A new year means a new start. It’s a time when people make resolutions in hopes to refresh, renew and make the new year better than the last. With so many goals and ideas, it can be difficult to know where to start. A good idea is to start where you are the most, your home. Here are 10 tips to help clean out the old and start organizing with the new.
Maui Now Stock Photo
1. Start with the closet. If your new year resolution is to lose weight, or if you already have, start by giving away or selling the clothes that don’t fit anymore. Drop off clothes at Salvation Army. Another great option is the app Poshmark, sell your clothes online and once it’s sold, Poshmark sends you a pre-paid shipping label and once the buyer receives the shipment, the money goes into your account. Easy.
2. Take everything out. It’s best to take everything out of a room and start from there, that way you can deep clean, get rid of junk, and organize the way you want all at once.
3. Important documents. Go through all the paperwork and receipts that you’ve thrown into drawers over the year and put them into separate binders and folders and label it.
Maui Now Stock Photo.
4. Kitchen and pantry. Another way to help you achieve your weight loss goal in 2018 is to clear out the pantry and refrigerator. Throw away expired food and spices and make room for the food that will help reach your goal. Tight on space? Grab a Kleenex box and store spice packets or tea packets inside.
5. Convert CDs and DVDs to digital. If you have a lot of DVDs and CDs cluttering space near the TV or on your bookshelf, check out this list that can convert all your movies and shows so you can watch them from your computer, tablet and phone.
Pintrest photo from darkroomanddearly.com
6. Shoe boxes for storage. While cleaning each room, keep all small electronic devices and chargers you find along the way in a box. Once you finish cleaning, you can see which devices belong to which chargers, tuck them into a toilet paper roll and label them. Put them in the box. Shoe boxes/Kleenex boxes are also great for storing sewing items too.
7. Storage. Try to avoid buying big plastic bins to store your items (unless you’re keeping them in an outdoor space). Go through all your items and throw out or donate what you don’t need or haven’t used in a long time. For smaller items, use mason jars for storage or hang a spice rack in cabinets to make for a more organized area. Another tip is to fold and place matching bed linens inside a pillowcase.
Storage ideas from DAGMAR’S HOME
8. Wood and nails. Old wooden crates make great hanging storage for items like bathroom towels and pots and pans. You can also buy some hooks and hang coffee mugs, cooking utensils, pots and pans from inside or under the kitchen cabinets. You can also build a storage crate from wood and use it as a table.
9. Keep flat surfaces clear. Only keep the items you use everyday (like a coffee maker) on your kitchen counter. Make sure every item in your house has a home so it doesn’t start accumulating on top of desks and TV stands.
Maui Now Stock Photo
10. Craigslist, Yard Sales. Take all the leftover stuff you’ve decided you don’t need and sell it. People are always searching for items you probably wouldn’t expect for a cheaper price. Whether it’s storage bins, water jugs, scraps of wood, your trash could be someone else’s treasure.
