Everything You Need to Know to Organise Your Home This New Year
Okay, so we say it every year: this is going to be the time we organise ourselves, the year we get productive and the year we fix things around the house. If you’re anything like us, you probably never get around to it either.
Fear not, we’ve put everything you need in one place to help you get well and truly on your way to organisation heaven and a tidy home that dreams are made of.
Where to Start
Usually, the hardest part of starting a big clear-out is getting started. Short of giving you a motivational speech, all we can tell you is that it will be totally worth it when you’re done. And, if you’d like to reward yourself when you’re finished, we think that’s pretty fair.
Here’s how to get started.
Declutter Your Mind
It may sound cheesy but if you’ve got a cluttered mind, chances are this overflows into your life, too.
Start by scheduling in some ‘you’ time. The less space occupying your mind, the more likely you are to achieve the things on your to-do list.
When you’re finished with that and ready to go, it’s time to make a list…
Write It Down
So, grab a pen, some paper and a coffee and begin breaking your chores down into manageable tasks.
We’d recommend sectioning it into rooms and then again into the tasks for each room. Next, put your favourite tracks on loud and get going.
Living Room
This is the room that gets used the most but storage is regularly overlooked. But all is not lost: you can get dual-functioning furniture that will meet your storage needs whilst not looking unsightly. The coffee-table chest, the bookcase-cum-feature-wall, the side table turned storage unit and the window seat and storage chest: your options are vast.
Once you’ve given the room a good dust and polish, look at where you think you can optimise space and capitalise on some clever furniture ideas, even if it’s just an extra place to put your throws.
Bathroom
With the average UK bathroom being approximately two by two, it’s likely that you need more storage as you fight the constant clutter.
Begin by removing everything but the bathroom suite and give your shower, bath, sink and toilet a good scrub, along with the tiles.
Next, cull products that you no longer use or stow away the products you don’t use that often.
Storage wise, think of going up or under. A good under-sink vanity unit will help hide any unsightly products and a built-in medicine cabinet can create more floor space whilst keeping items out of eyesight.
Kitchen
Much like a bathroom, this could benefit from some clever storage hacks to really optimise the space in the heart of your home.
If you’re lucky enough to have a lot of space and perhaps even an island, you may not struggle with storage. However, if you’ve got a galley or a small workspace, you may face some issues.
After you’ve done the dishes, wiped the worktop and cabinets, it’s time to turn your head to storage.
Sometimes it can be worth investing in some extra storage baskets or a trolley that can move around as you do. These added extras can really help when you’re trying to multitask with your weekly meals, but when tucked away they can help keep the place looking shipshape and shiny.
Bedroom
This room always seems to get left to last but it’s so rewarding when you’ve got freshly cleaned sheets on your bed and you’ve had the window open letting in the crisp air.
Begin by stripping the bed and flipping the mattress – simple yet effective changes.
Next, take the clothes out of your drawers and make piles for keep, discard and store. Do one drawer at a time or things can get a little crazy. Neatly fold your keep pile and pop it back in the drawer, put the discard pile into a sack to go to charity or sell and put the store clothes into a storage box.
Having everything neatly stored in drawers, including clothes, really makes getting ready in the morning way easier.
Repeat the process for your wardrobe, too. If you’re looking to really step up your storage game, built-in wardrobes with sliding doors and built-in storage units could be a game changer.
Flooring
Grab the dustpan and brush, mop and hoover; you’ve almost made it through and your home is sparkling and ready to start the year.
Got wooden flooring that’s seen better days? Did you know that walnuts help get scratches out of wood? It sounds crazy but the oil in the walnut works wonders with the natural wax in your wooden floor. All you have to do is break a walnut in half and simply rub it on the scratch and then wipe with a fibre cloth.
What Next?
Those are the main areas out of the way; now you can maintain them by sticking to the ‘one a week’ rule.
This is where you take one really small declutter task (and only one), for example, clearing out the under-stairs cupboard. Next week, move on to something else, such as the ‘man drawer’. Little and often will help you win this race.
For more storage solutions, visit our blog for keeping on top of your home.
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