Being disorganized can be a cause of stress. If you live in a state of constant chaos and keep wondering how you will ever get organised, here are my top 5 tips to help you achieve Total Organisation. Starting with the bathroom which is often the smallest and eaiest room to organise first.
THE BATHROOM:
To begin any de-clutter project the first thing you need to do is remove everything from your bathroom cupboard and drawers. Once you have done this you need to start by throwing out any bottles of shampoo or moisturizer that are half empty, almost empty or have been used in 6 months. The same goes with bottles of perfume. Perfume can go stale so if you have not used it in the last 12 months, throw it out. Then go threw your cosmetics and throw out any items that are broken, such as eyeshadows, any items that have gone hard or lumpy such as mascaras and foundations. Once this has been achieved you can then pack everything away into something like an Expandable Cosmetic Drawer Organizer - bring order to the unorganized drawer (Chrome) (2"H x 6.5"W x 9-16"D) can be a perfect solution. Once you have got your bathroom cupboard under control you can move onto your next problem area.
THE LINEN CUPBOARD:
Okay hands up anyone who is to scared to open the door on their linen cupboard because they are not sure if they will be able to catch everything that falls out??? Keep your hands up if your linen cupboard has a variety of other items stored in it that really shouldn't be there? So working on the basis that most people have about 4 shelves in the linen press, we will start by once again pulling everything out of the cupboard. We will firstly need to go through every item and discard any items that are torn, stained or just plain worn out. Also discard any sheets for which you don't have a bed for. Now starting on the top shelf I suggest you store your spare blankets, pillows or duvets on this shelf. Start with the blankets and laying them on a flat surface fold them into a flat rectangle as close to the width of your shelf as possible. This will allow you to stack your items squarely in the cupboard. Pillows can then be stacked on top of the blnkets. The next shelf should be utilized for sheets and pillow covers. Working from left to right start with your smallest item first such as the pillow covers, then single bed sheets, double bed sheets, then lastly queen or king size sheets. If you have fitted sheets, there is a trick to folding them. Firstly fold the sheet in half tucking the four corners together. Then fold in half again, tucking the corners into each other. Lastly fold into thirds, then into thirds again and you should have a reasonably flat rectangle which will stack nicely into your cupboard. The next shelf can be used for towels. Towels are more easily stored if they are folded properly. Fold them in half first, then in half again and finally in thirds. Again work from left to right stacking your smaller items such as face flannels and hand towels first and working up to your largest towels. Your final shelf can be used for storing items such as table cloths, placemats, napkins and lacework. Now if you absolutely cannot avoid using the linen cupboard for storage, do think very carefully about the items you are going to keep in there. Do you use them often? Are they in good order and repair? If not throw them out! If you must keep them, make sure the 2 different storage areas do not become mixed. Utilise storage bags or boxes where possible.
THE KIDS ROOM:
Now we all know how quickly the toys in your kids room can multiply! So great storage is a must! As with every room we must start by having a big clean out. Now I suggest that you DO NOT do this whilst your children are present because they will want to keep everything! Start by going through all their toys and discarding any that are broken or no longer age appropriate. Large items need a large storage box or toy box and small items such as matchbox cars or leggo need smaller storage boxes as these smaller items sink straight to the bottom of large toy boxes and become lost. The best thing ever for storing leggo is a plastic toolbox such as the Stanley Consumer Storage 028001R FatMax 28" Structural Foam Tool Box. Choose one that has a tray with compartments in it for sorting the little stuff into.
THE KITCHEN:
How many times do you go to your pantry cupboard but can't find what you are looking for? Do your plastic containers have no lids to match? Yes I know your pain. Organizing your kitchen cupboards is a big job so I suggest you divide it into sections and tackle it bit by bit. Start with the pantry. Once again everything OUT. Throw out everything that has reached it's use by date. The secret to a well organised pantry is storage. You can never have enough. Several large plastic containers with tight sealing lids such as Lock & Lock Storage Rectangular 17 Piece Storage Set are a must for storing dry goods such as flour, sugar, oats,rice and pasta. When organizing your pantry keep similar items together,for example cooking oils, sauces and condiments can be grouped together. I don't use a spice rack. Instead I have small plastic baskets that the can hold about 10 to 15 small spice jars, which stops them from disappearing behind larger items. In my plastics cupboard I use large plastic baskets similar to these MB-30 MESH BASKET -BLACK to hold all my containers and lids. By keeping your containers and lids together in one basket they don't get lost. These baskets are also fantastic for storing your kids drink bottles as they don't fall over. Don't forget your crockery cupboard either. If your have glassware that is cracked or plates that are chipped or just don't match get rid of them.
YOUR WARDROBE:
I have saved the best for last! How many of us have clothes in our wardrobe that don't fit us, that we haven't worn for 6 months, 12 months, 2 years? And what about those fashion blunders? You know that pink frilly blouse that cost a week's wages and was once the height of fashion? Get over it! It will probably never come back into fashion. So get rid of it and everything else that you have been hanging onto. Be ruthless! Sort through absolutely everything. Throw out or give away anything that doesn't fit, that you haven't worn in at least 6 months, 12 months at the outside, anything that is in need of repair, anything that is stretched, faded, stained or has holes in it and anything that simple does not cut it as even slightly fashionable anymore. Once you have reduced your clothes to a managable amount you need to determine what needs hanging up and what needs to be folded and placed in drawers. I tend to hang my clothes firstly by season which I then rotate around. Hang similar clothes together as well. Keep your shirts, blouses, t-shirts and other tops together, trousers and jeans, skirts and dresses. Also hang by length. Underneath short things can be placed drawers orshoe racks like the Winsome Wood Foldable 4-Tier Shoe Rack, Natural Finally don't forget your drawers. If you can have three to four small drawers for underwear, socks, singlets and pyjamas. Fold everything , never be tempted to just throw your socks and underwear into the drawer. Larger drawers can be used for jumpers, shorts, t-shirts and track pants. Again sort by season and this will help you to find what you need when you need it.
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