I have had several friends ask me recently to help them organize their home. It has caused me to contemplate my methods to my madness, and I've taken a few notes. Here are some thoughts:
Everything needs "it's place". You should be able to pick up any item in your home, and know where it belongs. If you have a category of things which have been floating around without a home, create one with some kind of CONTAINER, and put it in a logical place, or where it gets used the most. I also love to use labels. If nothing else, just to create a sense of order.
With adult children at home during the holidays, and 7 laptops floating around the house, I was glad that "my" cords were labeled!
These containers from, THE CONTAINER STORE, are expensive, so I only use them in the cupboard I use the most.
I often send the kids to "the green box in the kitchen" when they need some sort of office item. I absolutely love my "glue/tape" container, it's amazing how many of those you can find floating around your house, why not put them all in 1 place?
This is my kitchen "junk drawer". I still like to have a place to put things that seem to sit on the counter, that can't be thrown away, but that I don't want to spend the time to find a different place for. I put coupons there, and other "papers" that will be used within a week or two. I go through it monthly, and PURGE (love that word, actually, I think it goes along with OCD :)
Sometimes, we have a quick "shoe basket party" where I ask everyone to come and choose 1 pair for the back door basket. You can only fit so many size 13 shoes in that basket! And of course, you always give out treats at a party.
This container sits by my back door. The keys drawer has "odds and ends" in it, including extra clasps, key chains and doubles of keys (labeled, of course). ALL receipts go into this drawer. If a receipt has a big item on it that I need to hang on to, I make note of it at the top of the receipt. It gets cleaned out every few months while I'm talking to someone on the phone. Most get thrown away (shredded), but if they still have a possibility of being needed, they get put back in the drawer. Big dollar electronic item receipts are filed with their manual (to be blogged about later).
Every item's home should be logical. If there is an area where clutter seems to collect, at least CONTAIN it. Clorox by the back door, helps me to regularly wipe off my phone, door knobs, steering wheel, the bottom of my purse as well as straps, handles to the fridge, faucets, and microwave. Every few days, I grab a few and quickly work my way through the house ending up in my bedroom. I swipe the toilet handle, then throw it away.
