Spring Cleaning Tips for Staying Organized

It’s spring-cleaning time! If you are tackling cleaning your own home, don’t go into it blind. Have a cleaning checklist and schedule to keep you on task. Get a free checklist here: http://www.passionforsavings.com/spring-cleaning-checklist-free-printable/

Gotta love toys, right? They end up all over the house, even if you do have a designated toy room. If you constantly have toys in your living area, get a medium sized cute bin to gather them in. This allows you (or, hopefully the kids) to gather all of the toys quickly and store them temporarily until you can put them back where they belong.

If you have a child in sports, you know how difficult it can be to keep track of all of their gear at the game. Usually something is left behind or the wrong person takes the wrong water bottle. With these handy baskets, you won’t have to worry about losing gear! Hang them on the fence or place them on the sideline for their water bottles, gloves, etc. If they have larger items (helmet or bat) hang them on the fence or place them

right next to the bucket. Have fun with it

and personalize them for your team! Win…Win

When thinking about getting organized, do not overlook your car!

Most of us “live” out of our cars…and it can show.

- De-Clutter and clean out your car once a week. This may seem like overkill, but it will really help with keeping the car clean and the more you keep up with it, the less you have to clean.

- Keep a little garbage bin or bag in your car so the trash does not end up on the floor and in the cup holders. Empty with your weekly de-clutter and cleaning.

- Keep only the essentials in your car - Wet Ones, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, umbrella,

appropriate paperwork.

Think outside of the bin! You don’t have to use the typical bin when organizing your stuff. Put crayons, markers and chalk in clear jars instead of keeping them in their cardboard containers. Use wall space to hang small buckets with craft supplies near your children’s workspace.

Make your work area reflect you! We spend most of our lives working, so our workspace should be inspirational. Take time to add small reflections of your personality, but make sure not to clutter up your desk! J

Can’t decide on a desk for your home office? Make sure you don’t base your decision on looks and style alone. Your desk has to be functional and be able to store some office supplies and files. Otherwise, you are going to have files and office supplies with no home.

Do you have a problem keeping your desk clear of paper clutter? Utilize the wall space right above your desk to store your paper and files. A wall pocket like the one pictured (Ikea) will keep your desk clean and clutter free!

If you are trying to keep the top of your desk clutter free, make it a daily habit to tidy up before you go home each day. File away appropriate papers, throw away any trash and put any supplies back where they belong. This 5-minute process will make a BIG difference and be

one less thing to think about the next workday.

Remember…. the appearance of your workspace/desk is a reflection of you. If you have a cluttered and messy desk, people will assume that you are not on task and have too much going on to take on anything else. If your desk is clean and in order, people will assume that your work is in order too!