Learn to really live in your home and stop saying, “Don’t look — the place is a wreck.”
Say fung-SHWAY
Feng shui literally means wind (feng) and water (shui). This ancient Chinese art utilizes the principle that energy (Chi) flows within a space based upon the construction of a space and the placement of objects within it. In recent years, the practice has moved into Western society.
Home Sweet Home
Your home is your shelter against the world. Coming home to order can be relaxing when life is hectic and stressful. Entering a dwelling of disarray depresses the spirit, and could even make for a nasty injury if you were to trip over the clutter! Whether yours is a cave or a castle, utilize these organizing formulas and the tips I will give you for families, and you’ll be on your way to creating your own home sweet home.
Before beginning to organize your home, step back to look at the big picture. What does your home mean to you, and how do you use it?
Analyze, Strategize, and Attack with SPACE in Mind
If you use your home exclusively as a hotel, mailbox, and launching pad for the rest of your life, you will naturally organize a little differently than someone whose sees their home as a place to raise a family, work, or maintain an active life of entertaining. Each one requires a shift in focus to turn an adequate house into an organized home.
The steps, however, toward getting organized are the same, and most homes include the same space elements — living area, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom — regardless of size. You must take stock of who is using the space and how it is being used to make it livable and organized. Analyze, Strategize, and Attack with SPACE in mind.
Emergency Speed-Cleaning
In her list “From Pigsty to Presentable in Six Steps” from Checklists for Life, Kirsten Lagatree tells how to perform emergency speed-cleaning on a bathroom. Stow whatever you possibly can, close the shower curtain and don’t look back, scrub the sink and toilet quickly with a bleach-based cleanser, shine the chrome and mirror, wipe the floor as you back out. You can organize after company has left the premises.
Grand Central Bathroom
This is one room in the house you simply cannot avoid. It’s also one of the two rooms that people expect the utmost in cleanliness but often hate to clean. When you keep bathroom organization simple, cleaning is easier, faster, and less of a chore. Aha! The benefits of organization.
Julie Morgenstern calls the bathroom a great “laboratory” for sharpening organization skills. She says that it is often one of the busiest, smallest, and most crowded rooms to be organized. Is this how yours stacks up?
What’s Working? What’s Not?
What does your bathroom have going for it? Do you have lots of room? Have you found a container or tool that helps you every day? Is it brightly lit for makeup application or shaving?
What are the downfalls in your bathroom? Is there no room to breathe? Are all of your grooming tools and toiletries stored on every surface of the room and then some? Is there more crowding the sink cabinet and spilling over to the floor space? Is it too hard to clean because of all the stuff? Are the organizational problems causing problems with your partner, roommate, or family members?
Morgenstern, in her book Organizing from the Inside Out, suggests arranging your activity centers by person rather than strictly by item category. Use a small plastic or wire bin — preferably with a moveable handle — for each person’s bath gear.
You can also go the route of categorizing by function — bathing and shampooing supplies, dental care, shaving gear, hair care and accessories, manicure and pedicure supplies, cosmetics, first aid, over-the-counter remedies, prescription drugs, paper goods, cleaning supplies, and linens. You may, according to your space and lifestyle, have other items stored in your bathroom.
Many of my clients also have bins of travel/sample size products that they consider a separate category. Small-size toiletries are for two things: trying something new or traveling. So, try it and be done with it, or put it into your travel kit.
Two effective ways to start seeing a more organized bathroom, however, are purging excess and making use of wasted space. Storage space is everywhere, even in a tiny bath. Storage units that fit over a toilet tank can provide shelf space. Stacking drawers and sliding bins can at least double the usable space under a sink. A sink skirt can give you room to store cleaning supplies. Hooks can work wonders for towels and holding personal gear kits. (Make sure they are anchored well if you will place more than the weight of a towel on a hook.)
If space is really tight, move things out of the bathroom. Can the hamper go in the hallway without impeding traffic? Can you make more room for towels by hanging your robe on the back of the bedroom or clothes closet door? Can extra towels be stored outside but close to the bathroom? Do you have other space nearby that can support bathroom storage functions?
What can you sort out and purge? Get rid of out-of-date items. Pitch the things that smell offensive, irritated your skin, or plain didn’t work for you. You tried it. You didn’t like it. Don’t buy it again. (If you have opened, but usable, items — things that do not make direct body contact like shampoo — these can be donated to charitable organizations such as temporary shelters.) Vow not to buy more until you use what you have.
Sweet Dreams
Good sleep hygiene can help you feel better. Go to bed when drowsy. Create an optimal environment (temperature, bed firmness, noise level, etc.). Use the bedroom only for sleep. Write down worries for morning. Keep regular bedtimes and wake times. Avoid or limit naps. Reduce or eliminate the use of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine. Exercise regularly. Avoid heavy meals before bedtime, but also avoid going to bed hungry. See your doctor if insomnia is problematic or chronic.
Ah! Sleep! Your Bedroom
Does your bedroom inspire feelings of conflict or comfort? Getting organized won’t cure marital disharmony or severe insomnia, but your newfound good habits can help make a bedroom more blissful.
What’s working? Is your bed always invitingly made up? Do you have a comfortable place to read or watch television? Do you enjoy the art on your walls? What draws you into this room of your home?
What doesn’t work in your bedroom? Is it too crowded? Has clutter taken over? Are projects and piles dumped in here when you are having company, never to be cleared away? Are your dresser drawers crammed and jammed with too much stuff? Are you using exercise equipment as a place to hang clothes?
What items are most essential to you in this room? Do you use this room for activities other than sleeping? Is it the site of your portable office? Do you watch TV, read, or do handiwork in your bedroom? Why do you want this room to be more organized?
Rethink your bedroom as you plan the activity centers. If you have not used the stationary bike in a year, decide. If you are going to use it, can you read at the same time? Can it be arranged where you can view the television better or where you will be less in the way of your partner who is working on the computer? You might enjoy having your vanity table next to the window so that you can enjoy the sunshine in the morning. The dresser will probably work better near your closet, saving you steps back and forth while getting dressed. Don’t be afraid to go after unconventional furniture arrangements. Your bed might look great angled across a corner.
Under your bed is a wealth of storage space (just ask any kid). For easier access, use containers (some with wheels) designed specifically for this task. Install shelving above bedroom furniture or along an empty wall space for books, hobbies, cherished items, or extra quilts and blankets. Consider a tall armoire for your television, stereo, and accessories. If you purchase any furniture for this room, look for pieces that add storage space to the room as well as comfort.
The ADD/ADHD Child
Driven to Distraction authors Edward Hallowell and John Ratey say, “Structure is the hallmark of the nonpharmacological treatment of the ADD child.” Humor, tolerance, and an emphasis on the child’s own organizational ingenuity are especially valuable tools in organizing with an ADD individual. It can also be beneficial to have someone other than parents (a sibling, other relative, or trusted family friend) help organize his or her room.
Do Not Enter! Kids’ Rooms
Your child’s room is your child’s room, not yours. You are inviting war or at least rebellion if you try to clean it up or make changes without involving him or her. It is, however, common for parents to be frustrated by a child’s room.
Listen Up
Listen to your child to find out what they like about their room, what works and what doesn’t. Find out why getting organized would make sense to them, not just to you. Listen to what is important to your child, what he or she wants, and what obstacles are standing in their way of being organized.
Moderate your expectations. Realize you are talking about a child and his or her space. Resistance to the adult way is, to a certain extent, a part of the process. It is also important to realize that children learn by example.
Negotiate the Rules
It is not reasonable to expect anything near perfection. It is realistic to think that a child can return dirty dishes and food scraps to the kitchen (better yet, ask that food be eaten in your home’s public areas), remove trash on a regular basis, gather dirty laundry, and maintain clear walkways within the room. Beyond that, negotiate based on the child’s age and ability. Decide on a clear definition of the expected standards.
Your job as an organizing parent, beyond an open channel of communication, is to provide the right tools for the job. Give your time, patience, and help with sorting. Encourage a child to keep memory makers, but to let go when objects become too frayed to enjoy or are no longer used. Remember that children may need more frequent breaks from sorting than you will, depending upon their age and temperament. Work with your child to establish a reward system for getting and staying organized. Think of it not as bribery, but incentive pay.
Emphasis on Education
Children need a place to do homework and keep papers neatly. It doesn’t have to be fancy — good light, a clear comfortable space for reading and writing, and a simple file box for completed work. Many families also provide an ample box or crate near the most commonly used entrance for storing backpacks, homework, or anything that is going back and forth to school.
In their rooms, keep it simple. Make it easy. Create storage spaces with shelves, bins, boxes, hooks, racks, furniture-turned-room-divider, canvas or plastic shoe bags (lots of pockets!), or clear stacking drawers. Keep frequently used things within reach, especially for young children. Install “plate shelves” high on the walls to hold treasures. Provide a large, sturdy wastebasket where it will be used and a begging-to-be-used receptacle for dirty clothes.
Develop routines. Set limits. Be consistent. Stick to the rules but be flexible. Avoid criticism. Follow up after helping your child to organize his or her room to see how things are working out. What needs to be changed? What has your son or daughter done well? Follow through with the reward you agreed to, and praise your child for any job well done.
Stocking Up
Once you’re organized, use Kirsten Lagatree’s Checklists for Life to outfit and stock your kitchen. You’ll find Bachelor’s Basics and nice, but not essential lists for kitchen equipment, a kitchen pantry checklist called Dinner from Thin Air (which includes the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer), and Weeknight No-Brainers: Five Dinners So Simple You Hardly Need a Recipe. Enjoy your meal!
The Heart of the Home: the Kitchen
What’s for dinner? Three hundred and sixty-five days a year you have to decide. Go out, order by phone, or cook it yourself. The real question for some folks is whether or not they can work in the kitchen at all. Yes. Really. If this is you, take heart. You’ll be opening cans and boiling water like a pro when you’re finished with this course.
If you can manage basic cooking, eating, and cleaning up in your kitchen, something is working out okay. What is it? What isn’t working so well? Why do you want to get organized? Are you constantly searching for a clean glass? Do you have too many pots and pans, but not enough forks? Would you like to invite friends and family over for dinner more often? Do you want to save money by not eating out so often?
A common kitchen scenario that I see is a large number of items — usually too many of some things and not nearly enough of others — being accessed by multiple people who don’t know where things should be kept. So, they leave them out or stash them away anywhere that they will fit or where they’ll be out of sight. And there you go — out of your mind looking for the peanut butter.
Who’s in the Kitchen?
When you are setting up the daily dishes zone, locate this center near the sink and dishwasher for efficient storage. Also look at the ages and abilities of the people in your household. Even very young children can set the table and help unload the dishwasher if plates are stored in lower cabinets they can reach. If older individuals with limited range of motion will be using the kitchen, consider only areas between hip and shoulder level for frequently used items.
The same strategy holds true in the food storage zone. If you have young children, they will be more inclined to serve themselves (making less work for you in the long run) if basic items like cereal, bread, sandwich fixings, and milk are within reach. Conversely, I often use clear containers for items like dried beans, placing them on higher shelves along with baking mixes and overstocked items. It’s possible to see at a glance what’s in stock, but these items are not used for the majority of meals.
Fixing only simple meals is often the goal of my clients when I am hired to organize a kitchen. Although I will plan and execute using Morgenstern’s two formulas, my first actual action is to work with the client to remove almost everything from the areas to be organized. Then, wipe off each surface (and add shelf liners if desired). Generally, I will sort cookware, dishes, etc. as one huge unit and food as a separate unit of the kitchen. Living in a high-tech town, I think of them as the hardware and software of the kitchen system.
Clean Up Your Act
Many people are dismayed that maid services will turn down work if a home is noticeably disorganized. Hire out for maid service after getting organized. Or consider seasonal cleaning services. Check local Yellow Pages under House Cleaning or specific services such as wall washing and carpet cleaning. Look at http://www.interiordetailing.com for ideas. Interior Detailing Services (Austin, TX) notes that most maid services clean only 17 percent of your home. What about the other 83 percent?
Living Areas
Make yourself at home. But how can you when clutter is making its last stand all around? Relax. You’ll be sitting pretty (or lounging in your own version of hog heaven) with your feet up once you’ve gotten organized. It is important for everyone in a household to understand the positive changes that are about to happen in their home. Even normally quiet, complacent members of a family might surprise you with their thoughts on what works, what doesn’t, and why they want to get organized.
What’s in It for Me?
If a person doesn’t want to get organized, they’re probably not going to help you. It’s sad, but true. If you can get your partner, roommate, and family members to see what’s in it for them, you will have a much easier time getting cooperation, support, and action.
Once everyone has voiced their opinion, you’ll need to coordinate the activity zones and furniture around their visions of living space activities. Mobilize the troops, rearrange the furniture, and get rid of unnecessary items. Then, go for double-duty spaces and containers wherever possible. Coffee tables with drawers, shelves, and hidden compartments are terrific for offering surfaces for serving refreshments to guests and playing a board game as well as providing necessary storage space for remote controls, reading materials, and nail care items.
Keeping It That Way
Whenever possible, I suggest open bins and baskets (wicker, plastic, wire, ceramic, metal, and anything else that might match your decor) as viable options for storage. In living rooms, you can use large, low baskets for children’s toys. Set a timer and ask them who can pick up more toys in two minutes — them or you? They’ll fill the basket and beat you every time. Use hamper-sized baskets to store blankets and pillows, a brass planter to store newspapers until recycling day, and smaller ceramic containers on tabletops to corral smaller items.
Each morning or evening, (work with your own natural rhythm), take about 15 minutes to breeze through the room. On your way, banish every item to its respective home. Make it a game. Make it a dance with yourself or whatever partners you can muster up. When the song is over, you’re out of there!
This lesson scrutinizes specific areas of your home and life and suggests ways to make and keep them more organized. In Lesson 8 we’ll learn about organizing your time.
Assignment: Make Yourself at Home
Step 1
Decide what home space you want to work on next.
Step 2
Decide what home space you want to work on next.
Grab your planner and start taking notes. Make a quick floor plan drawing of the space you are thinking about. How can you transform this space into one that serves you well? Write it down.
Step 3
If other people are involved, ask for a meeting. Have a plan ready. Listen to your partner’s, roommate’s, or family’s ideas. Really listen. Negotiate, and agree on a plan and time of attack. Put it on the calendar.
Organizing from the Inside Out 