The Organizing Company Client Success Tips
Life’s Better When It’s Put Together
How To Maintain Organization In Your Home
Hooray! Your space is organized and ready to go! To keep things running smoothly, there are a few things we suggest to all our clients. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about how to apply these principles to your space and your life!
1. Tidy as you go.
By making it a habit to put things back where they belong as soon as you’re done with them, you save yourself a ton of time! For example: While dinner is in the oven, put away the ingredients, wash the mixing bowls, and wipe the counters. When you’re getting ready in the morning, put the makeup brushes immediately back into their jar/container, put the toothpaste cap back on and put it back in it’s place, and hang your towels/pjs (or throw them in the hamper).
2. 15 minutes a day keeps the chaos away.
We all have times when we can’t put things right back where they go. We’re still human. So doing small amounts of maintenance (or “restoring”) each day will prevent clutter from piling up and requiring a major overhaul. It will also spare you some stress, relational tension, and overwhelm. So spend 5 minutes per person per room at the end of day (or beginning if you’re a morning person!) putting things away that got neglected in the rush of the day. Walk through each room and pick up the random socks, the toys, the dishes left on the coffee table. Each family member can (and should!) help with this process, even the kiddos! Many families also do mid-day pick-ups when kids are at home during the day! We also recommend doing quarterly tune-ups in each area. Make a plan of when to tackle each area and put reminders in your phone (or go ahead and block out a Saturday morning on your calendar).
3. Kids can organize and tidy!
Teaching your kids how to organize, how to tidy, and how to build routines into their days are all life skills that will benefit them in school, and in work and family someday. While building these habits may be rough (to say the least), it is well worth it for your long term sanity and for their success as an adult. We recommend teaching kids to pick up their toys before sitting down for a meal, leaving the house for an activity, and before going to bed. Doing small amounts at a time also makes it more manageable. If “Pick up your toys” is too vague, try picking one category at a time: “Put all your Barbies in the basket,” or “Pick up all your Legos next.”
4. Bulk is bologna!
Having lots of backstock is overrated- not to mention detrimental to organizing efforts, often a waste of space, and frequently a waste of money. We love a good deal as much as the next person, but saving $10 by buying a year’s supply of paper towels or cleaning supplies just isn’t worth the storage space they take up (unless you have a large home with great storage!). This is especially true for food, and this is where buying in bulk can be the biggest waste of money. We throw out SO much expired food for clients who forgot they had it. When your pantry is stuffed full and you can’t see what you have, things tend to get ignored/forgotten, and this usually happens when items were bought in bulk or in large sizes. And many clients forgot to check the “overstock” shelf/cabinet before going to the store anyway. So, only buying a week’s worth of groceries at a time might be worth it. Not that you can’t have some chicken noodle soup sticking around, but 3 bottles of Hershey’s syrup and 5 extra boxes of cereal might be a bit excessive. For toiletries, cleaning supplies, and office supplies (the other top offenders): having extra on hand is rarely necessary since you can notice when you’re running low and go out and buy more before you’re completely out. But if you must have extra on hand, keep it to one extra per item (not 3 extra bottles of Windex) and have a designated spot/system so you don’t buy more instead of using what you have! If you hate going to the store more often, consider Amazon Prime/InstaCart/Walmart To Go for free or inexpensive delivery/pick up of almost any of your most used items. That way things are stored at Amazon, not in your overflowing linen closet! :)
5. Routines save the day.
Imagine you and one other adult being in charge of 12 six year olds all summer. They do activities with you, eat with you, sleep above you on a bunk bed. Sounds like a nightmare to most people. And it would be if they didn’t have structure and routines. Christina was a camp counselor for multiple summers and learned the value of routines and schedules, especially for kids. They had time each day for rest, chores, fun (ziplines, tubing, archery), freetime, learning, and, of course, meals. Adults can benefit from similar routines: Check email first thing in the office, return phone calls, tackle operations, etc. Additionally or instead, you could have a weekly routine with daily duties: Monday is kids’ laundry day, Tuesday is bills/mail day, Wednesday is cleaning day, etc. Find what works for your situation and make it a habit! Then, when you have to miss a day/task, it’s easier to pick right back up! Kids do especially well with routines (and boundaries!), so take advantage of the newly organized space to implement new guidelines.
6. You’re not alone.
No one can do it all- by themselves. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Some clients make “Social Support Dates” where they arrange for a friend to come over/meet for coffee, and they each work on their paperwork/bills, or they simply talk while one folds laundry. But having another person there helps them get it done, and perhaps it would for you too. If a friend isn’t the best option, The Organizing Company is always here to help you maintain your organization- and your sanity!
We are excited to hear stories of your success, systems that work, and how your life is better when it’s put together! Please call or email for ideas, support, or hands-on assistance!
The Organizing Company | 303.872.8505 | TheOrganizingCo.com | Hello@TheOrganizingCo.com
