Last week, we shared four places to organize in under 15 minutes. If you’re still in a cleaning groove, it’s time to tackle four more. If you work quickly, you can probably organize all of these common clutter-collecting places in about a hour. Be ruthless; there’s no point in storing things you don’t actually use! Like any muscle, organizing gets easier the more you do it.
Image via Houzz
The Laundry Room. Dust bunnies aren’t the only things that live in your laundry room. There’s probably a surplus of hangers and old clothes in here. Inventory the laundry items that you use regularly to make sure you’re stocked up and store these items are in easy reach. Toss anything that is half used and won’t get used the rest of the way. Remove old hangers and broken clothes pins. Rags that are tattered beyond use must go, too. Move anything that needs to be mended or dry cleaned into your car to drop them off. Sweep the floor and check the dryer vent for lint.
Time investment: 15 minutes
The Utility Closet. Maybe your laundry room is your utility closet. If so, take a few extra minutes to do these two together. Group like items together in bins or baskets. See if anything needs to be relocated. For example: if you avoid using a step stool because it’s tucked away in a hard-to-reach corner, see if you can move it to a more convenient place. Make sure your flashlights have fully charged batteries!
Time investment: 10 minutes
Together with the laundry room: 15-20 minutes
Under the Bed. Like the laundry room, dust bunnies seem to multiply under the bed. It’s also a land of lost socks and mis-matched slippers. Toss any errant tissues and other flotsam that accumulates there. If you have clothes stored under your bed, take a minute to see if there’s anything that could be worn now and find a new home for it in your closet. Keep only the slippers you use frequently (and are in one piece). Don’t forget to sweep or vacuum.
Time investment: 10 minutes
Under the Kitchen Sink. Do you store cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink? If you do, and you find it challenging to keep the bathrooms clean, move all cleaning supplies to a central location (like the laundry room or a hall closet). Only keep items in the kitchen that will get used in the kitchen. Inventory the remaining items for anything that you won’t use and cut them loose. Gather paper and plastic bags together and recycle them in the appropriate place. Wipe out your trash can.
Time investment: 10 minutes
Bonus! Under the Bathroom Sink. While you’re working your way through the kitchen, take a few minutes to run through your bathrooms as well. Throw away anything old or outdated and give away any beauty products you don’t use. The same goes for styling tools. Gather like items together and find a place to store them. Keep the most-used items in the bathroom and relocate anything that you don’t reach for daily. Peek in the shower and do the same.
Time investment: 10-15 minutes
