Tag: cabinets

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Fun Ways to Organize

Deep Cleaning Hacks and Organizing

Hello all!

Happy Wednesday. I hope you are having a great week so far. I feel like we are finally back into the routine of the new year and after the holidays. Last week was still a bit wonky with New Year’s Day falling on a Monday, but now we are in our groove. Whether you are establishing new routines and rhythms for the new year or getting back into systems that work for you, I hope your week is off to a great start.

The new year can often bring new resolutions or goals. I talked about mine last week, but the new year can also bring fresh starts and that can come in the form deep cleaning and organization.

Before the holidays, I did a deep cleaning and organizing of my home. It took a few weeks and I broke it up when I had time to work on the projects on the weekends, but I was thrilled with the end results. I tackled projects large and small, cleaned out spaces that haven’t been touched in months and donated a lot. It felt so good to work with a clean space before holiday decorating began.

If you are looking to do some deep cleaning yourself, here’s some advice about what worked well for me as I helped my mom tackle our home:

  • Go through your home or space and write down all the spaces you want to tackle. They can be as small as a spice cabinet, or as big as a bedroom closet or family room. Once you have your list, it makes it easier to figure out the best way to tackle the projects and how long each project will take.
Keep track of spaces you want to clean
  • Figure out the most efficient way to tackle the projects you want done and space them out. Maybe decide to do all the kitchen cabinets in one afternoon or spend a whole day going through your bedroom closet. Make a plan of what spaces you want to deep clean and organize and stick to it. This makes the projects more manageable and not as daunting. For example, I decided to do bathroom and kitchen cabinets on one day, the following week, I just did bedroom closets for a day and then I set aside a third day for the home office and other odds and ends rooms. I made my plan and stuck to it. When I was done with all the tasks for one day, I wasn’t exhausted or overwhelmed, rather I felt accomplished and then I knew what my tasks were for the next time I revisited the projects. 
We love an organized pantry
  •  When going through your spaces, be intentional with the items you want to keep, toss or donate. Check the dates on food or medicine, is it expired? If so, toss it. Have a junk drawer with old pens and paper? Do a pen test to see how many pens or markers still have ink in them. When it comes to clothes, I ask myself when the last time was I wore the article of clothing and do I still have a need for it. (Asking yourself these questions makes it easier when making decisions about whether to keep or get rid of something.) 
A look at piles to be organized
  • Make a list of things to replenish. This can be as easy as getting new spices or cold medicine to replace old ones, or it can be adding a new white blouse to your wardrobe if your current one is stained. Making a list of things you to replace saves you the stress of not having an item when you need it in a pinch.
Write down what things to refill when cleaning out cabinets
  • Donate or get rid of things right away. Once all your spaces are deep cleaned and organized (whether it takes a day or a month), do yourself a favor and get it out of your home. Whether it’s in the form or trash or donating old items or selling them, don’t let them linger for days or months, get them out so you can enjoy your clean space to the fullest.
A pile of donations

And there you have it! Five ways tips for organizing and deep cleaning your spaces. They may not work for everyone, but I have found success by using these tips and tricks. I am always interested in seeing how other people organize their spaces, tell me: what advice do you have for organizing? 

Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Cleaning!

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

Spring Cleaning

Hello all! Happy Wednesday!

The days are getting longer, the sun is setting later, and we are having more days that are warmer rather than freezing…there’s nothing quite like spring. I can hardly wait for next month!

Ever since the start of the new year I have been in cleaning and organizing mode. From closets, to cabinets, under beds and all around the house. I tossed and donated A LOT! I first blamed it on being coped up in the winter and wanting to get things tidied up after the holidays. Then I said I was getting my spring cleaning out of the way. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. The one thing I didn’t do was take any before or after pictures…blogger fail. So I apologize for the lack or pictures in this post.

If you are on the fence about doing some spring cleaning or need that extra push to get it done, I hope this post serves as that motivation.

Here’s some tips and tricks for spring cleaning:

  • Start small
    • It can get overwhelming to start cleaning and organizing. Don’t get too stressed out about the mess or clutter, instead break it up. Start with a closet one afternoon or cabinets one night.  For example, I did my closet on Sunday after work, then the following week, I worked on organizing shoes and donating ones that didn’t fit. The following week, I went through my drawers. I broke it up when I had the time and I worked on small areas. I had a sense of accomplishment at the end of each task but wasn’t burnt out after a mass undertaking of non-stop cleaning.
  • Make a List
    • If you can’t get to everything in one day or even one month, keep a running list of things of things you want to tackle. Sometimes I would be going about my day and would see a cabinet that needs organized or tidied up, if I didn’t have the time to tackle that in that moment, I jotted it down to clean it out when I had the time. I had a list to refer to when I had time to clean or organize and then it was always good to see how far you have come with organizing.
  • Use It or Lose it Rule
    • This is a question I ask myself if I’m on the fence about getting rid of something. There are some things I know can be an easy decision to donate or toss. But then there’s the other things that may be harder to decide to donate or keep. The first question I ask myself is “Have I used or worn this in the past year?”, yes, the pandemic makes it tricky, but if I have used or worn it then I keep, if I haven’t then I reconsider. The second question I ask myself is “If I keep it, will I use it within the next few months?”, if the answer is yes, then I keep it and I do my best to use or wear it. This is another way to make sure you are using or wearing what you have.
  • Don’t buy organizational tools while you are in the thick of it.
    • This is easier said than done. It can be easy to be cleaning something and then think, “I need to buy a new bin or desk organizer”. Hold off on buying a new tool or item, instead see what you must use. For example, for the longest time, I thought I needed a new jewelry box. I hunted for one for a while, but kept coming up empty handed. I went through my jewelry and ended up getting rid of things that were broken or I hadn’t worn and was able to reorganize my jewelry and turns out I didn’t need a new jewelry box. That’s another benefit of cleaning or reorganizing, you find new purposes for old things.

Those are just a few ideas or tips when it comes to spring cleaning. I have spent a lot of time over the past few months cleaning, tidying and reorganizing and it has been so nice to see more clean and empty spaces around my house and room. For those who enjoy spring cleaning and organizing, what are your top tips for cleaning? Drop them below!