CLEAN SWEEP
Have you made a New Year’s resolution to downsize all the “stuff” you’ve accumulated in your home? You’re not alone. Get started with these tips from TLC and Real Simple magazine for tackling clutter in prominent spaces.
CLOSET Consider installing a second rod underneath the primary clothing rod to hand skirts, shorts, scarves and bags; you can double your storage and eliminate the need for shelving. Keep only in-season items in your closet; box the rest and store underneath the bed or in a storage closet. To keep your closets from getting cluttered in the first place, implement a new rule: For each new item that comes in, two items must be thrown out or donated.
KITCHEN Keep objects close to where they are used. For example, keep the dishes near dishwasher, and the spices at arm’s length of the stove. If the objects in question are easier to put away after use, the kitchen is more likely to stay clean. Clear counters of unused small appliances and cookbooks and store them in cabinets or shelves instead. Use the insides of cabinets and pantry doors to organize knickknacks, such as chip slips or bottle openers that can hang, or trim down an over-the-door shoe organizer to fit the inside of the cabinet to house these items.
HOME OFFICE Establish a filing system that you can easily—and immediately –use to keep bills and loose papers from getting out of hand. Keep labeled manila folders at the ready; assign folders for tax records, utility bills and medical expenses, for example. Consider investing in a scanner to digitize important documents and save them on a hard drive for easy (and paper-free) access. Create a “shelf life” rule for magazines; for example, purge weeklies after a month and monthlies every few months.