Text by Hannah Jones
New year, same messy home? The start of a new year, or even month for that matter, is the perfect time to tidy up and reorganize, but starting the process can be a little overwhelming. Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered with the tips below.
One at a Time
Pick a room and stick to it until you’re completely done—totally tidy and organized. Even if you find things that belong to a different space, don’t let that detract you from your current room. Just put the misplaced items in a stack in the room where they belong and wait to put them away until you’re ready to tackle that entire space.
Big to Small
Start with the larger aspects of a space: Do you want to move furniture around? Are miscellaneous items strewn throughout the room? Begin here and then start narrowing your focus. Don’t get into organizing drawers and baskets and such until the big items are in place.
Have Materials On Hand
The biggest motivation killer? Long breaks. Eliminate the need to run to the store by being prepared with extra baskets, bowls, labeling materials, and anything else you might need.
Don’t Forget to Clean
Don’t let all that hard work sit in filth! As you organize, don’t forget to give each space a good cleaning. An easy way to do this is clean and organize in unison. For example, as you start to organize a drawer, take everything out and clean out the dust and then use a cleaning solution. Then start dividing items that should be in there and grouping them with similar items. Finally, start placing receptacles to hold each group. After you finish a room, give it a quick dusting and vacuuming.
Take Time
Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, your home won’t be magically organized in a few hours. Depending on the size and amount of clutter, it might take you a couple of weeks to sort through everything, and that’s totally OK. Don’t rush through just to get the task done. Take your time and accept that you might have to live in a little bit of chaos for a few weeks. But once you start getting rooms clean and organized, it’ll all pay off.
Stay Organized
While this may seem like more of an effort to make after you originally clean, staying organized is more about having the right materials than the right attitude. If everything has a designated spot, it’s more likely not to end up misplaced. This is where those materials come in. Be meticulous–it’s OK to go overboard here! Put individual baskets in drawers, bowls on tables, and label so you don’t forget. This is especially important in spaces children use. The easier it is for kids to locate an item’s spot, the more likely they are to put it away without being told.
