ThriftyFun Logo
Home   Find   Ask   Share   Answer   Join   Index   Login  
 
 User Login:  Username:    Password:      Forgot It?  | Join ThriftyFun!

 - Beauty
 - Budget and Finance
 - Cleaning
 - Consumer Advice
 - Craft Projects
 - Craft Tips
 - Food Tips
 - Garage Sales
 - Gardening
 - Gifts
 - Green Living
 - Home Improvement
 - Organizing
 - Parenting
 - Parties
 - Pest Control
 - Pets
 - Product Reviews
 - Recipes
 - Repair
 - Weddings for Less

RSS Feed
About Us
Media
Advertising
Contact Us
Privacy Statement
Disclaimer

Organizing Housework for the New Year

1x1
Date: 02/02/2009 Topic: Cleaning > Organization  
1x1
Post Feedback | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Print (With Feedback) | Rate: Thumbs Up Thumbs Down | Bookmark and Share
If you're fortunate enough to have a dishwasher, do not go to bed without loading it. If you hand wash, use the same practice.
If you're fortunate enough to have a dishwasher, do not go to bed without loading it. If you hand wash, use the same practice.
Looking back on 2008 and housework. Don't you wish you could make a new plan to keep things organized and washing caught up? Trust me, it is possible! I'd like to suggest a few tips to frustrated and overwhelmed Homemakers that I've used for many years. I've passed them down to my Daughter and Sons as well. Fortunately, she picked up on it! As for the sons, well, they're still struggling but I figure one out of three ain't bad!

First, use the month of January to reorganize. Unfortunately, to do this you'll need to invest in storage products. After the Holidays, there are a lot of plastic crates, etc on sale. It doesn't matter if it's red and green or a holiday design, who cares! Go through one a closet at a time. To attempt more than one at a time gets you feeling overwhelmed, so keep it down to one.

  • Go through clothes and make piles of clothes for discarding. If it hasn't been worn in 6 months it more than likely won't be worn.
  • Yard Sale Items and clothes: If you're REALLY ambitious, go ahead and price and tag them. When finished, box up or crate them up and you'll be ready for the next sale.
  • If you're like me, you have craft items in there. Do a craft item box and next time you look for them you know where they're at (and that's sure a good feeling).
  • If you have several skeins of yarn or several pair of shoes, the pocketed hanging organizer works wonders. The absolute best ones are the canvas ones which have have little "cubby" pockets. These take up very little space and it's amazing how much these will hold.
  • As for toys, use the same plan as the clothes. If it hasn't been played with for 6 month, discard, Yard sale, or donate it. Goodwill stores, etc will write you a tax donation slip for tax use.
  • Items that are in your closet and out of place: Take the time to put it back where it goes. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day and this will take time, but it's a great feeling to see an organized closet. Use the crates for the items you must store. Using an index card, or simply paper and tape, make a label to let you know what's inside. Then you won't need to dig to find what's inside.

My second suggestion is to form new habits concerning dish washing and laundry. Try this for a week or so and you'll make it a practice. If you're fortunate enough to have a dishwasher, do not go to bed without loading it. If you hand wash, use the same practice. Same with laundry, once you make one big laundry "catch-up day", make a practice to wash the days clothes before bedtime. If you do this; you can keep yourself caught up.

Now I want you to know, I'm not SUZY HOMEMAKER, by any means, but I raised three kids using this method. A piled up house and laundry room makes for a frustrated Mom. And you know the old saying "If Mom ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" Speaking of happy, Happy New Year!

By Sharon from Ravenna, Ky

(1x1 graphic )
Previous: Fried Peach Pie ThriftyFun Next: Baked Macaroni
(1x1 graphic )
1x1
1x1
 Feedback
1x1
1x1
1x1

By Osa (Guest Post)
I take the out-of season clothes storage one step further. I make a list of what's in the box but I do a list for each season. One box would be spring/summer another would be fall/winter or whatever combo works better for you. The clothes that are listed for the "previous" season are what I put back in the box. That way I don't have to relabel each time I swap out clothes.

Posted on 02/04/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse

1x1
1x1
 Post Feedback:
1x1
1x1
1x1

Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.

1x1
(1x1 graphic )

© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com - Design by Cumuli Design
Disclaimer: ThriftyFun.com cannot accept any responsibility for any injury or damage that you may cause to yourself, others, or property when following any advice given on this site. Read the full disclaimer. If you find any information on ThriftyFun.com or in our newsletters that is either erroneous and/or potentially harmful to others, please Contact Us, immediately.