Organization

You have several loads of clothes to wash. You have been putting it off for days and you can not do put it off any longer. You walk into the laundry room and you look around for the detergent. You forgot to put it on your last shopping list and you either have to run out and buy some or you put off doing laundry again.

One of the problems with the laundry room, and we have all been guilty of this, is that it contains a massive amount of dirty laundry. The dirty clothes are usually not sorted, the laundry products are not handy and doing the laundry feels like an overwhelming job.

With a little creativity and commitment from the family, you can organize the laundry room and keep it clutter free. As you may have read with our garage organization tips, small changes can make a huge difference.

Set aside a day as laundry day. Let each member of the family know when their dirty laundry has to be in the laundry room. For example, if you set Friday as laundry day, each family member should have their dirty clothes in the laundry room by 9 am Friday morning. With larger families, you may need a couple of these days a week.

If you have regular commitments such as grocery shopping or going to the gym or hair salon, don’t schedule laundry day on the busiest day of the week for you. For instance, according to Salon Rates, Saturday is by far the most popular day to get a haircut and likely the most popular day for grocery shopping as well. It would make sense to have laundry day on a different day.

Set up designated hampers in the laundry room to sort clothes: clothes, whites, permanent press, and so on. Small children can gather their dirty laundry but will need help with the sorting. Do not do it for them but explain to them what they are doing and assist them as needed.

Make sure to keep certain types of laundry completely separated or even quarantined from others. This includes that towel your dog uses and dirty rags from the garage. If you ask a professional mechanic what their wife would do if they mixed in their work clothes with clothing delicates, you’d probably get an interesting answer.

You may want to have a laundry basket for each member of the household. When the clothes are washed, dried, and folded, they can be placed in the individual baskets. You can deliver the baskets to each bedroom or you can make it the responsibility of each family member to pick up their basket by Saturday afternoon. Older children can put their clothes away. You will have to assist the younger ones.

If you do not have a shelf in your laundry room, add one for your cleaning supplies. If you have them in sight and in their proper place, you will always be able to tell when you are getting low. If you are doing laundry and you have detergent for only a couple of loads left, you should add it to your shopping list right away – maybe before you start doing the laundry. That way you will not forget.

Another clutter saving feature is to have a separate laundry bin for clothes that need to be dry cleaned. It will make it easier to have them all in one place to gather when you have to make the trip. You can also set aside a basket for family members to place items that need to be repaired such as replacing buttons. You should go through the basket as often as you can, maybe twice a month, so that the task is not overwhelming.

Most of us hate doing laundry but we can make it a bit more pleasant if we organize the laundry room and have the family pitch in.

We’ve all been in this situation. After putting off a daunting project for as long as you possibly can, you’ve decided this is the weekend you will absolutely get it done. There’s just one huge problem standing in your way. Your jumbled garage, which just happens to have your tools hidden in it somewhere. Sure, you could look for the tools, but in the time it takes to find them, you could have already completed the job.

There is no reason to let your messy garage prevent you from getting stuff done. It’s time to conquer the mess in your garage. Below you’ll find several tips designed to help you clear out the mess once and for all.

Why is Organizing Your Garage So Important?

If your garage is so packed with stuff that you wouldn’t dream of trying to park your car in it, you have a problem. Sure, parking outside may give you more room to store your things, but it also exposes your vehicle to the elements, including snow, rain, sunlight, and even sap dripping from trees. Parking in the garage eliminates these possibilities, leaving your vehicle safe.

As an added bonus, an organized garage means there is no reason to put off weekend projects. When you know exactly where the things are you need, you can get a job done quickly, leaving you with a feeling of accomplishment.

How to Get Organized

A messy garage can easily leave you overwhelmed, which is why you need to go ahead and mark off a couple of days on your calendar specifically for the task of cleaning it out. Don’t be afraid to ask friends or family to help out. Create three piles: “keep,” “sell/ donate,” and “throw away.” However, keep in mind that there are certain chemicals and paints that can only be disposed of in certain ways, so you’ll need to check on this.

After you’ve designated your piles, measure your garage, including the garage bins and doors. This will help you create a floor plan for exactly how you are going to store things. It’s always a good idea to store like items together, such as all your tools in one spot and all your gardening things in another. Designate corners for bulky items, such as lawn mowers and put seasonal items in a spot where they won’t be in the way. To make more room for your vehicle, take every opportunity to get things off the floor.

What Do You Need?

Obviously, organizational tools are a must during this process. Mickey Goodman from This Old House has several useful suggestions, such as investing in clear plastic boxes with lids that can be stacked. While the lids will keep bugs and dirt out, the transparency will make it easy to see what’s inside. For smaller items, such as screwdrivers and nails, use empty clear plastic containers or glass jars.

Goodman has admitted that he’s a fan of shelving units without doors because you can’t hide clutter behind the doors and you’ll be able to see what’s on the shelf. If you have things that shouldn’t be exposed to too much air, cabinets with a door may be more beneficial. To hang up lightweight object on the walls, opt for hooks and pegboards, while larger, heavier items, such as bikes, will need something sturdier.

It’s All About Safety

Goodman is also quick to point out that it is crucial to keep safety in mind when cleaning out your garage. For example, garage doors are a safety feature, yet they can become a hazard when they are not properly maintained. You need to make it a habit of inspecting cables, pulleys, springs, and rollers every month for signs of deterioration.

Since 1991, an automatic reverse system is required on all garage doors. This just means that the door is equipped with a sensor that will automatically make the door go back up if it detects something in its way. If your garage door is a bit older, Goodman wholeheartedly recommends investing in a new one. It’s just safer.

If you aren’t certain just how effective your automatic reverse system is, put a roll of paper towels in the door’s path. The door should reverse before it hits the paper towels. If it does not, it’s time to get it checked out by a professional.

Once you have finally organized your garage, make every effort to keep it that way. Don’t fall back into the habit of just throwing stuff out there or putting things anywhere you can find an empty spot. It may be difficult, but you can do it!