With Spring in full force many people think to clearing what they no longer want and need, and having their homes and offices free of clutter. All the things that have accumulated in the past year(s) that need addressing as to what to keep and what to eliminate, now is the ideal time to do something about it. Spring energetically lends itself to clearing away the old and bringing in the new as it reflects that in new growth all around us.
So, how do we start? Take stock of the problem areas that need attention. Create a list of said areas such as garage, kitchen cabinets and drawers, office, bedroom closets, linen closets, craft/workshop areas. Begin with the low hanging fruit–the obvious items to eliminate such as plastic bags, cardboard, garbage. Then progress to the items you no longer need or use, that are broken/worn out and either recycle, donate or trash. With the items you are keeping, decide if there is enough of a grouping or category and group those things together–whether its computer paper, paper clips, nuts and bolts, fabric swatches, Tupperware lids, etc. Using an appropriate size container to hold these things is key. Too often people throw a variety of items into a plastic bin and call it “organized.” Well, it’s not. Make sure the bin/container is appropriately sized for the items so they can easily be contained and accessed.
Continue in this way so the assortment of items are contained and labeled. For instance, a client I am working with has a combination office and bedroom and everything was jumbled together and she couldn’t find what she needed. Now we have bins for cards received, new cards to give, photos, writing, artwork, art supplies, gift wrap and office supplies. She was actually able to go to her “cards to give” bin and pull one out to send and was thrilled at how easy it now is to use.
Finding a place for all these items is essential so you can find them and use them and put them back when done. Having a dedicated home for your items is key to Spring cleaning to create an effective system to retrieve needed items and return when finished. Often people need additional infrastructure in their drawers, closets and cupboards so as to maximize space and to make retrieval of items easier. Simple items such as drawer dividers/containers and free standing shelving makes a huge difference in the process. It doesn’t work to have things in bins and then stacked five levels high, having to remove other bins to get to the lower ones. Shelving saves a lot of extra moving and shifting of items.
Lastly create “zones” or target areas for groupings of items so you know what lives where and you can easily find those things on command. As much as possible, move items to areas where they are used to eliminate extra moving and carrying of items. Things used seasonally or rarely, can live in longer term storage, living higher up or lower down and farther back on less accessed shelving.
Spring cleaning can set you on the path to having a home and office that functions more efficiently as you keep only the things you want and need and have a place for all your desired items. If you should need help, call Creative Space Organizing at 510.501.1213 and let’s get you organized.