January is Get Organized (GO) month, and our team of organization experts have rounded up the very best organizational tips to kick your month off right! Adopting these tips is a foolproof way to create good new habits to save you lots of time and money.
1. Clear out the holiday clutter.
New gifts should be put away or returned to the store. Take down and store holiday decorations (and be sure to purge any décor that didn’t make it out this year). Send out thank you notes to friends and family.
2. Get your closet in tip-top shape.
Now is the perfect time to sort through your wardrobe and create piles to keep, donate, sell and throw out. Choose slim velvet hangers to help maximize your space and protect your garments from unsightly shoulder marks. Consider installing an adjustable closet solution from freedomRail. Shop a range of closet kits to fit your closet space.
3. Organize and clean the fridge.
Hopefully, holiday entertaining is complete for the season. Throw out aging leftovers, seasonal goods, and expired items. Take all food out of the refrigerator and clean it with a non-abrasive disinfectant. Create zones within the fridge for dairy, fruits, vegetables, meats, condiments, beverages, and snacks to avoid cross-contamination.
4. Set up a snack station.
Is healthy eating a family resolution? Use your pantry to aid in clean snacking. Designate a pantry shelf for snacks, and use matching baskets to corral healthy snacks like raisins, applesauce, nuts, protein bars, and more. Making healthy snacks easy to access and organized means you’re more likely to make smart choices when time is tight.
5. Wrangle wrapping paper.
Gift wrapping does not need to be a chore. Use the back of a door and create a wrapping oasis. Ribbons, bows, tags, and cards sit neatly in a basket, and long rolls of wrap are corralled. Now you’ll be ready for the next party. Shop Over The Door Gift Wrap Kit now.
6. Junk drawer clean-out.
Junk drawers are the catch-all of tiny, odd–end items that you’re unsure what to do with. Confidently go through and purge the mess. Toss old receipts, screws and nails, pens that don’t work, and more. Tidy up the remaining useful items and coordinate them in a muffin tin so the things you actually need are a quick find.
7. Separate baking sheets.
Vertical storage is always at a premium, and slim bakeware takes up a lot. Stop searching for your favorite cookie sheet by sliding them into an Organized Living Kitchen Divider. Separating them with the Kitchen Divider keeps them from banging into each other and prevents them from collapsing when you go to grab a sheet pan.
8. Cord coil clips.
Can’t keep track of which cord goes with which electronic? Use a bit of washi tape to create a label to place on the cord. Next, coil the cord and secure it with a clothespin. It will keep the cord neat and tidy, and now you’ll know which cord goes with the iPad.
9. Sock mates.
Tired of trying to determine which socks belong to which family member? Give each person a delicate wash bag with a zipper: socks go in at the end of each wear, and the whole bag gets tossed in the washer. Once clean, they go back to that person. No more sorting through various sizes to make a match.
10. Win the “lost shoe” battle.
Designate a space by the door for kids’ shoes. Have them remove their footwear when they enter the door and arrange them in a neat row. Next time you have to leave in a hurry, you’ll be able to quickly put on shoes without searching for them.
11. Cut paper clutter.
Create a mail sorting station right by your door by placing a wastepaper basket near your threshold. When sorting through mail piles, toss the junk mail that you’ll never open right into the basket. That way, it never enters the home and can go out to recycling with ease.
12. New wardrobe rule.
Winter sales are all the rage this time of year. When purchasing new garments, use the one in/one out rule. For each item you buy, donate or toss an old item. It’s a sure way to help you reduce over-purchasing and the clutter that comes with it.
These great home organization ideas will work wonders to help you and your family become more efficient. Get all family members on board by meeting with them to run through your organizational plan. Welcome them to share ideas of their own. Remember, creating organizational habits take time and practice!
