Linen Storage Ideas

Tidy bundle of sheets. After laundry, fold the flat, fitted and one pillow case and place in the other pillowcase for storing.

No fold sheets. Put the sheets back on the bed immediately after drying to eliminate folding entirely.

Quilt and blanket storage. Bulky quilts and blankets take up a lot of valuable space in closets and linen storage areas. Buy a few pillow shams that match your décor and store the out of season quilts right in the sham. Arrange the shams, which now look exactly like pillows, on the beds.

Need Extra Living Room Storage?

Look for an attractive trunk (which can double as an ottoman or coffee table) to store board games, puzzles, extra bedding and pillows.

No Such Thing as Miscellaneous

Be specific in labeling your file folders. Filing papers in vague folders labeled miscellaneous, future or stuff wastes time having to go through that folder each sheet of paper one by one. If the paper is important enough to file, it should be clearly categorized in your filing system.

The "Key" to Keeping Up with Your Keys

Have a central location for keys. Have one place to store keys and make a habit of putting yours there when coming home. Some suggestions for key storage:

• Designate a small kitchen drawer as the key drawer
• Hang a decorative key board near the door you enter
• Have a decorative storage box on the entryway table to drop your keys into
  

Cleaning out the Pantry

Decided to clean out the pantry, but not sure when to toss certain items? Here are some guidelines for a few pantry staples:

Mayonnaise, if it’s sealed, it will last indefinitely, but the color and flavor of an opened jar in the refrigerator will be affected in about three months.

Maple syrup will last about a year.

Honey never expires.

Toss a refrigerated bottle of salad dressing after nine months.

Olive oil is good up to two years from the manufactured date.

Tobasco sauce will last five years if stored in a cool, dry place.

An opened bottle of soy sauce should be tossed after three months.

Laundry Tips

Laundry Tips:

Have a wastebasket next to the clothes dryer for discarding lint balls and used dryer sheets

Hang a towel rack in the laundry area for hanging wet things that can’t be dried.

Establish a regular routine for laundry. For example, do one load each morning or each evening, depending on your schedule.

Finish. Think finish when doing the laundry. Get the clothes into the dryer. Set a timer so you get the clothes out of the dryer the moment the time dings. You are not finished until the laundry is folded and put away.

Folding and putting away a load of laundry actually takes no more than five minutes, so just do it.

What to Do with the Winter Blankets

Bulky quilts and blankets take up a lot of valuable space in closets and linen storage areas. Buy a few pillow shams that match your décor and store the out of season quilts right in the sham. Arrange the shams, which now look exactly like pillows, on the beds.

Two Quick Organizing Tips

Another Use for a Favorite Gadget - The Timer. Set the timer for 15 minutes and close your eyes until the timer goes off. You will feel revived and function better the rest of the day. If at work, you can do this during your lunch period or afternoon break time.

Refrigerator Have a Bad Smell? Add a teaspoon of lemon or vanilla extract to a solution of mild soap and water and wipe down the insides of the unit.

My sister is doing a major re-organizing of her house. I wish I lived close by so I could help, but she is doing great on her own! She is blogging about her progress. I was posting a comment about her progress and giving "just a few little suggestions" so I thought I better stop and do it here on MY blog!

Here is what I wrote to her:

The kitchen is always the slowest to organize. One reason is because we accumlate so many things in the kitchen we really don't need. (Remember Steve's FIVE whisks?) My sister knew this story, but of course you don't... When my husband and I got married, he had five whisks in his kitchen. He hardly, if ever, cooks! Why in the world did he need five whisks?

Another reason is because it is the heart of our homes...it get used a lot for lots of reasons so it tends to get accumulate lots of clutter. Make the kitchen about cooking and preparing meals. Move your paperwork, your desk, your business (yes, I know someone that keeps their business inventory in the kitchen) to another part of the house, if at all possible.

One way to think about the kitchen when organizing it is to create boundaries by making the stuff fit the kitchen storage space instead of trying to make the storage space fit the stuff. For example, if you only have room in your utensil drawer for two spatulas, get rid of the other 10 instead of trying to cram them in the space.

Use drawer dividers and storage containers to create a "home" for the items in your kitchen. Look back at one of the earliest posts on this blog and you'll see some pictures of what I mean.

Organizing Clothing and Shoes

Get rid of the item if it does not:

• Fit you now (not whenever you hope to lose weight)
• Make you look good
• Make you feel good

Get rid of the item if;

• It is beyond repair
• It has not been worn in the last year
• it is difficult to maintain (expensive to dry clean, must be hand washed or laid flat to dry)
• it does not reflect your current style
• it (accessories and shoes) does not coordinate with at least two outfits

Freezer Dos and Don'ts

Freezer Dos

Label items before adding to the freezer. Saves time trying to guess later.

Squeeze excess air from freezer bags before sealing.

Store similar foods together.

Freeze foods in individual portions. You can thaw only what you need and
thawing time is shortened.

Freezer Don’ts

Don’t choose containers that are too large for the food.

Don’t take up freezer space with your baking dishes. Line dishes with foil before assembling a casserole. Wrap and freeze the finished casserole and then lift from the dish and store in a resealable freezer bag.

Don’t fill containers to the brim when freezing soups, stews and sauces. Leave one inch of space to allow for expansion during freezing.

"Home" Office

“Home” office. Every home needs a place to do paperwork that pertains to the home. “Home” work includes paying bills, signing permission slips, reading mail, writing correspondence and filing important paperwork. Having a dedicated room for your “home” office would be ideal, but here are some suggestions for creating a consistent area to handle paperwork:

Use a lap desk and store a filing cabinet in the living room. Cover the filing cabinet with a pretty cloth when not using and it doubles as an end table.
Use the kitchen table and store office supplies and a portable file box in a kitchen cabinet.
Make an office in a closet.
Attach a work surface to a wall with hinges. Flip it up when using and flip it down for storing in between work sessions.
Put up a folding screen in a corner of the family room and hide the desk and filing cabinet behind the decorative screen.

Laundry Tips

Have a wastebasket next to the clothes dryer for discarding lint balls and used dryer sheets

Hang a towel rack in the laundry area for hanging wet things that can’t be dried.

Establish a regular routine for laundry. For example, do one load each morning or each evening, depending on your schedule.

Finish. Think finish when doing the laundry. Get the clothes into the dryer. Set a timer so you get the clothes out of the dryer the moment the time dings. You are not finished until the laundry is folded and put away.

Folding and putting away a load of laundry actually takes no more than five minutes, so just do it.

January White Sales

January is a great month for buying towels and bed linens. Before you take off on a spending spree, take a few minutes and clean out your linen storage area.

1. Check for any bed or bath linens that are too worn to use. Recycle what you can. Old washcloths make great rags. Your husband might like the old towels for drying down the car, the motorcycle, the boat, or just to use in his workshop.

2. Remember the one out, one in organizing rule. If you toss or recycle only two towels, the purchase only two towels.

Kitchen Organization

As a professional organizer, a question people ask me frequently is "Where do I start organizing?" My reply is the kitchen. We all have to eat and in most families, the kitchen is the family gathering spot.

• First, define your goals for the kitchen. Do you want to have family meals around the table? Are you trying to cut food expenses? Do you want to eat healthy? As with any goal...write them down.
• Look for ways the kitchen can support your goals. Does the fridge need to be cleaned out to make room for healthy food choices? Does the kitchen or dining room table need to be cleared of clutter so you can sit down together as a family? Does the cabinets need to be cleaned and arranged to use the oldest food so as not to waste?
• Clear the counter tops. Food prep is so much easier when you have the room to do the preparation. You will save money and time by clearing the counters.
• Tools? If your knives are dull, have them professionally sharpened or replaced. Having too many gadgets clutters a kitchen. How many spatulas, wooden spoons, can openers or whisks do you really need? Do you use the egg slicer, the cheese slicer, the garlic press, the blender, the juicer and the crockpot that the liner isn't removable? If the answer is no, then purge your kitchen of unnecessary items.
• Get rid of chipped mugs and dishes and those plastic containers that are stained, have writing on them (like old Cool Whip containers) and no longer have lids.

12 Things You Can Do While Talking on the Phone at Home

1. Polish your toes

2. Wrap a gift

3. Organize a shelf or cabinet

4. Set the table

5. Clear the table

6. Fold laundry

7. Clean our the fridge

8. Load the dishwasher

9. Empty the dishwasher

10. Clean out the junk drawer

11. Feed the dog

12. Organize coupons

Organizing the Coat Closet

1. Donate any coats and jackets that no longer fit or you no longer like wearing.

2. Separate each person's small items, like gloves, hats and scarves in a storage container for each. Label with the person's name. For small children that cannot yet read their name, place their picture on their bin.

3. Purchase a shoe rack to contain all the shoes and boots strewn on the closet floor.

4. Add a few extra hangers to the closet for hanging your guests' coats.

How to Create a Gift Wrapping Station

1. Find a gift wrapping storage container that you like. Here are some terrific ones that can be bought at http://www.containerstore.com/.

I like and use the hanging one.

2. Stock your wrapping station.

• Gift tags


• Wrapping paper


• Gift bags


• Gift boxes


• Ribbon


• Bows


• Pens


• Markers


• Scissors


• Tape


• Tissue paper
  

3. If you have out of town packages to ship, also include:

• Shipping boxes


• Shipping tape


• Stamps


• Mailing labels


• Packing materials, such as packing peanuts

Now! You have all your wrapping stuff in one place. No searching for the tape or scissors. Your gift wrapping time will be reduced by taking the time to organize your gift wrapping supplies first.

Plastic Shopping Bags are like Bunnies

Plastic shopping bags are like bunnies...they multiply. Decide how many bags you need to keep and contain them. (I suggest no more than 10.)









Contain them in a wall unit or under cabinet dispenser.



Here are some uses to recycle and use those bags:

• Carry dirty gym clothes or wet clothing


• pet waste container (at the park or on walks)


• small trash can liners


• extra odor protection for diapers in garbage


• give to the local farmers market to use for bagging produce


• ask if your library takes them for patrons' use


• keep a couple in the car for trash and wet umbrellas


• use for shoes in your suitcase


• take a few in your suitcase for soiled laundry

Old Timey Household Tips

My uncle, knowing I am an organizer, sent me these tips as a joke. Actually,
some of them are valid, but I am presenting them to you as my uncle did to me,
with humor in mind. Try them at your own risk especially the one about hiding
the dead body!

A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The
envelope can then be resealed. (hmmmmmm...)
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Use empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the
roll what appliance it belongs to.
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For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put dish washing liquid in it.
Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. (Wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)
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To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take
the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.
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Crayon marks on walls? This works wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off
with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
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Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on a paper towel.
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Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of Scissors and cut each pad
into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally
decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely!
In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened'' this way!
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Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and
proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time! (Now, where to put the body?)
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Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way
you can tell which side has the streaks.

Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. The
will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
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Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb (when bulb is cold) in any room to create a lovely light
scent in each room when the light is turned on.
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Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
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To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously
as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new!
Works like a charm!
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To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and
enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
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Spray your plastic ware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and
there won't be any stains.
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Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
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When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural
sweetness.
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Cure for headaches: Take a lemon, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will
go away.
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Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and
sauces. Left over wine? What's that? :)
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To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience
instant relief.
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Ants, ants, ants everywhere. Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk
out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
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When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle.
Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, And then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most
splinters painlessly and easily.
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Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer........

Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets; wait twenty minutes, brush and flush.
The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.

Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and
drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.

Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for
two minutes.

Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak
for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain
followed by a cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.

Makes you wonder about ingesting Alka Seltzer, doesn't it?