I need tips on how to get my house organized

amother

Azure

Mon, Nov 16 2015, 6:30 pm

My house is literally upside down. There are just two of us, DH and I, but we do have alot of people dropping in always to visit, sit and shmooze, or have a hot cup of coffee or tea. I try to keep the front room looking orderly, but with my busy schedule, I hardly get to the rest of the house. I need tips on how to get started. I don't have much time, so what can I do in fifteen to thirty minute intervals. It is mostly papers, bills, invitations, magazines, flyers, etc. Also the linen closet, which has everything but linen in it; mostly shampoos, room deodorizers, soaps, bandaids, meds of all kinds, and more. Where do most people store those? My bathroom is very small without any cupboards for storing things. Help!

dancing bubby

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 8:13 pm

Most paper that we keep is unnecessary. Try to get rid of most of it as it comes in.
As for your linen closet, we all have to live within our space, so don't buy more than you need if you don't have where to store it. (It will go on sale again.) If you need more help feel free to call me. I've been a professional organizer for over 12 years.

saw50st8

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 5:53 am

Do you have space for some sort of storage area in your bathroom? Even something small can free up space for your toiletries.

We had a pedestal sink in our bathroom and it was so hard to organize and deal with. We replaced it with a vanity that has a drawer for each member of the house. It's blissful now!

You also need to evaluate what you need in your house and what you don't. The less stuff you have, the less you need to deal with.

As for paperwork. Set up a station: inbox, outbox, to be dealt with and filing. When you get your mail, toss the junk (into recycling) right away. Deal with the station at least once a week, more if you get a lot of stuff.

thunderstorm

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 8:53 am

Get yourself bins on different sizes that fit on the shelves of your closets ( I personally like clear plastic shoe boxes, but you can go for prettier and bigger ....
Make yourself a paperwork bin , as you put the paperwork into the bin throw out all the envelopes, flyers etc that would be garbage, the bills and important paperwork go into this bin until you have time to actually file it into separate files in a filing cabinet or filing box.

Put all first aid items into another bin along with ointments etc.
Stand up the shampoos, conditioners etc in another bin
Put Soap in another bin
Keep these bins on one shelf..
Put your towels on another shelf and your linen folded on the highest shelf.

This is just for quick organizing you are referring to...since you dont really have time...but at least you'll know where everything is and it wont be all over the place.

seeker

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 10:43 am

Re. bathroom I hung some shelves above the toilet that helped. But I wish I had gone for a cabinet instead, it would look better and also lower the incidence of things falling in the toilet embarrassed

Also, to go with the shelves, I bought some of those clear plastic thingies with little compartments - I put it off for a while because I thought they were overpriced but it was one of the best $10 I ever spent, it keeps my small toiletries/makeup/nail file/things like that upright and separate from each other. Takes up less space, easier to find, no more spilling all over and rummaging through bag/box.

I am also a big believer in those shoebox-size sterilite containers. About $1 each at Target or dollar stores and they keep things so much more organized, even though for some things they take up more space it's worth it in the time you save not spilling things every time you move something.

Paper:
Bills - I've automated or gone paperless as much as possible. I set up online to have my credit cards paid automatically from my bank account, which I also check online, and have opted to get paperless statements from all.
Invitations - I have a calendar on the wall. If I plan to go to the thing I'm invited to, the info goes on the calendar and the paper goes in the garbage. If I don't plan on going, straight in the garbage. Response cards get filled out on the spot, I have an outgoing mail container hanging on the front door.
flyers - what do you need them for? I rarely get a flyer I actually care about. If it's about an event, it goes on the calendar.
from your list that leaves magazines, you can get a magazine holder, or just let the magazines lie around the house in random places if that's where you read em. Not such a big deal when everything else is basically out of the way.