MY TOP 10 ORGANIZING TIPS / PRODUCTS
There is only a handful of basic tips/products that will make a big difference in clutter management and organizing in the home. Better yet, they are inexpensive and easy to implement. Here are my top 10 most favorite.
1. DUST BUSTER When decluttering and organizing (an on-going process, btw), you will probably want to clean the space you are working in. It's a hassle to bring out the vacuum. Having a charged dustbuster nearby can be so handy for small areas. $35+
2. ZIPLOC BAGGIES These can't be beat for see-through consolidation of small items. The quart and gallon sizes are the most useful. $3+
3. OFFICE STORAGE If you work for a company outside your home, and have the space, your office is a great place to keep vitamins, bills, thank you/greeting cards and work shoes. It's less clutter at home.
4. BED RISERS One of the first things I check for when entering a new client's apartment is space under the bed for storage. You need at least 6" clearance to accommodate under-the-bed storage containers. Plasticbed risers come in 5" heights and higher. $15+
5. SHOWER POLE Many people have lots of potions and lotions in their shower which clutter every corner of the tub and even out onto the floor. The shower caddy hanging from the shower head is almost always inadequate. A shower pole typically has four baskets can relieve some of that clutter. $30+
6. LAZY SUSANS I can't say enough about lazy susans. I have one large one in my refrigerator for dairy items and four in my kitchen cabinets for oils/vinegars, herbs/spices and miscellaneous items. They can also be used in linen closets for toiletries, on a desk for office supplies, et al. They come in clear and white plastic and wood, and in a few sizes. $7+
7. SKINNY HUGGABLE HANGERS These hangers are genius. I highly recommend you eplace all of your wire and plastic hangers with these skinny hangers. a.) They save a lot of space on the clothes rod. b.) Your clothes won't slip off the hangers anymore. c.) Your closet will look like something out of a magazine, especially if they are all in one color. $1 ea. Less if you buy a package of hangers.
8. HANGING SHOE BAGS I luv these bags!! -- the long ones with the ten vertical cubbies that hang from a clothing rod. They are not just for shoes. You can use them for hats, scarves, gloves, small umbrellas, cloth shopping bags, et al. I use the ones from Ikea. They are surprisingly strong and long lasting. $5+
9. CONTAINER FOR ON-GOING DONATIONS This is a Martha Stewart tip. Rather than wait and do one deep purge every couple of years, keep a container on your closet floor and drop in discards as you go. As the rule goes, when you bring something new in the house, something old must go out. So when you buy a new clothing items, or shoes, drop an old item in the container. When the container fills up, take it to a thrift shop.
10. TASKRABBIT.COM The problem with organizing is always what to do with the donations. They need to go out right away to clear floor space. This difficulty is especially the case in a large city like NYC where people don't have cars and where the charities no longer pick up. You can call up TaskRabbit.com and request someone come by and pick up your donations and take them to your favorite thrift store. $25+ for one hour.
