store, but in your own closet. Take a bag
and thumb through your hangers and
shelves. If you spot garments and acces-
sories that you don't see yourself wear-
ing, or they don't fit anymore, toss them
into your bag. Granted, this "shopping
bag" won't be yours when you're done
with it; it goes to charity, or you can sell
your items online or to Plato's Closet for
some extra cash.
mystery junk boxes. We all have them.
Some of us think we know what's in
there, most of us will admit we have no
idea. Nevertheless, open them and sort.
Throw items out if they're useless. Keep-
sakes and holiday decorations do not be-
long in your personal closet, so set these
types of boxes aside to be put in the attic
or garage (we'll get to that later).
dresser. Place belts and handbags on a
hanger or install hooks for a more func-
tional, organized look. Use plastic bins
to store gloves, undies, and other small
accessories. As for the dresser, focus on
one drawer at a time. Get rid of anything
you don't wear or need, such as old pa-
jamas and socks with holes in them.
Reorganize by hanging up any items
that are wrinkled and be sure to sanitize
the drawers before filling them back up;
your dresser will thank you for it.
thus making it a high-traffic area.
There's usually always some type of
clutter in the kitchen because it is con-
stantly being used. Here are some tips
for organizing the hub of the house.
gone to the store and purchased an in-
gredient that you already had at home
but didn't notice because it was buried
deep in your pantry? Eliminate that
from happening again in five minutes.
First, remove everything and wipe off
the shelves. Install a spice rack (they're
unbelievably functional) and create
more space by adding storage bins on
the floor of your pantry as well.
packaged goods that you haven't used
and probably won't in the near future,
put them in a bag and donate them.
The same rule of thumb as before also
applies here: top to bottom, smallest to
largest. Canned goods should be stored
somewhere in between (you don't want
a can from the top shelf falling on your
toe!). Extra paper goods, like napkins,
and lightweight items should be placed
on the higher shelves. Make use of that
Tupperware you have but can't find the
lid to by placing loose items like gravy
and oatmeal packets in them.
thumb as well: the higher shelves are
smaller, the ones on the bottom are
larger, reserved for milk jugs and such.
Keep it this way for maximum safety
and space. A helpful tip while sorting:
organize by "use by" date. Things that
are going to last a while can be stored in
the back, while you should have your
soon-to-expire items up front so you'll
use them first. Take out anything on the
door of your refrigerator that you hav-
en't used in the last 6 months and throw
it away, it's only taking up space!
Your kitchen counters probably serve
the biggest purpose in the space. They
provide you with a workspace, a place
to set your groceries, an area to set up
serving trays, and more. So why take
away space from yourself by cluttering
your countertops with things you don't
use every day. Take all small appliances
that you haven't used in the last week
off of your counters and store them in a
cabinet or give them away if you don't
ever put them to use. Mix 2 cups of hot
water with a tablespoon of concentrat-
ed bleach, and disinfect the countertops,
making sure to reach all corners. Once
bleached, go back over the counters
with just hot water. Put a shallow, dec-
orative bowl at the end of your counter-
top as a designated spot for mail, keys,
cards, and anything else that normally
ends up sprawled across the counter.