OrGaNiZaTiOn

I am known is my family for being Mrs. Organized. While I don't like labels I'll proudly wear this one. ha ha. My grandma often comments on my "clean out projects" as a "throw away generation" move. Regardless of how you choose to look at Organization it is something that needs to happen to make life move forward. It keeps stress down and its healthy for the body, mind and soul.


"Clear out things that don't matter...for things that do" this is a quote I found on a blog I found through Pinterest. There are some fabulous things on that website. I have an addiction to it. I have found a ton of ideas, solutions and daily goals to making organization an everyday part of life. I thought I would share my findings here:


CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS
The term "Deep Cleaning" often leaves people feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Because of that it hardly gets done or not done well enough. SO, here's a simple solution: break it down month by month. This will give you the opportunity to REALLY put that elbow grease into one project vs many projects and things will actually get done. Here's a rough and generic outline. Customize it to fit your household whether you own or rent...


JANUARY - Closets
This may seem pretty generic and that's good. That gives you the opportunity of selecting a problem closet or going through all your closets. Deep cleaning a closet does not mean you have to do it alone. Have your spouse, children, friend, etc help you. You can select a free Saturday to do them all at once or pick a few days out of the month to work on them. Regardless of how you choose to tackle it...remember the idea is to DEEPLY clean them. Purge unneccessary clothing items, shoes, games, supplies, shoes, craft/decor items, linens, etc. You can donate the items or you can choose to sell them in  a garage sale....one man's trash is another man's treasure!


FEBRUARY - Blinds & Curtains
This month can feel overwhelming because even to me the idea of cleaning blinds in a two-story isn't ideal BUT knowing that if I deep clean them really well ONCE a year, chances are I won't have to do it again till the next year. Here's a few ideas to make the process a little easier to swallow:
-Use a swiffer duster to collect loose spiderwebs or dust.
-Then use a warm, damp washcloth to wipe down each individual blind blade.
-Once dry, take a Bounce sheet (or similar) and wipe down each individual blade. The bounce sheet keeps dust from collecting so quickly!
-Or if you prefer, and have those metal blades, you can remove the fixture from the window and hose it down with your hose and wipe it dry.


MARCH - Ceiling Fans & Light Fixtures
(don't forget your recessed, patio & porch lighting)
I recently saw a genius idea when it comes to cleaning a fan blade. Use a PILLOWCASE! You slide the pillowcase over the fan blade. Then as you pull the pillowcase toward you apply some pressure to the edges of the blade to remove the dust. The dust will then fall into the pillowcase. Once you have completed your fans you can take the pillowcase outside or over a trash can, shake out the dust bunnies. To clean your pillowcase simply...wash it in your washing machine. Waaaahlaaa! I've found that light fixtures are easy to clean with warm water and a washcloth. Allow them to dry and then windex the glass or light bulb covers and they're good as new!

APRIL - Windows
Here is another project you can rally the troops for! Have a few work inside and a few work outside and you can have this project done in a day. Make sure to use newspaper for windows in direct sunlight to keep them from streaking. Having someone inside and outside each window allows one or both to show areas where the other has missed. Remove screens from windows and hose them down, allow to dry or wipe dry with a dry rag (be careful not to push too hard).

MAY - Bedrooms
Remember January was JUST the closets. Now here is the opportunity to go through shelves, bookcases, under bed storage, baskets, gear, etc in each room. Sometimes when we focus on a room the closet becomes the biggest part of the project and doesn't leave us any time to look at wallpaper, paint, art, fixtures, rugs, etc that might be outdated or really dirty. By eliminating the closet you have the entire project time to focus on everything else. Whip out that Windex, wood cleaner and vaccuum and go at it! It will make each room sparkle in a new way! Take note of items that are broken, not functional or need replacing and do so as your budget allows.

JUNE - Carpet & Flooring
This is where the MOST traffic is visible in our homes...especially with carpet. This gives you the chance to really take a look at what you're walking on. If you have wood floors ask yourself...do they need refacing? or just a really good clean? are any of the floorboards lose or missing? If you have carpet this is the chance to really get it cleaned well. If you have a lot of floor space you may want to get estimates for a carpet cleaning company to come once a year. Especially if you have pets that live indoors. It's almost a must with the amount of hair and dander that gets worked into your carpets and rugs. If you don't have pets and would like to go a more inexpensive way you can rent carpet cleaning supplies/equipment (like Rug Doctors) from local grocery and hardware stores. OR if your own personal vaccum has a carpet cleaning option you can spend the month using that. Take care of the space you walk on!

JULY - Bathrooms 
I hate bathrooms most in my house so its no surprise if you feel the same way. The good news is that this summer time project leaves you indoors where its cooler! Turn on some music or the radio and whistle while you work! Take a good look at your grout and tile, faucets and fixtures, vanities, lighting, toilet paper supply and storage options. Make sure you have no leaks, drips or running toilets. Keep track of items that are getting older or need replacing. I use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers on my tile grout (its white) and this helps TONS! I use Windex on my tile to have it keep that shiny polished glow! Have any good bathroom cleaning tips? Leave them in the comment box below.

AUGUST - Vents & Filters
Vents need maintenance and replacing more than we know. If your A/C doesn't seem to be working as well as it used to, you may want to check the filters or the vents. Dust can block that cool air from reaching you! Using a warm washcloth and mild cleaning solutions will help with these problems. Make note to keep some extra filters in the garage so that once a year you can replace your filter. EASY!

SEPTEMBER - Kitchen
With your kids back in school there's no better time to tackle a kitchen. All those "helpers" won't mess with your supplies and things won't go missing! I recommend going through each cupboard by removing EVERY item in them. William Morris is a smart man who said "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be useful." This means that alllllll those slotted spoons, wooden spoons, spatulas and can openers need to be condensed down to the one or two that work the best. Go through your mixing bowls, cups, novelty/seasonal items, pantry items, fridge items and tupperware and figure out what is NO LONGER "useful". This gives you the opportunity to take inventory on your appliances (big and small) as well as those small tools you use daily (cups, cooking tools, tupperware, etc). Remember to clean your backsplash, sink, floors and to wipe down each cabinet door with the proper mild cleaning solutions. If you have an eat-in nook take a look at your table, individual chairs or cushions, etc. Kitchens are often the "hub" of the home so make sure its working for you and its stocked with the supplies you NEED and USE.

OCTOBER - Baseboards & Molding
This task can really be a quick one. Use dusting tools for your moldings (and if you're like me, you can wipe them clean with a mild cleaner) and mild cleaners for your baseboards. Are there any loose or missing pieces? Do they need to be repainted or touched up?

NOVEMBER - Laundry Room
We all have issues with our laundry rooms. I try to keep mine stocked with extra soaps and bounce sheets so that if I'm in the middle of washing day I don't interrupt it because I've run out of supplies. I also keep a stash of socks that seem to lose a mate...grrr! Well, if at the end of each year that sock is still there...trash it. Make sure to wash your floors, the front and sides of your machines, the lint drawer (even though this should totally be done MORE than once a year). If you have sewing supplies or cleaning supplies stored here go through and eliminate what isn't needed, useful or expired.

DECEMBER - Furniture 
Furniture can be a daunting task because generally we have a lot of it. Different heights, widths, hardware and colors can make the task a little longer than necessary but if we take care of these things our home will ALWAYS look put together. Break out a craft sponge (paint brush style) to get in those hard to reach places, Q-tips work well too! Tighten any loose hardware or replace damaged or broken hardware pulls or knobs. If you find you are not using the piece for what it was designed for or if it needs to be replaced...do so. Replace pieces that need updating and donate, sell or discard things that are no longer working for your situation. Consider families that may find a use out of old beds, cribs, dressers, tables, etc to help recycle a piece that may not work for you but isn't trash worthy either.

Don't be overwhelmed. Reading this list will do that too you. But remember...MONTH to MONTH and you're done! It will be an entire YEAR before you are faced with any of these projects again! That is what makes me feel good about this plan.

Like I said, adjust want you need too to work for your situation. If you don't have moldings or baseboards select another project to replace it...your garage or storage area? Yard/Patio? Have fun with it and FINISH WHAT YOU START! Remember: clear out things that don't matter for things that do!