- Establish a location for your keys by using a hook on the wall or a decorative dish.
- Use baskets to place incoming mail and bills.
- Open mail by the wastebasket.
- Keep your recycling bin accessible for mail inserts that you don’t need.
- Shred mail with personal information.
- Avoid additional clutter by deciding which catalogs/magazines you will keep and toss those you are no longer interested in reading. Make sure you remove your name from their mailing list.
- Discard coupons that have expired.
- Discard manuals to equipment you no longer own.
- Lay clothes out the night before.
- Pack your purse, tote or briefcase the night before.
- Create a yearly purging schedule. Purge closets in the spring and fall. Purge paperwork and files when you have to gather documents for yearly taxes.
- Establish a location where you will pay bills, manage the home, etc. (spare room, corner of a room).
- Designate a place to keep personal documents (filing cabinet, file box).
- Clean the refrigerator as you put away groceries, tossing containers either in the sink or the trash.
- Minimize counter clutter by keeping only those appliances that are used at least once a day on top.
- Use hanging mesh or wire baskets to store fruit, onions, potatoes, etc.
- Maximize the space in your cabinets by installing small hooks on the bottoms of shelves for mugs that won’t stack.
- Put in back-of-door organizing racks to neatly hold boxes of foil, pot lids and extra shopping bags.
- Go through your medicine cabinet and throw away expired items.
- Get rid of dried-up cosmetics, nail polish and face creams.
- Turntables used underneath sinks can maximize space and make items accessible.
Janet M. Taylor is a professional organizer, speaker and author with over 20 years of experience helping people get organized.
If you are ready to get your life visit her website at www.janetmtaylor.com
