Tips and Tricks for keeping your home clean and organized:
For awhile I was getting emails from Peter Walsh. Some of you may have seen him on Harpo. He is an organizing genius. The other day I was browsing Harpo’s website and reading his tips and tricks for organizing the kitchen. Get this people, he said you shouldn’t have a junk draw! I told Hubby he said, “Where are you supposed to put your junk?” I know Jen is going to be appalled. She has several junk drawers. He also suggested putting our your utensils in a box and then when you use one take it out and put it back in the drawer. If you don’t take a utensil out of the box for a month, you don’t need it. When I was cleaning the kitchen this weekend I looked at the dusty spoons we never use and thought, we might use them for something someday! I guess that is how you end up on hoarders.
Peter's Basic Principles of De-Cluttering
Establish a vision for a room and agree on it.
Decide what will help you achieve that vision and what will not.
Purge your extra stuff.
Sort F.A.S.T.:
Fix a time and stick to it. Haul out any item that fits in one of the following categories:
Anything you haven't used in a year
Stuff that doesn't belong
Trash
Next, sort what's left into broad categories like bicycles or tools. Then organize them in separate zones in the room.
After you are clutter-free, create new routines to stay that way.
Anyspoon, organization expert Mr. Walsh suggests taking 15 mins every day to tidy up at the end of the day. This sounds good in theory, but by the time I workout, shower, eat dinner, watch tv, do dishes, make lunches, floss my teeth, I am tired!!!!
For awhile I was getting emails from Peter Walsh. Some of you may have seen him on Harpo. He is an organizing genius. The other day I was browsing Harpo’s website and reading his tips and tricks for organizing the kitchen. Get this people, he said you shouldn’t have a junk draw! I told Hubby he said, “Where are you supposed to put your junk?” I know Jen is going to be appalled. She has several junk drawers. He also suggested putting our your utensils in a box and then when you use one take it out and put it back in the drawer. If you don’t take a utensil out of the box for a month, you don’t need it. When I was cleaning the kitchen this weekend I looked at the dusty spoons we never use and thought, we might use them for something someday! I guess that is how you end up on hoarders.
Peter's Basic Principles of De-Cluttering
Establish a vision for a room and agree on it.
Decide what will help you achieve that vision and what will not.
Purge your extra stuff.
Sort F.A.S.T.:
Fix a time and stick to it. Haul out any item that fits in one of the following categories:
Anything you haven't used in a year
Stuff that doesn't belong
Trash
Next, sort what's left into broad categories like bicycles or tools. Then organize them in separate zones in the room.
After you are clutter-free, create new routines to stay that way.
Anyspoon, organization expert Mr. Walsh suggests taking 15 mins every day to tidy up at the end of the day. This sounds good in theory, but by the time I workout, shower, eat dinner, watch tv, do dishes, make lunches, floss my teeth, I am tired!!!!
The 15 minutes daily is a great rule of thumb. Usually, when I need to 'clean the house' it never takes longer than 20 minutes because I try to stay on top of it.
ReplyDeleteI am a paper hoarder. That is my clutter. I have so many kids school papers and artworks and pictures and coupons and recipes and crap that I put in a pile. Drives me effing nuts, but I continue to do it.
I def. have a junk drawer...I don't care what he says it is practically a staple in every home.
ReplyDelete