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I put together a To Do list for you in January. This way you can focus on the tasks at hand rather than worry about what you need to get done.
No matter how large your house, bathrooms tend yo be small and lack the proper amount of storage space. Luckily there are several tricks you can use to create more space in your bathroom no matter how tiny it be: 10 Ways to Organize the Bathroom.
Let's get social! Stay connected & don't miss an organizing post or tip...
I'm spending the morning in my kitchen working and watching over my slow cooker; I'm making America's Test Kitchens' slow cooked Chicken Vesuvio recipe for the first time, so naturally, I've got kitchen organization on the brain. I've added new ideas to Ways to Organize Your Kitchen. Do you hang your pots?
Related: 10 Ways to Organize the Bathroom
Let's get social! Stay connected & don't miss an organizing post or tip...
Tackling your closet this month? I've got 20 How-Tos for your to use when organizing this space, covering everything from how to create more storage space to how to donate your discarded clothing. Happy organizing.
Every Wednesday I interview another person about how they stay organized -- either in their closet, their kitchen, or in their daily routine. Today's interview subject is Mary Marlowe Leverette, About's expert in laundry. You can follow her on her blog.
Re-organizing a closet takes some time. How often do you do a full floor-to-ceiling re-org? And how often do you go in and declutter? Do you follow a set schedule or is it more event-driven?
I do a full re-organization/cleaning twice per year. Once in the spring when I move to spring/summer clothes and once in the fall as I move to fall/winter clothes. I take everything out of the closet and clean it well...spiders love to hide behind clothes! It is the perfect time to check for pests and sort through clothing. If I haven't worn something all season, out it goes. I then move the appropriate seasonal clothing to the easiest spots to access. This includes shoes as well. I'm fortunate in that I have clothing space for everything and don't have to use special storage.
Some people organize their clothes by how frequently they are worn, some by type, color, or some other personal method only they understand. How do you sort your clothes?I organize by type - slacks, shirts, blazers - and then by color.
There are hangers made for every type of clothing now. Do you have a preference for a particular type of hanger? Are you a traditionalist? Or do you like a luxury or speciality hanger? Do you take your dry cleaning off the wire hanger right away?
I use a mix of hangers depending on the garment. I have no wire hangers except a few for crafts! Dry cleaning should always be removed not only from the wire hanger but from the plastic bag!
What do you do with the clothes you decide to let go of? Do you sell them at a consignment shop or donate them to a worthy cause? Have you ever sold them on eBay?
Almost all of my clothes go to charity. On occasion, if I love the fabric, I'll save the garment to make a pillow or use in a sewing craft. The only clothes that I have ever consigned or sold were my sons' "Sunday clothing" that was like brand new because they outgrew it so quickly.
What does your dream closet look like? Does it have shoe shelves? Lots of hanging space? More storage? A vanity table? A separate space for accessories?
I'm very lucky to have my dream closet now. I just built a new home two years ago and the closet is perfect for me. I have plenty of hanging space for long garments and shorter ones. I have two high shelves for extra storage of purses, out-of-season shoes, blankets, etc. I have everyday shoe storage at about 4 feet off the floor so I can see everything easily. (I keep a step-stool in the room to reach the top shelves).
The closet is big enough that I have my chest of drawers and a dresser with mirror in the closet. I can get fully dressed without leaving the room. I have drawers and hooks for jewelry and accessories. And, there is a full-length mirror behind the door. I added extra lighting so that I can actually tell the difference in navy and black!
Thanks, Mary! If you'd like to be interviewed about how you stay organized, send me an email or leave me a note in the comments.
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