Magazine

5 Essential Tips to Organize a Room

Follow these 5 tips to organize a room which you can then replicate to bring order to most any room. There are good reasons to do so.

According to the SDA, reducing clutter would eliminate up to 40 percent of housework in the average home! (The SDA is an 82 year-old national trade association made up of 100 plus companies who furnish the nation with general cleaning products and education).

Your home should be your sanctuary. Is there anything more relaxing and peaceful than a clean and organized home? It also promotes a sense of control and self-respect that things are as they should be.

Sorting

One reason many people rarely organize a room is because they don’t know where to begin.

A good idea is to begin with a small area or site within a room, such as a desk, drawer, Magazine Rack or under the bed. Or if you want to tackle a bathroom, start with the medicine cabinet. Move the clutter in these areas to an open space where you can sort. Finish one area before you move to another.

One of the 5 top reasons people hire a professional to organize their house is that they have general “difficulty determining what to keep and what to discard.” [Source: National Association of Professional Organizers Survey 6/2009].

Tip: But you can call in a good and candid friend to help you make decisions.

Label three or more bins or boxes for the sorting process: keep, throw away and donate. You will have to assess each item that is cluttering up your room and determine if you really want to keep it. Broken, soiled and otherwise useless items should go into the garbage.

Sorting also may be difficult with items that have sentimental value, but keep in mind the memories are the important thing. You could add a fourth box for temporarily packing items whose decision you’re not emotionally ready to make just yet. You could label it ‘don’t know.’

Once you have everything sorted take the next step immediately: throw away, donate and set up your items before they have time to migrate back out of the bins! Now what to do with some common items?

Usage Rule

Do you have items lying around that you seldom if ever use? Institute a usage rule; pack away specific items, date and label the box and if you have not used it in six months either have a yard sale or donate the items to charity.

This is a good rule of thumb for most things around the house including clothing, shoes, dishes, pans and much more.

Of course, there are the occasional seasonal items such as winter clothes, camping, swimming or fishing gear that are definitely the exception to this rule.

Pictures

If you are like a lot of people you have a lot of pictures, both in frames and out! Go through the pictures and determine which are most important.

For annual family pictures, you may want to rotate and only display the most current images. Older Polaroid’s and snap shots should be stored away in picture albums.

For others, a great organizing and storage principle is to scan them into your computer and save them digitally.

Books and Magazines

There are inexpensive bookshelves and magazine racks available at your local retailer.  Deep windowsills, mantles and even certain counter tops can become substitute “bookshelves” with the addition of bookends.

Also, hanging folder racks which are available at many dollar stores can make a handy organizational tool for magazines.

Seasonal Clutter

During the winter months, coats and jackets which could become an eyesore can be easily organized. Install a few inexpensive hooks beside your back door and encourage everyone to make use of them!

For homes or apartments where this is not possible consider investing in a coat rack, freestanding or wall mounted.

To store seasonal items, a portable closet makes a wonderful organizer, doesn’t take up too much space, and comes with colors that won’t be too obtrusive.

Final Thoughts

When you can replicate a plan to organize a room, surveys show you save up to 40% on housework. More importantly, you create a sanctuary for yourself and loose creative energy formerly drained off by clutter.

 

About the Author

Steve B. Brown, Ph.D. created ClutterControlGuide.com to be a free resource full of helpful tips and information for getting your home in order as fast as possible.

Want to learn more how to organize a room? Visit my website at http://www.ClutterControlGuide.com for helpful tips and information.

DIY Guide to Indie Art, Threadbanger

Organize It All 1866 Soup Can Rack $32.99 Organize It All 1866 Soup Can RackOrganize It All 1866 Soup Can Rack Features:; Constructed of heavy metal wiring with chrome fini; Fits nicely into any kitchen cabinet; Fits most soup cans or other type of canned foods; 15.75 x 2.5 x 18.25″…

Cappuccino Magazine Rack – Coaster 900359 $21.00 This Cappuccino Magazine Rack by Coaster comes in a cappuccino finish and featuresa double-cross design that is perfect to add style and function to display your magazines. This item is usually in stock and ships at no additional charge.Features:Cappuccino FinishIncrease organization and storageDimensions: (Coaster Product #900359) 9-3/4L x 15-3/4W x 11-1/4H…

Magazine Rack, Bathroom Organization Station, In-wall organizer for your bathroom (Prefinished White) $25.00 Keeping a bathroom organized can be challenging. Let the bathroom organization station help. Each stations provides plenty of room for storing toilet accessories and racks to organize your family’s reading materials….

Organize It All Metro 2 Tier Wall Mounting Rack with Towel Bars $24.00 Increase your bathroom’s storage capacity with products that pull double duty like this 2-tier wall mount rack with a towel bar. This space saving piece is part of the Metro Collection by Organize It All.2 levels of storage shelves provide storage space for all your bathroom necessities – towels, toiletries, cosmetics and more. The two attached towel bars can accomodate hand towels and washcloth…

Chrome Wall Mount Magazine Rack $13.54 Flush all those stray magazines and toilet paper rolls away and get organized with this over the toilet magazine rack with toilet tissue holder. Where modern style meets function, this innovative piece is the perfect addition to your bathroom. This rack offers convenient storage for all your reading pleasures, and located directly under the rack is a holder for two toilet paper rolls. With this …

Polder Bathroom Wall Shelf with 2 Towel Racks, Chrome $22.99 This Bathroom Towel Rack 2-Bar 1-Shelf Chrome – Polder #94-05 creates extra storage for towels without using your linen closet space. This hotel style towel rack makes a great addition to any size bathroom and is perfect for setting out guest towels. It features durable steel construction with an elegant chrome finish to compliment almost any bathroom decor. This towel rack features a shelf on top…

Defense Courier (TM): Tactical Laptop-Messenger: Coyote $129.95 A true messenger in concept, it stays very flat when carrying loads like a laptop, but its ingenious construction allows it to square-out to accept a huge load-out. The similarities to its conventional cousins end there. The full suite of tactical/professional features included make it a genuine work-bag. The shoulder strap is sewn directy to the sides with huge x-stitches so there is no hardware …

Defense Courier (TM): Tactical Laptop-Messenger: Black $127.95 A true messenger in concept, it stays very flat when carrying loads like a laptop, but its ingenious construction allows it to square-out to accept a huge load-out. The similarities to its conventional cousins end there. The full suite of tactical/professional features included make it a genuine work-bag. The shoulder strap is sewn directy to the sides with huge x-stitches so there is no hardware …

Tot Tutors Book Rack, Primary Colors $29.88 WO593 Features: -Book rack. -Natural wood finish and primary fabric. -Sturdy wood construction. -5 Colorful nylon fabric pockets designed for easy book storage and organization. -Assembly required….

KidKraft Sling Bookshelf – Natural $41.99 Getting children excited about reading isn’t always a simple task, but our new Sling Bookshelf makes story time a lot more fun. This shelf is the perfect gift for the young readers in your life. Features: Shelf’s size is perfect for young children Soft canvas shelves keep books from being damaged Books can be displayed by front or back cover instead of the spine, making it easier for kids to choo…