I’m so proud of you-committing to organize your home is the first step in actually doing it! Let’s hit the Linen Closet!
If you have excess laundry to deal with, you probably have a linen closet that is less than user-friendly. Once you have clean towels, rags, and other linens to put away, you won’t do it if your destination is less-than-appealing.
So let’s organize it! This is the first place where you’ll have to be brutally honest with yourself about what you keep and what you get rid of. When I say, “get rid of,” I don’t necessarily mean it ends in the trash-if it’s towels, bedding, etc., that are in bad condition, your local animal shelter would be grateful for your donation. They always need things for the dogs and cats to lay on in their runs and crates, and your cast-offs in this area will be eagerly accepted.
1. Take stock of what you have for shelves. Do you have wooden or wire shelves? Do you have problems with things “falling through” if you have wire shelves? If so, you don’t have to worry and go buy scrap wood to line the shelves with-a simple piece of shelf-lining (you know, that bumpy green stuff that comes in rolls) will lay nicely and prevent small things from falling through. If necessary, put some of that down.
2. Now take a look and see what you’ve got in terms of extra bedding. How many beds in your home? You should have a minimum of 1 extra bedding-set for each bed, a maximum of 2. Think about it before you start to write me and tell me why you need 6 sets of bedding for each bed-if you have small children who have nighttime accidents (or get the stomach flu in the middle of the night), you might have to change sheets in the morning (or the middle of the night if it’s barf!), and you’ll have some clean ones to put on. You’ll put the dirty ones in the washer and get the machine started on that task. Then you’ll swap things to the dryer. You’ll still have clean sheets on the bed and if you’ve got 2 extra sets, another clean one in the linen closet. So now with that argument won, go through your bedding. Do you have mis-matched pieces? If so, put them in the donation pile. Do you have twin pieces mixed in with king pieces? If so, separate them in to piles. Make sure everything is folded (I’ll give you a pass on the fitted sheets-those are impossible to fold neatly!). Now set aside one or two shelves for your bedding. Make sure that the bedding for the queen bed is not piled up with the stuff for the crib or twin bed. You can fold the stuff in squares or fold it in to long rectangles and then roll it. Either way is acceptable-it just depends on how much space you’ve got.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
led under cabinet lighting
Moving right along, let’s hit the closet and dresser next! I cannot emphasize this enough-take small steps!
6. Walk to your closet. Whether it’s a walk-in that you could camp-out in or a smaller closet that has bi-fold doors, it is supposed to organize your clothing. Do you have Fibber Magee’s closet in there? If so, open it, grit your teeth, and then proceed to step over whatever just jumped out and tried to kill you. If you have too many clothes in your closet, it’s not doing you any good. If you have “fat clothes” and “skinny clothes,” now is the time to be realistic and get rid of anything that you cannot wear RIGHT NOW. Don’t hope for a different size in 2 months-pick out the best of what you have right now and will wear right now and keep only that. If you’re staying at home and not in the working world, get rid of your work clothes. Donate them to a women’s shelter or sell them online. Do whatever you have to do to pare down the number of outfits in your closet. When you have only what you love, you’ll take better care of it.
7. Once you’ve purged your closet of things unworn and out of style, take a look at what’s left. Organize that by style of clothes. In other words, put blouses with blouses, skirts with skirts, and pants with pants. Make it easy on yourself to find clothes in the morning!
8. Now look at your dressers. Same procedure as your closet-go through and get rid of that which you don’t wear often and don’t love. You’ll be better able to close your drawers and keep what you have from looking rumpled! Pitch, donate, or sell-it’s your choice.
9. Now there’s just one spot left-your bedding and window treatments. Do you love how you’ve decorated, or does your room still sport the big orange flowers of the 1970s? When is the last time you washed your bedding and curtains? You might find that a quick trip through the washer and dryer brings back even the dingiest of bedding. Strip everything off and cart it to the washer-hot water and bleach-all bedding is made to withstand the normal amount of bleach and not lose its coloration. Take it from the washer to the dryer and once it’s dry, schlep everything back to your room. As you make the bed and re-hang the curtains, look around. If you still don’t love it, make plans to replace it. Remember-your room is to be a haven for you and a place you love to unwind and spend time.
Although all of the steps for the Master Bedroom are here, all are easily done in other bedrooms, too-don’t neglect those!
Congratulations-your bedroom is done! You have a special, organized sanctuary from the stresses of life.
6. Walk to your closet. Whether it’s a walk-in that you could camp-out in or a smaller closet that has bi-fold doors, it is supposed to organize your clothing. Do you have Fibber Magee’s closet in there? If so, open it, grit your teeth, and then proceed to step over whatever just jumped out and tried to kill you. If you have too many clothes in your closet, it’s not doing you any good. If you have “fat clothes” and “skinny clothes,” now is the time to be realistic and get rid of anything that you cannot wear RIGHT NOW. Don’t hope for a different size in 2 months-pick out the best of what you have right now and will wear right now and keep only that. If you’re staying at home and not in the working world, get rid of your work clothes. Donate them to a women’s shelter or sell them online. Do whatever you have to do to pare down the number of outfits in your closet. When you have only what you love, you’ll take better care of it.
7. Once you’ve purged your closet of things unworn and out of style, take a look at what’s left. Organize that by style of clothes. In other words, put blouses with blouses, skirts with skirts, and pants with pants. Make it easy on yourself to find clothes in the morning!
8. Now look at your dressers. Same procedure as your closet-go through and get rid of that which you don’t wear often and don’t love. You’ll be better able to close your drawers and keep what you have from looking rumpled! Pitch, donate, or sell-it’s your choice.
9. Now there’s just one spot left-your bedding and window treatments. Do you love how you’ve decorated, or does your room still sport the big orange flowers of the 1970s? When is the last time you washed your bedding and curtains? You might find that a quick trip through the washer and dryer brings back even the dingiest of bedding. Strip everything off and cart it to the washer-hot water and bleach-all bedding is made to withstand the normal amount of bleach and not lose its coloration. Take it from the washer to the dryer and once it’s dry, schlep everything back to your room. As you make the bed and re-hang the curtains, look around. If you still don’t love it, make plans to replace it. Remember-your room is to be a haven for you and a place you love to unwind and spend time.
Although all of the steps for the Master Bedroom are here, all are easily done in other bedrooms, too-don’t neglect those!
Congratulations-your bedroom is done! You have a special, organized sanctuary from the stresses of life.
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