\n\n\n\nYour goal should be to remove the clutter, not create more storage space\n\n\n\n
People who think they\u2019re disorganized always run out and start buying baskets, containers and hooks. You come home and try to use them, and they\u2019re not the right type or size, because you didn\u2019t sort through your stuff first. That\u2019s just backward. All those new containers just end up adding to your clutter. Is storing harder in the kitchen?\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHanging shoe bags\n\n\n\n
In addition to shoes, I use them for gloves and hats in the winter, sunscreen, sunglasses, and goggles in the summer, and crafts, toiletries, and makeup in the winter.\n\n\n\n
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To expedite an organizational project:\n\n\n\n
Make guidelines on what you’ll keep and what you’ll toss. For example, in your closet, you can select to donate any clothes that aren’t between sizes x and y, is stained or has to be repaired. With magazines, you can choose not to keep anything older than a year.\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nAnything that needs to go somewhere should be in your car\u2026\n\n\n\n
\u2026not in your house. Keep your coupons there in a clear folder so you have them if you need them. Get an errand basket to hold items that need to be returned. Use crates to store kids\u2019 toys and emergency supplies. Also, a car trash bag is a simple thing\u2014get one!\n\n\n\n
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You will always take at least five times as long.\n\n\n\n
Sorting through a box of personal papers often takes considerably longer than you expect. Make a note of which everyday documents you should shred and set them aside from the recycle pile to be properly disposed of.\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nThe number one problem for all my clients: too much paper\n\n\n\n
The whole idea of a paperless society is a complete myth. People are seriously scared to get rid of it. Remember, 80 percent of the paper you get you don\u2019t need to keep. So it\u2019s imperative to keep weeding out every single day, whether that\u2019s magazines, catalogs, mail, receipts or anything else.\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSure, you could sell that item on eBay\u2026\n\n\n\n
\u2026but are you interested in finishing your organizing project or starting a new career hocking used stuff? Unless you sell online all the time or need the money, I recommend just giving things away so you can move on.\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWatch out for flat surfaces\u2026\n\n\n\n
\u2026which can quickly become drop zones for clutter. When my clients have a dining table that is always getting covered with junk, I\u2019ll have them clear it off, put a flower arrangement in the middle, and set it with place settings. That usually prevents them from parking stuff there.\u00a0\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nMy biggest secret?\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t procrastinate. If you postpone things that take a few minutes, it adds up and suddenly you\u2019re looking at several hours to clear your clutter. Always open your mail right away, do dishes right after you use them, and put things away as soon as you\u2019re done with them.\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMy favorite tip for a roomier kitchen\u2026\n\n\n\n
\u2026is to adjust cabinet shelves; it can create a lot more space. Also, get that popcorn machine, bread machine and the other huge appliances off your counter. If you don\u2019t use it every week, store it in the attic or basement and get it out only when you need it. And do you really need all those plastic containers? Most people have cabinets full of them, but they only ever use a few. Figure out which ones you really use and donate the rest.\u00a0\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nGo into your closet today and hang everything backward on the rod\n\n\n\n
Once you wear something, hang it the normal way. A year from now, if you still have some things still hanging backward, you\u2019re obviously not wearing them, so get rid of them.\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s a simple way to transform your closet:\n\n\n\n
Switch to one type of hanger. It makes a huge difference. If you have varying kinds, they get caught on each other, they\u2019re not the same height and you can\u2019t see everything as well. I especially love the thin hangers that are covered in velvet. Because they\u2019re super slim, you can fit more into your closet, and your clothes won\u2019t slip off them.\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nYou\u2019re going to be more motivated to get an area organized\u2026\n\n\n\n
\u2026if you make some changes you can get excited about. When you\u2019re doing your closet, for example, throw up a coat of new paint, put down some cool floor tiles or a rug or add a beautiful fixture. It will make you want to keep it organized.\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nI swear I\u2019m not a neat freak\n\n\n\n
Being organized doesn\u2019t mean everything is in its place; it means everything has a place. If you can get your house ready for a surprise guest in 30 minutes, then you\u2019re organized. Believe it: I have not one, but two junk drawers in my kitchen\u2014and I sleep just fine at night. Need to get organized?\u00a0\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nPlease, get rid of that storage unit\n\n\n\n
You could buy everything in there for the annual rental fee\u2014and that doesn’t include the cost of the moving truck or your time. Furthermore, I’m sorry to say that the stuff you own are usually never worth as much as you believe. And who cares if they are? That’s still not a good reason to keep stuff you don’t use.\n\n\n\n
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\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Industry experts reveal the dirty details to help keep your home organized and clean. Michelle Crouch Create five piles When you\u2019re organizing, you should sort everything into five piles: move to another room, donate, give to a specific person, throw away and, finally, the \u201cmarinating\u201d pile. Pack up the marinating items, and label the box\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24032,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[39,30,46,6,190,174,31],"class_list":{"0":"post-24015","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-home-organization","9":"tag-household-hacks","10":"tag-life-hacks","11":"tag-life-style","12":"tag-organization-hacks","13":"tag-organization-ideas","14":"tag-tips"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Food-Travel-Tips-YouTube-Thumbnail-1.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24015\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorevista.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}