cans

Some people keep their garbage and recycling cans in the garage, either to keep them out of the elements or to keep any critters from getting in them.

Make sure to clean the trash and recycling cans outside. The lawn is always a good option. First you have to empty them, so you may need to plan this for a day or two after your garbage is picked up.

1. Pre-rinse the cans with the garden hose to get out any gunk.
2. Mix some warm water with a squirt or two of dish detergent in a bucket.
3. Use a long-handled brush with your cleaning solution to reach down and clean the inside of your trashcan.
4. Rinse it out when you’re done. Make sure the water runs clean, so you know that you’ve removed all the soap.
5. Let the cans dry out before adding any trash and putting them back in the garage.

Keeping Trash Cans Clean

Now that your garbage and recycle cans are clean, try to keep them that way. Although no method is foolproof, here are a few things you can do to minimize the mess:

• Keep the garbage cans clean by making sure everything thrown out is in a bag. Double bag any wet or runny garbage.
• Keep the recycle can clean by rinsing recyclable items.

Cleaning the Garage Floor

One of the last steps when cleaning your garage is to give the floor a good sweeping. If your garage has interlocking floor tiles, and you want to do more than sweep, use a shop vac with a floor brush attachment or dust mop with plain water. If there are some stubborn marks on the tiles, try a short-bristled deck brush to tackle the spots.

If you want to deep clean the garage floor, here is an article that will walk you through the steps.

Cleaning the Garage Floor

Once everything is clean, you can put away the items that are staying in the garage and find a new home for the items that don’t belong there or get ready to have a garage sale and make a little extra cash!

Storage Options:

• Shelving
• Cubby’s for kids toys, skates
• Organizers for rakes and other gardening tools

The post How to Spring Clean the Garage appeared first on House Cleaning Central.

Organizing Your Home Office Closet.

Organizing Your Home Office Closet

If you have a room in your house that doubles as a home office you will most likely need to use the closet in that room as storage for supplies. Having a clean and organized space, even the closet, can make your work day more manageable.

And if your home office may also be a guest room on occasion, you may really need to organize the closet with that in mind.

Below we’ll take a look at some ideas for storing office supplies and more in your home office closet.

Getting Started

The first step is to take everything out of the closet and organize the content into piles. You will need a basket, box, or trash bag for:

• Things that go back in closet.
• Items that go elsewhere in the house.
• Stuff and junk that goes in the trash.

When you are finished, take out the trash and set the stuff that goes elsewhere off to the side, you can take care of it later.

If the closet already has existing shelves, give them a cleaning before putting everything back.

Utilizing the Closet

Once you’ve figured out what goes back inside the closet, take a good look inside the closet. When you have guests that stay a night or two can you give up hanging space for more shelving? If yes, there are many nice shelving units to consider. Not only will they meet your daily needs but that of your guests as well.

Most closets have a top shelf where you can use that space to keep storage boxes of the business papers you don’t access often. Keep papers you do need on shelves that are easily accessible.

If you have a standing shelf in the room you can use for storage and you have a printer that doesn’t get used much, and you don’t want taking up desk space, think about getting a sturdy rolling cart, you can roll the printer in and out of the closet as needed.

Office Supply Storage Ideas

Generally, you will have some of your regular office supplies on your desk or in a drawer of your desk. For extra supplies that will go in the closet, organize your these by putting like items together: copy paper, printer cartridges, notepads, pencils, post-its notes, etc.

Use clear bins, stackable baskets, drawer organizers, compact shelf organizers and other containers to maximize shelf space. Organizers come in various sizes that can accommodate many things. I suggest you label each so you know what is inside, I like the chalkboard labels so I can easily erase and relabel as needed.

You can also keep a clipboard hanging on the inside of the closet door with your main list of supplies and check items you’ll need on your next trip to the office supply store so you don’t forget and run out of supplies entirely.

Storing Guest Room Supplies

If your home office doubles as a guest room, chances are you will need some storage space for a couple of bins with supplies. As we have guests that occasionally stay with us and I don’t need access to these items on a regular basis, I keep them higher on a shelf.

I keep a nice set of sheets and towels separate from the families supply. I keep mine in space saver bags with a dryer sheet so they stay fresh.

If you are like me and your family has a media library, you sometimes find you have duplicate movies. Instead of getting rid of them, I keep them in a container on a shelf for guests to watch in the privacy of the room.

Storing Family Items in the Office Closet

Only keep what really needs to be in your home office, mainly your office items. So before putting any of these items back in the closet, ask yourself a couple of questions:

1. Why are we hanging onto this, do we really need or use it?
2. Is there somewhere else we can store it that is more accessible to our needs?

If you feel you have nowhere else to store games, books or other items from around the house, maybe you need to organize another closet after you are done with the office.

Final Steps

Keep like items together – all my office supplies are easily accessible. Any guest room supplies or family supplies are on higher shelves as they are not used much.

You can even get different colored storage containers or labels for guest and family items then you know at a glance what these containers are meant for.

Once you have everything back in, step back and see how much better your home office closet looks, and if you haven’t organized other closets in the house yet, maybe now you will.

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Getting Organized with These Thrifty Ideas

Are you tired of the unorganized mess around your house?

Do you want to get organized and clean up the space you live in?

I started out in a small home with small rooms and a growing family.

Magazines on tabletops and kitchen counters so full we couldn’t use them just wasn’t working, not to mention the stuff three kids and a husband brought home and piled in the front hall and coat closet. Hello, please put your stuff away!

Are you feeling like the same thing is happening to you? Did you ever feel like you were packed to the rafters with endless piles of shoes, coats, backpacks, books, and so much more?

I did and I’m shaking my head at the memories of it all. Over the years I’ve come up with many thrifty organizing ideas to organize the clutter and keep what little space we had clean.

Here are my favorite thrifty ways to help get things off counters and floors and stored in a better more organized and creative way.

Get your Living Spaces in Order

Living in an organized home is much more pleasant than tripping over a pair of sneakers every time you walk in the house and its nice being able to eat a meal at a clean table.

These ideas can be used for living room, family room, bedrooms, kitchen, and basement areas.

My parents, every Christmas, gave us a gift basket of goodies. I used to give the baskets back to my Mom or I’d use them when giving gifts to others.

What the heck was I thinking? I need to keep those baskets for myself!

Organizing Your Books and Magazines

Baskets are a great place to put your magazines and books that you’re currently reading. In order for this to work without the basket getting piled sky high – don’t hang on to old magazines and books you’ve already finished.

Recycle and Donate Old Books and Magazines

Recycle magazines and take your books to a bookstore where they buy them and get yourself something else to read.

If you don’t have baskets, take a trip to the thrift store. You will find so many at a fraction of the cost of a new one. You can even paint them to match your aesthetic nature.

Movie, Video Games and Music CDs

There are multiple options available depending on your living space and budget. Some of us only have a small amount of music CDs and movies – others have a whole collection of one or both.

My daughter is in the category of “both”. For movies, games and music she has a separate CD case (with a whole lotta pages) and stores them in alphabetical order. No cases to mess with or take up room. She found her cases on an online community site for next to nothing and they were in great condition.

Other Options for CD Storage:

• If you have a household of boys and their friends that get a little rough and tumbly and you feel the need to seriously protect your collection of CDs, DVDs, games, etc., there are hard case options. These cases can be expensive so try and find a used one.
• You can also save or have your friends save you the spindle CDs come on and store your items there as well. If you use this option, store the spindle on its side (vertical) so the CDs are not sitting right on top of each other.
• Decorative storage boxes are nice and easy for storage, they stack nicely, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes with many different pictures on them.

Storage Chest or Ottoman with Storage

I know I’ve suggested using these for other things but they are so great! At one time we used a long, short, storage chest as our coffee table and I loved it. Either option: storage chest or ottoman with storage, are great for storing so many things. Family games and cozy blankets are just a couple of them.

Later I updated the storage chest by making a cushion and attaching it to the lid and used it by our front window. It may have turned into a seat but it still provided much needed storage.

I see storage chests at thrift stores all time in wood that I can paint, decorate and make my own.

Using Apple or Wine Crates for Storage

Oh what a fan of these I am! I love the country look. When I find these I typically leave them in the state they are in (I don’t get any that are really beat up though) and I typically find mine in the antique stores or at garage sales. Sometimes you will find the older ones in the thrift stores though.

These have great visual appeal when they’re hanging on a wall and used for storing items.

Organizing the Entryway

In our first home the front entryway was small and we had a hall closet with an actual door instead of sliders or a folding door. For us it was nice as we could take advantage of “door space”.

Use a Shoe Organizer

In order to help keep it organized, I hung a shoe organizer on the back of the door of our coat closet. It held some of our extra shoes but we took it a step further and also stored gloves, scarves, keys, and any odds & ends we used and were small enough to store in this way.

This idea can be used in any room with a door.

Wall Mounted Coat Rack

If you have an empty wall, mount a coat rack. Now coats and umbrellas can get hung up instead of dumped on the ground.

Using a Storage Chest

A storage chest or old toy box can be used under the coat rack for additional storage needs. It also provides a place for sitting and putting on your shoes.

Again, I found our coat rack and storage chest at the thrift store. I was pretty proud of myself for cleaning them up and making some great use of them.

Organizing Countertops

Countertops; whether kitchen or bathroom, are a catch all for a lot of stuff. Stuff, that takes up valuable space, especially when you’re limited.

Ideas for Getting the Kitchen Counters Organized

Kitchen counters are a landing place for a lot of random stuff, not only kitchen supplies but things that belong in other rooms. And when you’re limited on space, it’s a premium, and keeping counters clear are a must.

Here are some things you can try for getting those counters organized.

Clear the Counters First

1. First, clear the counters off and clean them – Ah, doesn’t that feel better.
2. If you’ve found you have multiples of things, be a good friend and share.
3. Now put everything back where it belongs, even if it’s in another room.

Remember, not everything has to go back on the counters, if it isn’t used that much, put it away.

Use a Lazy Susan

My family loves a good piece of peanut butter and honey toast. It’s a favorite snack of ours. We also use a lot of toothpicks, love drinking tea, and there are a few other things we use regularly.

If your family has their favorites and they get left scattered on the counter, try using the Lazy Susan for keeping them organized and in one place.

I found mine at a garage sale. I only paid a couple dollars for it and it cleaned up nicely.

Use a Paper Towel Dispenser

Instead of leaving paper towels on the counter, use a paper towel dispenser that attaches to the side of a cabinet.

Start a Junk Drawer

When your kitchen is a place you do mail, the kids do homework, and things sometimes get fixed. Start a junk drawer where you can store pens, pencils, scissors, screwdriver, tacks, shoelaces – you know the stuff that used to get left on the counters.

A great way to organize these drawers is by using some of your smaller Tupperware containers that don’t have lids. One for batteries, another for writing instruments, etc.

Bill Organizer or Basket?

For many of us, the most logical place for mail is in the kitchen. Instead of just dumping it there and watching it pile up, throw the junk out immediately. Put the rest in a bill organizer, basket, or some other bill sorter that can easily be stored (and not take up a lot of space) on the countertop.

My kids and I did a family project for an organizer. I got this idea from a friend and we all had a fun time making them.

We took empty cereal boxes, turned it on its side, cut a little less than half from the front of the box, decorated the box with some of my scrapbooking papers (inside & out) and made labels for file folders that went inside.

We only needed one, so they gave the others as gifts to the grandparents.

Countertop Canisters

If you do a lot of cooking, get creative with the way you store your most used utensils. I had an old metal teapot that I used to hold my most used cooking utensils, what do you have?

Clean Up the Bathroom Countertops

With two girls and lots of hair stuff, and other girlie things. We’ve had to get creative. There are things that were used daily and couldn’t stay on the counter but made sense to have them out and handy.

Hanging Storage

We had a little wall space so we decided to make some hanging storage. We went to the thrift store and bought this great shelf.

We painted it to match the bathroom and hung some mason jars (from the bottom side of the shelf) for storing cotton balls, Q-tips, barrettes, etc. I also added an old double sided hook to the bottom side for hanging towels, PJ’s, whatever.

On the top of the shelf we added a little wire basket for holding wash cloths, another mason jar for more storage, etc.

Container Storage

Old Tupperware containers with lids are the perfect place to put makeup. It’s all in one place and when you’re done, it stores nicely under the sink. If you have kids that share a bathroom, use one for each of their personal stuff and label the container. They stack nicely too.

These are just some things I have done using the second hand items. I spent the time fixing them up to reflect my own style and had a blast doing it.

These were projects that my whole family got involved in, and in the process I taught my kids creative ways to organize around our house.

The post Thrifty Ideas to Get Organized appeared first on House Cleaning Central.

Tips for Organizing and Storing your Belongings

Organizing and storing my personal belongings has been a problem that I have had to face since I became an adult.

Actually, I think this has been an age old problem for humans since we stopped being nomads and settled down and began accumulating “stuff”.

The good news is that there are some very easy solutions for storing and organizing all that clutter that is messing up your home.

You can go to one of those fun stores and be enticed by all the bins, baskets, and buckets in all their pretty colors and sizes. And you may leave with lots of things to put your stuff in but you will also leave with either empty pockets or a huge credit card bill. (guilty here!)

I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy these organizing tools. But before you do, take an inventory of what you have and go through your belongings and make a plan. Then go to the store and get what you need.

With a busy household, 3 kids, a cleaning company and this website to run.. I’ve had to learn to be very organized on so many levels.

1 missing document, like a bill, homework or legal document can cause a whole lot of anxiety and wasted energy.

Are you ready then?

Let’s go through the process and I’ll show you how to start organizing your own home.

Start Small For Big Results

It is never wise to undertake organizing your house in a short amount of time. Short cutting is almost always a recipe for failure. Proper organization will need to be done over a longer period of time.

Take it slow, seriously and pace yourself.

The most important step to organizing a cluttered home is to pick your battle area first. You probably can’t do your whole house all at once, so pick a room and start there.

• Decide which room you want to organize first. It is best to start with smaller rooms that are less cluttered.
• You will be less likely to feel overwhelmed by starting small and will have a greater chance of successfully understanding the process.
• If you feel that you must start with a larger room, break it down into smaller areas. Never look at a room as a whole while trying to organize it.

Make a List and Check it Twice

1. Get a notebook that you can use strictly for making your plan. Be organized and use it only for organizing.
2. Starting on the first page, title it with the name of the room.
3. Sit down in the room and evaluate it honestly. Are there papers lying on the tables? Are there items in the room that truly belong somewhere else in the house? Be truthful.
4. Write the items that should belong in the room on your list. This will allow you to decide if the other things are absolutely necessary.

Inventory and Categorize your Belongings

It is never easy to get rid of possessions that we have become accustomed to seeing daily. Sometimes parting with old items is necessary in order to maintain an organized home that is free from clutter.

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions

First, you need to inventory your “stuff” and sort it into three categories:

• Get 3 large cardboard boxes.
• Using a marker, label one Keep.
• The next box should be labeled Donate.
• The last box needs to be labeled Trash.
• Start in a small area of the room such as a table, shelf or cabinet.
• Pick up each object and consider these three questions: Do I love it? Do I need it? Will it make me money? Be sure to answer each question honestly.
• If you have decided to keep the item, place it in the Keep box.
• When you come across an item that you no longer need, you must then decide what to do with it. Check the item carefully.
• Does it still serve the purpose for which it was meant? Is it damaged in any way? If the item could still be useful for someone else, donate it. If not, it goes in the Trash box.

Keep

Things you really need and use.

Donate/Give Away

Things you really DO NOT need or use occasionally but could be more useful to others. Be brave and say – bye-bye now – take a deep breath and give it away or donate it.

Trash

Things that are no longer useful to you or anyone else (i.e.: broken or not fixable).

You can do it, put the trash in a big black bag and take it right out to the curb.

Put the give items in a box and deliver them to your local thrift store. There, now you have removed two-thirds of the “stuff” and that means you are more than halfway to organizing your designated room.

Now to Clean your Organized Area

Now that you can see the floor, it is time to clean. The entire area must be cleaned thoroughly before returning the Keep objects to their proper places.

1. Knock down any cobwebs and dust the walls off. Many people don’t realize that dust can accumulate on walls.
2. Clean the table or shelf with the appropriate product for the surface.
3. Vacuum or sweep that section of the room.
4. Clean each object carefully before placing it where it belongs.
5. Enjoy and Continue
6. Step back and look at what you have accomplished. Doesn’t the area look better than it did before you organized it?
7. Now, continue throughout the rest of the room using the same process.
8. Set aside an hour each week to continue evaluating each room. This will help to keep you organized and clutter-free continually.

Tackling What’s Left

Next, tackle the things you want to keep (remember it’s about one-third of what you started with so it’s not so overwhelming now).

You will need to make some decisions at this point about how you want to store your things. One of the quickest and least expensive ways to store items is to install shelves.

Shelving units can be added to available closet space and you can put up shelves in the shed or the garage. There are a variety of shelves available at your local home improvement store in all sorts of shapes, colors, and cost. Most shelving you can install yourself.

Keeping Similar Things Together

Organize what’s left by sorting them into piles according to how you want to store them. You will want to keep like things together, Christmas decorations, a container for the kid’s mementos, Halloween, Easter and other holiday decorations, etc.

Things you use more frequently should not be grouped with things you need but use rarely. Now you have an idea of what you need. Go get those storage containers.

Using Storage Containers

Before you go shopping make note of the sizes you need and what it will be storing in them. If it’s one of the kid’s rooms, you may be storing stuff in the closet and under the bed. Maybe you’ll need a basket for the dresser.

Besides the container store, you might want to look at local thrift shops. I have found many storage containers in excellent shape and I didn’t pay a lot. Just give them a good scrubbing and they are like new.

Arranging it and Putting it all Away

Finally, put your newly stored things away.

Remember to keep the containers with your most frequently used items to the front where you can access them easily.

Maintaining your Organized Home

All your hard work will be wasted if you don’t maintain a system.

When you take something out of a container to use it, make sure when it’s time, put them back where they came from. Just this one simple step will keep you organized for years to come.

Now, you’re ready to tackle the other rooms, go for it!

The post Tips for Organizing and Storing your Belongings appeared first on House Cleaning Central.

Cleaning and Organizing the Garage.

How to Organize the Garage

My husband is one of those that believe the garage should be used only for what it was meant for. (That’s ONLY the Car).

Unfortunately, it can’t always be that way.

At least on one side of the garage…

We accumulate “stuff” in my garage; stuff for holiday decorations, stuff for birthday parties, stuff for the house, you know…stuff.

So now my honey is a little upset with me for messing up his garage. I want my husband to have a nice work space, so I’m on a mission to clean up this messy garage.

So are you ready to get busy then? Let’s organize the garage!

Pull Everything out of the Garage

Start by taking everything out of the garage and put it outside in the driveway.

Everyone has to come to grips at this point that not everything will be going back in the garage.

Yes, some things will be moved elsewhere, but still some things will be taken to the dump.

What a Mess!

Has it spilled into the yard and has some of your stuff made it into the neighbor’s yard? Yikes!

Now it’s time to decide what to keep, what to donate, and what to trash. Separate these items into 3 separate piles:

1. What you must keep – like the snow blower
2. What you can donate or give away – the stuff that still works- but you no longer use, or need, or even want
3. Trash – anything that is broken, useless or just downright garbage can go into bags, boxes or a dumpster for final removal.

Organizing your Belongings

There are some things that will most likely stay in the garage like some sporting equipment, yard tools, bikes, and of course all the other guy tools for working on cars, and fixing the plumbing.

We purchased metal cabinets for my husband. There are so many to choose from – he wanted them all – but we had to be practical and buy what fit into the space we have available.

So what do we use?

Containers

I like to see what is in the containers I store things in. I also label containers. So I went out and bought some containers in various sizes and some labels.

Store like items together such as Christmas decorations, Easter decorations, clothing items, etc. Pack them nicely and label each container.

When you’re done, stack them with the labels facing out. If you don’t have a shed or attic for storage then these can be neatly stacked in the garage and out of the way (Maybe in one of the new cabinets or shelves you might want to be putting in).

Cabinets

We bought four lower cabinets and four upper cabinets. The lower section consist of a couple of tool boxes and a couple of cabinets, all these are on wheels and can be moved around.

I put some of my containers in the cabinets. I also put chemical products of like types together.

All the lawn supplies, paint supplies, and car detailing and washing supplies are stored together in their own specific area.

Hooks

Garage hooks are ideal for hanging heavy or bulky items such as bikes or yard equipment like weed eaters.

You can also put up a peg board and hang garden tools or frequently used hand tools for easy access.

Look for heavy duty galvanized steel.

We can find what we need quickly and I like that.

Shelving

Garage shelves are great for holding items you use frequently.

Look for one that’s heavy duty but still light enough to move easily.

I also place my storage containers on the shelves to keep the containers off the floor and help to keep the garage looking neat and organized.

Work Bench

There is a nice work bench area that is a little bigger than the four lower cabinets and off to the side of all this on either end of the work bench are large storage units.

Look for something durable, preferably with drawers.

We have organizing bins on the top of the work bench that holds nuts, bolts, and other misc hardware that can be accessible in a jiffy.

My husband is in garage heaven. He has a place for everything, can move around easily when working on cars, motorcycles, whatever – and now when I have a project for him to make – it actually gets done.

If after all this organizing and adding cabinets, shelves, etc., you can still fit your car in the garage – that’s a bonus too.

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How to Prepare a Spare Room for Guests

It isn’t often but we do get the occasional visitor that stays a night or two or more. My kids still live at home while continuing their education, sometimes they have a friend that is in town visiting and they all want their own room.

Other times it might be family members that are in town over a holiday and they definitely want their own room.

Whatever the reason is – we are here to help you make relaxing accommodations for a guest room that might be a spare room or one that doubles as a den or home office.

All of our “real” bedrooms are assigned and being used by my family. The only other room that has a door and offers privacy is an office type room that we use for the den and another that doesn’t have a closet (so it’s technically not a bedroom, though it suits our purposes just fine.

Many people, however, either have to move one of the kids to a couch or share a room with someone else. But if you have spare rooms or a den space, why not put the guests up in that room?

Relax, I know just how to get this done. Let’s make your spare room comfortable and welcoming for your visitors. 

Creating a Warm and Welcoming Room for your Guests

It doesn’t matter if you are using a spare bedroom or home office as your guest room, it’s what you do with it that will make a warm and welcoming space. 

When purchasing your furniture, make sure it’s functional and match your design style. Pick items that work in the space you have available.

Hanging decorative hooks on a wall or an over the door hook or hanger are a nice touch. This way your guests have a place to hang a towel or a bathrobe.

If the room is used infrequently (in between guests), make sure the sheets are clean and open the windows, before your guests arrive, to let some clean air circulate. You can also light a fragrant candle or use essential oils to get the room smelling fresh.

Use a Stylish Sleeper Sofa or Stylish Bed

Sleeper sofas vary in size and comfort levels, so be sure to test it before you buy it. Make sure to measure your space before shopping. When the bed is fully extended you want to have enough room to move around the bed comfortably.

Some sofa beds have a pull out space under the bed where sheets and blankets can be stored and even if you get a sleeper sofa that you feel is comfortable, you company may not. Consider purchasing a nice, thick, comfy pad that can go over the cushion – these as well come in a variety of styles.

Stylish beds might be a luxury for a guest room but I feel they are worth every penny. A bed is another way to show off your decorating skills and make a room look great.

I use lots of pillows and big fluffy bedspreads you can sink into. I’ve been told my guests will never leave. Thankfully, they always do though!

Add a Bedside Table

If you have a little extra space next to the sofa bed, try using a small side table. Get one with a drawer and shelf. This way your guests have a place for their phone, laptop, and they have a place to keep their jewelry and smaller items.

Storage Cabinets and Shelving Units

Shelving units comes in handy for office needs and for holding items like a small TV (with DVD player), movies, music, or books that your guests might like to use. If your room doesn’t have a closet, shelving units are also a place your guests can keep pants, shirts, socks, and other clothing items.

Another thing you might want to look for if the guest room doubles as an office is a shelving unit that has a locking cabinet. This way you can put your personal papers in there and keep it secure while there is a guest in the house.

Office Furniture

If your guest room is also the home office, there are many styles of desks to choose from. Some are fully enclosed on all sides with drawer space, some are open with just the desktop.

You won’t want to get an over-sized desk as your guests will need to have room to move when the sofa bed is extended.

If you have bills, personal, and confidential papers, consider looking for a desk with a locking drawer.

Adding the Finishing Touches to a Guest Room

Once you have furniture and the room is setup – let’s make the guest bedroom comfortable and welcoming by adding some finishing touches.

Guest Room Decorative Baskets with Bathroom Basics

A guest basket is a thoughtful idea to keep your visitors feeling welcomed and comfortable. Put your baskets together a few days in advance.

Here are a handful of items to keep in your guest basket:

• Fresh bath towels and wash cloths.
• Decorative soaps.
• New toothbrushes and toothpaste.
• Shampoo, conditioner, q-tips, and lotions.
• Sweet and savory individual sized snacks (for the late night muncher).
• Some optional items are ibuprofen, antacids, chapstick, etc.

Make sure you have items suitable for both men and women.

You can keep some items in your guest basket stored on a shelf until needed, cover it with plastic wrap if there are long periods of time between visitors. I always do my towels last so I’m sure they are fresh smelling.

If your guests are from out of town you can even create a list of attractions, restaurants and shopping malls to leave in the basket.

Leave a Guest Book for Your Guests to Sign

One time while staying at my aunt and uncles house, I noticed she added a guest book for her guests to sign and leave a message. I ran with the idea and have been doing the same thing ever since. What a smart idea and a great way to make memories.

I have also made my own paper that I stacked and tied with twine for my guests to sign and leave us a message. They would then put their note in an old 45 record case of mine. Now we had a box of memories.

This is a great idea for your guests to know they are welcomed into your home.

Share the Closet Space

Some home offices or spare bedrooms will already have shelf space in the closet. Make sure you have a place for your guests to hang their clothes and a place to put other types of clothing items.

Welcome Your Guests with Fresh Flowers

Fresh flowers are another great way to welcome your guests. They’ll be grateful you went the extra mile.

I would stick to cut flowers that don’t have an overpowering scent and try to get a color that matches the rooms theme.

Pictures and Lighting

Pictures add a nice touch to any room. For your guest room, go simple and create a grouping on one wall.

Most rooms have a blaring overhead light so look for a lamp that has a soft glow that makes the room feel cozy and homey.

When you’ve finished creating your perfect guest room, you’ll have to invite someone over for the weekend to show it off.

The post Creating and Organizing a Spare Room for Guests appeared first on House Cleaning Central.

How to Organize your Craft Room

If you love crafts then you know how easily your passion for this hobby can take over.

Scrap book supplies stacked in one corner, fabric and material piled on a chair, yarns, thread and knitting needles bursting out of drawers, cabinets, closets, and shelves.

It doesn’t matter whether you paint, crochet, scrapbook or quilt; the fact is, all of those supplies and half-finished projects can quickly fill every single corner, nook and cranny if you’re not careful.

But don’t worry! I’ve been there more often than I care to admit. It seems my craft room is always being organized and re-organized.

Since I enjoy making things so much for my loved ones, I need to stay on top of it. It’s like Christmas for me and my kids like the things I give them!

So come on girls, if you want to organize the chaos and get your supplies in order, let’s get busy and organize your messy craft room.

Organizing your Craft Space

Having multiple projects going at one time can leave you feeling flustered and maybe like you’ve gotten a little out of control. So organizing your craft room efficiently is essential to keeping your project on track. (And it keeps my mind straight!)

But no two craft rooms will need to be alike, maybe you do multiple crafts and your friend just does sewing, so each room will be set up a little differently.

Don’t feel like you have to keep the room totally craft oriented either.

I have a super comfy easy chair in a corner of the room with a nice standing lamp. I love to relax in that chair and read a good book with all my things around me.

Craft Room Basics

I’ll go over the things I have in my craft room and what I do to keep it organized.

My craft room is a spare bedroom and I’m sure, like many other home crafters, I suffer from having too many projects going at one time, each and every one vying for my attention.

I may also own a craft store within my craft room. Seriously! I don’t know if that’s good or bad or if it means I’m obsessed?

Hmmmm. Time to clean!

Tables, Baskets and Bins

For all crafters a very important tool is the table. I have one that is almost the size of a standard bedroom wall. It works great for me when I’m standing and when I’m sitting at the sewing machine.

My table has no storage but I have some great baskets and clear storage bins and an extra smaller table under it. It works with my design aesthetics.

Tables come in so many shapes and sizes and come with various storage options. It just depends on the space you have and the types of crafts you’ll be doing – and with whom you are doing them with. If you have younger kids, you may want an additional table that is just their size.

You can even make your own by using a couple of smaller shelves and an old flat door or thick sheet of plywood for the top. You can paint the top with chalkboard paint and have a really original tabletop.

Chairs and Stools

I have a very comfortable wicker chair I use frequently. It’s similar to a high backed chair with no arms. Personally, I don’t recommend an office type chair, they tend to be a little too deep and cause a bit of back ache.

I also have a couple of stools that I like sitting at while doing crafts. And then I do a lot of standing. The process of having a creative mind keeps me moving.

Cabinets and Shelves

On either side of my table I have cabinets where I store some of my larger craft items. My cabinets are old, made of wood, and have four shelves. In one of them I keep my Cuttlebug, Vagabond, dies, embossing folders, magazines, and other larger supplies for making cards and scrapbook pages, etc.

The other cabinet holds some of my sewing supplies; fabric, patches, extra sewing machine parts like needles and bobbins, cutting utensils, sewing magazines, etc.

On another wall I have a cabinet that has about 12 drawers in various sizes. Each drawer has a chalkboard front so I can nicely jot down what is in the drawer. Most of the drawers hold scrapbook supplies like brads, letters, word packs, adhesives, stamps, decorative scissors, gems and the list goes on – and on.

You can customize your area based on the types of crafts you like to do best.

Closet Space

On closet shelves I keep papers, paper cutters, my supply of fake flowers that I use to make scrap books and other items in clear plastic containers that can be used for many different types of projects.

I keep some of my scrapbook albums on a shelf and I also use space in the closet for some of those unfinished projects that I am going to finish any day now!

Clearing out the Clutter and Excess Supplies

It may come as no surprise to those of you who are organizing your craft room but you will most likely come up against some excess supplies. Yes, we “crafty” people are notorious for collecting clutter.

We tend to save every little scrap of paper or material; every loose button; odd colored paint; and mixing jar. If we think there is the slightest chance we can use something someday (even 20 years from now), we have the tendency to put it somewhere in our craft closet.

I have found that I’ve rarely used those scraps I saved. So if they really won’t be used I toss the junk. Some of my extra supplies I dole out to my kids so they can do their own crafts (in their own homes).

If family members can’t use your extra supplies, see if a friend could use them. You could also have a craft/garage sale and try to make some of your money back.

Another good way to get rid of excess supplies is to donate them. I have given quite a bit of craft supplies to our local Children’s Hospital. Pass on the fun of crafting.

Keeping your Craft Room Clean

I know it isn’t going to be easy because we creative types always have a vision.

But try to buy the supplies you need right at the time you need them, to avoid having excess materials that will just go to waste.

Reorganize your supplies often and get rid of excess materials that will clutter the room up.

Tip: Use one of your old perscription bottles to put sharps in, like pins and needles. When it’s full, it’s tossed safely into the garbage.

An organized craft room is a place where you can relax, create and enjoy the hobbies you love, a place to encourage creativity. So, think about these suggestions and get to work. A perfectly organized craft space awaits you!

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Organizing Tips for the Home Office

As more and more people work from home, the home office is a new essential living space.

That also means that we have yet another area that gets cluttered, dirty and has to be cleaned and organized.

I am able to work from home and while I greatly enjoy what I do, my computer desk and laptop can feel just like a ball and chain that won’t let me go anywhere else OR do anything else.

And I’m getting pretty sick of the weight of it!

The problem is that most of the clutter in my den is actually valuable paperwork that needs to be saved.

So I had to figure out how to store everything I need for work, while keeping it easily accessible, neat and organized, especially since I have occasional guests that stay.

What Matters the Most is to Find What you Need, When you Need It.

 I’ve cleaned and organized my home office several times for many years as my business needs have evolved. I think that qualifies me as an expert home office organizer!

I’m happy to share several ideas below to help you find the best way to organize and store your own home office supplies. Are you ready to get busy then? Let’s clean and organize your home office!

I (Really) Know you Don’t Need all that Paper…

Not every piece of paper that is scattered across your desk is valuable. Make two piles for your papers; a pile to be tossed out and a pile that will be kept and filed. Always remember to shred any paperwork that has personal information on it.

Get Rid of Old Office Supplies

Dried up glue, dead pens and empty staple boxes are definitely not needed and it feels so good to free up additional space by removing the trash before it gets out of hand.

Everything has its Place

The #1 rule of home office organization and storage is to find a place for everything – that means finding a place for items for both family, guests, and office stuff.

Separate Storage Area

Maybe you have to work off of your dining room table because you don’t have a designated office space in your home. While it may not be the optimal way to handle your business chores, it can be done; but only if you designate specific storage areas.

For instance, make sure that your computer and phone are off limits to the family during work hours and keep a designated filing cabinet for business related paperwork only.

Separate Office Supplies: Pens, pads, papers, etc.

It is always a good idea to have a chest or cabinet set aside to store your office related supplies in. Note: never mix the kids art supplies with your copier paper. You may find yourself struggling to finish your paperwork on time when no paper can be found in the entire house.

Instead of piling your office related files, mail and supplies in every nook and cranny around the house, make a single place where you put all office related things. 

Keep your Paperwork in Order

Working from home can create an endless stream of paper that needs to be tamed. Nothing screams unprofessional more than being unable to put your hands on that contract; meeting notes or other important paperwork.

Most organizational experts agree that the best way to handle office paperwork is to touch it once only. Making piles of “I’ll get to it later” papers only adds to the chaos of your office.

That means when you open the mail that you categorize it right away and put it in its proper place. Some categories might be:

• File it for reference
• Throw it away/Shred it
• Recycle it
• Place in a do-to bin

Easy Storage Solutions

Whether you have converted your entire basement into a home office, just a corner of your bedroom, or an actual office space; the fact remains if you are not organized, you will soon run out of room.

Here are some super easy storage solutions:

• Bulletin Boards: by using extra wall space to tack up appointment notices and important documents you can save yourself a lot of space.
• Shoe Holders: hung from a door, these nifty out of the way storage containers are a great place to keep small office items like tape, scissors, notepads, pens and more!
• Ottomans: an ottoman is a great way to hide office files, magazines, projects or the books and magazines you just can’t do without.
• Cabinets: If you must work from the common family area, then consider a trip to the local thrift shop for an old kitchen cabinet or entertainment center with doors that you can use as a desk or supply closet. This is a great way to store a lot of stuff in a relatively small space without giving your family area that “officey look.”

Keeping Your Books in Order

I love my books! If you need books for research, then you likely find it difficult to keep them from taking over.

Here’s how you can streamline your growing business book collection:

• Keep out only what you need.
• Add bookshelves around doorways, windows and other small crannies that you can’t use for other purposes. One home office organizer actually created an entire library in the cranny at the top of a client’s staircase. The space was literally wasted until they added shelving that was both attractive and out of the way.
• Store books in two rows on shelves if there is room – that’ll let you keep twice the number of volumes in the same amount of space.
• Only keep the books you really need. Most libraries and thrift stores love book donations

Use Labels, It Doesn’t Matter What Kind, but Use Them

I’m not talking specifically about an actual label maker device, – But if you have that kind use it. Use the labels that come in the file folders and insert the label in the clear plastic tabs. Heck – I even use sharpies, post it notes, preformed cut labels (like small shipping labels).

Begin by labeling all of your work folders and then start labeling your file and desk drawers, storage bins and more if it’s needed. Be as detailed as you need it to be.

A job well done! As you can see, home office organization and storage doesn’t have to be complicated – and it doesn’t have to cost a small fortune. True, some of the container and organizational stores have some great tools that you can use to keep your office neat and tidy.

But, if you don’t have the funds to invest right now, don’t be discouraged. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives to making any sized office organized.

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