In Search of a Clutter-Free Summer

Memorial Day — the unofficial start of summer— has come and gone. If you’re anything like us at The Organizing Blog, you probably used the long weekend to plant some flowers, take a bike ride, visit with friends and/or have a cookout. Fine pursuits!

But do you know what can make one’s enjoyment of those pursuits (and most others) even better? #Organization! A #clutter-free environment knows no season — and it can provide you with the #clarity you need to truly live in the moment.

Think about it: A cluttered space demands attention. Maybe you waste a lot of time looking for things among the stacks of papers, piles of laundry and dusty gewgaws. Or maybe wrangling all that #stuff leaves you with little down time.

Summer is a great time to get those things under control. With good weather and a few hours each week, you can conquer that #clutter — and enjoy all of the seasons to come.

Start with the #garage. Has that #space attracted a lot of stuff that doesn’t have a home elsewhere ? Go through it and ask yourself why you hide #junk there and if you’ll ever really need those things again. Weed out what you don’t have a use for and set it aside.

Along the way, fine-tune your storage of the things that do have a purpose — even if that purpose is occasional, such as holiday decorations. Sort “like” items into labeled bins and boxes that you can find and access easily without a lot of hunting. Shelve or stack them thoughtfully, and you’ll be creating new space!

Next, do the same for the basement. Organizing your below-ground space likely will have the added benefit of helping you keep cool while you work. Set aside the things for which you don’t have a purpose or can’t find a place, and put them in boxes and bags.

See that growing pile of #junk? Slap some price tags on those things and have a quick #garage or #yard #sale. Or click though to ClothingDonations.org to arrange a #free #donation #pickup. You’ll be #helping the nation’s #veterans and be ready to enjoy the rest of the summer #clutter-free!

Decluttering the Forgotten Spaces in Your Home

Homes often contain spaces you forget to #declutter, says The Ethicalist. But those spots may be easy to handle because they hold the #stuff you rarely miss — things you use only for holidays and special occasions. Forgotten places may include the pantry, attic, garage and the space under the sink. Take a few hours (or a few days) to do a thorough editing of the junk in those areas, and you will feel refreshed. “Clean and clear spaces have a great impact on our mental health and make us feel happy,” says Sana Brohi, operator of a coaching business in Dubai. “When we have a sense of well-being and achievement, we function better.”

Rid Your Home of Winter Dirt

With homes sealed up against the cold, winter creates a special kind of dirt inside the home. With #spring arriving early this year, you can get a headstart on the #deep-cleaning needed to get your home ready for the warm-weather months, however. Good Housekeeping suggests #organizing storage spaces such as the garage by sorting things into keep, #donate and toss piles before cleaning the walls and floors, then replacing the (fewer) things you want to keep. Also pay special attention to the things that gather lots of dirt and dust in a closed-up house, such as blinds, doormats, ceiling fans and curtains. #SpringCleaning

Streamline the Storage in Your Garage

Chances are that you are underutilizing your #garage space, making it look more #cluttered than it has to be. If you’ve already #decluttered and #cleaned the garage yet still have #stuff to store, Family Handyman offers multiple ways to get the remaining essentials off the floor and make them easily accessible. Ceiling tracks, flexible shelving, rollout shelves and “throw-and-go” bins can help #organize everything from yardwork implements, automotive supplies and sporting goods to tools, camping gear and holiday decorations. Bonus: Keep putting things in their proper places, and it will be easy to find what you need when you want it.

Declutter the Garage and Have a Sale

August may give you an extra day to #declutter, the chance to sell some of your extra #stuff and the warm, sunny weather necessary to do both. But before you have a #garage sale, you’ll likely need to clear out the #garage! The first thing to do is take everything out, says Budget Dumpster. Not only will you be able to sweep and wash the floors or repaint the walls, if necessary, you will also be able to make a realistic assessment of your #storage needs and add #shelves, hooks and other #organizational aids. Then, you can sort the things you want to keep — maybe even your car — back into a freshly #decluttered and #organized space.