The Alice in Wonderland story has some of my favorite topsy-turvy descriptions. Everything in the setting is out-of-place with strange proportions. In a muddled world, the environment signals the illogic of dreamworlds. That’s how I feel when my home becomes disorganized. It’s great for storybooks… and crazy in real life. Here are my top home organization hacks for the new year.
1.Measure Your Maximums
Whenever I feel like I need to declutter, I start by emptying out each space. Looking at a particular shelf, closet or drawer forces you to think clearly about the limitations. Then, I measure exactly what will fit. Anything that doesn’t fit in the space gets tossed, donated or moved into long-term storage. At the very least, you’ll have a more functional life where things don’t overflow their areas.
It makes it easier to keep things neat when you can actually put things away.
2. Start an “Out box”
Almost every decent decluttering book has this same tip — because it’s such a great idea. Pick a box and put it in an easy-to-acces spot. Fill it with anything that you need to get remove, like things that belong to other people, junk that you don’t use, or items you don’t like. At the end of the month, sort it and make decisions.
It’s a great habit to start.
3. Kill One Commitment
One things people with neat houses will tell you is that it takes time to actually tidy your home. If you’re always rushing in and out, you won’t have time to keep your home organized. Start the new year by killing one commitment. Even if it only frees up an hour or two of your time, that can make a big difference in your home.
Put that freed time toward a cleaning routine where you keep things organized.
- Sort Mail
- Put Laundry Away
- Clear out Kitchen Cabinets
You’ll find that your home is a little more organized with the extra time each week.
Home Organization Hacks for the New Year
I’ve also put together a list of my favorite quick-clean spots.
- Sort your mail right as you bring it in. Only keep the essentials for later review and filing.
- Walk around your house with a trash bag the night before trash day. Fill it up with anything that you forgot to throw away.
- Put all your shoes away every night — for the whole household.
- Wipe down your counters and stove after every meal.
- Empty your fridge of old items right before a grocery tip. You’ll have more space and less mold.
- Spend 20 minutes going paperless on all your bills. You’ll have less physical files to sort and save.
- Dig through your bathroom and shower to see how many open products you have. Keep out only 1 of each kind. Then, replace with another bottle when you use it up.
- Sort your socks and get rid of the mismatches and holes.
If you put a fresh focus on keeping things organized in the New year, you can improve your life. Just pick up a few of these small hacks and you’ll see a difference quickly.
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