How to Organize and Clean a Home
Everyone has his or her cross to bear---clutter, dust, piles of magazines, papers and bills on the counters---when it comes to maintaining a clean, organized home. Juggling schedules with work, kids and other extracurricular activities means you don't spend as much time as you would like maintaining your living space. In addition, when you do focus on the chores at home, it can sometimes be hard to know exactly where to start. The key to organizing and cleaning a home is to compartmentalize; take a systematic approach. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Packing boxes
- Storage containers
- Organizational bins
- Storage furniture
- Cleaning supplies (glass cleaner, furniture polish)
- Clean cotton cloths
- Vacuum or mop
Instructions
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1
Focus on one room per cleaning and organizing session instead of trying to tackle your entire home at one time. This avoids becoming discouraged or overwhelmed. Start with the room that bothers you the most or prevents you from fully relaxing in it.
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Identify and clean up clutter areas first by creating three piles: one for keeping, one for discarding and one for donating. These actions force you to go through the items in your room, making decisions based on frequent use.
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Immediately remove the discarded items from the room and place them in your garbage can or recycling bin (if appropriate). Pack up all the items you plan to donate in the packing boxes and store the filled boxes in another room until you are ready to drop them off at a donation center. The remaining items should be what you want to keep.
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4
Clean the windows, furniture and floors in your room before you replace the items you plan to keep. Remove dust from furniture, window sills, mini-blinds and ceiling fans using furniture polish and a clean cotton cloth. Wipe the windows, mirrors and glass in picture frames with glass cleaner and a clean cloth or paper towels. Vacuum or mop last for optimal cleanliness as dust will settle to the floor after your dusting session.
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5
Study the items you plan to keep and determine what storage containers, organization bins and furniture you may need to reduce and prevent future clutter. Use decorative organizational bins that match your decor for magazines and loose photos. A functional ottoman with a removable top can double as a storage container for sofa blankets and toys. A modular closet organizer restores order to clothing and accessories stored haphazardly in the closet.
Take photos of your room along with the items you need to organize and store and bring them with you when you shop for storage containers, organizational bins and furniture. Knowledgeable sales personnel can help you find what you need or make suggestions for better organization. -
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Place your items in the new storage containers, organizational bins and furniture pieces. Store them in their appropriate places in the room to reduce a cluttered appearance. You now have one clean room you can relax in.
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Repeat these steps for each room in your home for thorough cleaning and organizing. The best approach is to focus on one room each week (or day if you are ambitious).
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Maintain the newly clean and organized rooms in your home by spending five to ten minutes each day picking up stray items to avoid clutter and running a clean cloth over surfaces to prevent dust accumulation. Vacuuming or mopping once a week should be sufficient.
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Tips & Warnings
Create a to-do list of cleaning and organizational steps for each room and cross off each item as you do them for a sense of accomplishment. You can create a fourth stack in step two for selling items online, in a garage sale or on consignment to earn extra money.
Do not store the boxes of items you plan to donate in your garage or another room in your home as this encourages more clutter. Instead, place them in your car so you will be motivated to deliver them to a donation center more promptly. Do not attempt to clean and organize your home in one day. Instead, schedule one room at a time and write it on your calendar to ensure you will have the "time" to do it.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Evelynishere on flikr, LizMarie on flikr
