Winter is the perfect time to clean out the refrigerator, especially if you have rarely used specialty foodstuffs that didn’t get used up during the holidays. Before you go shopping for the week, empty the fridge out and wash the drawers, doors and shelves with warm, soapy water, says House Beautiful. Rinse and dry the interior, and sort the many bottles, boxes and jars to #purge the things you don’t use or need — starting with anything that is obviously spoiled or of suspect freshness. Once the interior is clean, put what you’ll be keeping back in an #organized manner.
Tag: purge
Start Small With a Winter Deep-Clean
With a winter storm blanketing much of the United States with snow, it’s unlikely that legendary groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow tomorrow morning. To cope with another six weeks of winter gloom, try doing a thorough #deep-cleaning of your home. Start small, says My Creative Days. Pick a single drawer, closet or room, and #purge it of accumulated #junk. Keep an empty box nearby for anything you find to #donate to ClothingDonations.org, and call for a #donation #pickup as soon as you fill a few boxes or bags. Then #deep-clean the area and #organize the stuff that goes back in it.
Keep Your Fall Fashions Clutter-Free
Saturated colors, logos and head-to-toe cable knits made a big splash on fashion’s runways this fall. But for those among us who aren’t ready to drop thousands of dollars on a single outfit, there’s another concern: how to refresh one’s wardrobe and look good for the fall season without creating more #clutter?
You may get the urge to shop as fall begins, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The temperatures are falling, and you might need new flannels, sweaters, jackets and other cool-weather clothing to wear, even if you’re working from home during the #pandemic. Specific items may need replacing after shrinking or wearing out.
As you shop, however, be mindful of the fact that every new item you buy will need to find a place in your closet or dresser. Ask yourself: Is this purchase truly necessary? Will it fuel a Marie Kondo-style sense of joy? Will I use that garment often enough to merit a spot in my limited space?
If the answer to each of these questions is yes, consider the storage space you have and what’s already in it. If you have are happy with your clothing storage and want to add a few new items to the mix, eliminate one item that you no longer use or just couldn’t work into the routine for each new item you buy.
If — as is more commonly the case — your closet and drawers are stuffed with things that you no longer like, no longer fit into or no longer use, #purge those unwanted items when you start shopping. Keep only a few essentials that you love, says Minimalism Made Simple, and your closet and mind will quickly become less #cluttered.
If you don’t have time for a complete purge, consider getting rid of two or three items for every new item you buy. That way, the overall numbers of garments owned will steadily decrease until your closet contains only successful new purchases and other items you cherish and love to wear.
As for the #stuff that doesn’t make the cut, bag up any garments that are in good enough shape to be worn again and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #donation pickup. You’ll feel good knowing that you look great and have an #uncluttered, #organized closet space while at the same time helping #veterans. That’s the way to kick off the fall season!
Purge, Organize and Store Extra Stuff
If your space is stuffed to the gills with junk, a ruthless purge is the first step to a new, more #organized you, says Living Well Spending Less. “If you don’t love something, if it’s broken, if it doesn’t fit, or if you don’t use it, get rid of it!” Then, make an assessment of your storage space: Does it have room for a new set of storage shelves, hooks or bins? Deep-clean the area and invest in a uniform set of bins or boxes; then, reassemble the space, grouping all like items together. “Once you’ve organized your storage space, commit to keeping it intact,” the story says, and you’ll be able to find things when you need them while keeping #clutter to a minimum.
Organize Your Desk and Office
Many readers of the Organizing Blog are now gathering up all of their W-2s, receipts and bank statements in order to file their income taxes. And many are likely finding that their offices and desks leave a lot to be desired when it comes to #organization.
If you’re like most people (busy), chances are that you’ll have to shuffle multiple stacks of papers or go on a last-minute hunt for an essential document when any deadline approaches. And even if you’ve gone all-digital, those pesky stacks of papers somehow still form on top of your desk.
Simply being able to locate what you need when you need it can pay for itself quickly in terms of time and perhaps tax savings, too. That’s why it’s time you organized your desk and office or home office for maximum productivity.
The first step in any #organization push is a good #decluttering. Purge the office of any inactive items, Lifehack says: “Declutter, empty, shred, get rid of everything that you don’t need or want. Look around. What haven’t you used in a while?”
Once the clutter is gone or at least diminished, establish work zones and stock them with the appropriate equipment. Label drawers and file all inactive folders out of sight. Create a temporary folder for work(s) in progress.
In the digital era, good filing extends to devices, too. Is your desktop cluttered with files you didn’t put away? Do you have hundreds of old or unresolved emails? Use 15 minutes of downtime every day to sort those into their proper places on your hard drive.
Stuff keeps coming in, of course, and if you don’t address it immediately, you can easily lose track of whatever it is. To handle this, Inc. recommends the classic two-tray system — an “In” or “New” box for new tasks, and an “Out” or “Old” box for anything requiring further action.
Inc. also says to get a bigger trashcan. “Because a large trashcan is more visible, you tend to think of it more often. When unnecessary paper comes into your workspace, you’re more likely to place it in the [larger] trashcan than to stack it in a disheveled paper tower of “No clue what to do with it.”
At tax time or any time, you can benefit by streamlining your workspace. Get your office organized now, and you’ll be better prepared for every project, presentation or accountant — and life in general.