Category Archives: Organization Tips

How to Organize Your Bedroom Closet and Save Time

By simply organizing your bedroom closet, you can save time and put money in your pocket.

There isn’t a catchy phrase for this like “spring cleaning” but try it. Put in the effort and you will be rewarded.

Disorganization costs you time

A survey conducted by Apartment Guide revealed, “the average American wastes 55 minutes a day looking for things around the house.

That’s about 6.4 hours a week and roughly 335 hours a year.” What is your time worth? 6 hours is a lot of time to waste each week.

Save time with organization

But it doesn’t have to be this way. By reorganizing your bedroom closet, you can stop spending time searching for belongings and open up your day for more fun or relaxing activities. Here’s how to get started.

Sort through each item in your closet

In order to get organized, first you have to clear out your closet. Sort through all of your clothes and accessories to determine which pieces you rarely wear.

You’ll probably have a dress or suit that can only be worn for formal events and it’s okay to keep special occasion garments such as these.

Casual clothes that hardly ever leave the closet, however, shouldn’t be in your closet anymore.

Sell, donate or throw out unused clothes

Now that you have a clothes pile you no longer wish to keep, decide how you want to get rid of these items.

Clothes that are in good condition can be sold online or in garage sales, helping you make a little extra money right in time for the holidays. You can also choose to donate these clothes.

Store spring/summer clothes elsewhere

Hardly worn clothes are not the only wardrobe pieces you’ll want to remove from the bedroom closet.

Spring and summer items that only get worn during the warmer months should be moved elsewhere too, helping you make room for bulkier sweaters and coats.

To save space, consider placing these items in shallow storage containers that can easily be slid underneath the bed.

To save even more, consider using a vacuum-sealed bag for storing clothes. Less air in the bag means clothes are more compact in a smaller package.

The pay off

You’ll spend less time searching for the perfect outfit and more time sleeping or relaxing. A little organization is all you need to make your wardrobe essentials accessible and easy to find.

For more bedroom closet ideas:

5 Ways You Can Eliminate Clutter For Good

Clutter is sneaky. On Sunday, you go to bed feeling good about a tidy home. By the time Friday rolls around it’s transformed into a chaotic mess.

It’s all because of clutter. Bathroom products cover the counter, the mail is all over the dining room table, and the piles of clothes on the floor are merging so you can’t tell the difference between the clean and dirty clothes.

Learn how to combat clutter

If you’re in a constant battle with clutter, it might be time to approach the problem using a new strategy.

These five steps can help you not only eliminate clutter, but also prevent it from taking over your home in the future.

1. Pinpoint clutter hotspots

Is there a room/table/surface/floor that seems to be messy more frequently than other areas in your home? Determine which spots are often cluttered and focus your energy and time there first.

Breaking down the problem into small areas will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and giving up. Now you’re ready.

2. Tackle one clutter zone at a time

Break the project up even further by doing only a little bit at a time. For example, if both the bathroom vanity and your bedroom floors are clutter hotspots, tackle only one of the problem areas.

Wait until you’ve finished tackling the first mess is gone before moving to the next. Reward yourself with a break between clutter zones.

3. Rethink your storage solutions

Why do we leave hair products, clothes and accessories strewn about? It’s probably because we use them everyday and want them within reach. Most people won’t put stuff away if it’s not easy or accessible.

If something isn’t hung up properly or tucked away in a drawer it’s probably because it’s too much work.

If your current storage solutions prevent you from easily finding and retrieving your everyday products or wardrobe essentials, then you probably need a new system.

The custom closet difference

Custom closet solutions that feature the right number and size of shelves for your clothing is a good start.

Hanging rods can be placed at different heights to accommodate different lengths of clothing. Custom-sized and beautifully designed drawers make you want to put everything away.

Portable solutions work too

A simple portable bathroom organizer can be a great help, everyday. It allows you to carry all of your beauty supplies with you at once so you can pack up your products safely and efficiently, instead of leaving them on the counter.

Create your own solution to clutter

Another reason clutter happens is because you don’t have a storage solution at all. For example, many people don’t have a place to hold their mail, so they simply pile up letters and bills on their tables instead.

A simple mail holder hung on the wall can ensure your surfaces stay clean, and it also prevents you from losing important documents.

4. Ask yourself if you really use all of your stuff

Clutter could be a problem in your home simply because you have too much stuff. When tackling each hot spot, seriously consider whether it’s worth keeping.

Most likely you’ll realize that much of your stuff is rarely used and can be donated, sold or thrown away.

Take inventory of your stuff at the beginning of every season and get rid of the things you don’t need.

5. Do a 10-15 minute quick clean every day

Lastly, it’s important to prevent future clutter by taking a little time out of each day to put items back where they belong!

As long as you have a good organizational system, this necessary step can be very simple and easy.

How To Combat The Darker Days With Organization

Waking up in the dark sucks!

Getting ready for work and leaving the house in what feels like the coldest, darkest part of night, isn’t much fun. Fighting our instincts to just go back to bed and snuggle under the covers can be a real struggle.

Here are some tips to help you get through your morning while you combat the shorter, darker days ahead.

Before you go to bed…

Help your morning routine by setting things up the night before. Make sure your towels and toiletries are out and ready to be used in your bathroom.

You’ll be surprised by how much easier it is to get going in the morning with just a little preparation beforehand.

Plan ahead

Since shuffling around a dark closet can be a recipe for a fashion disaster, plan ahead and save time. Figure out your next day’s wardrobe from head to toe.

A valet rod can be your best weapon against wrinkled, mismatched clothing.

Get a valet rod

A retractable valet rod takes up very little space and gives in your closet to hang up your outfit, assembled and ready to wear.

It can also hold a damp towel after you finish dressing to keep it off the floor and away from dry clothes.

It’s tempting to hook clothes hangers over the top of closet doors but that can lead to problems. Scratches on the doors and an improperly hung outfit may end up making more work for you.

Footwear fixes

Not everybody keeps their shoes and boots in a bedroom closet. If you need to find your footwear in the morning, leave it where you can slip it on before you walk out the door.

When tall boots aren’t in use, simply pop an empty cardboard paper towel roll inside each boot. It will help them stay standing straight instead of flopping over.

Where did I leave my keys?

A great place to put house keys and car keys is on your bedside table every night. Car break-ins are not uncommon during longer, darker nights.

If you hear someone outside in the middle of the night, press the door lock on your key fob to deter thieves. If necessary, set off your car alarm.

Wherever you put your keys at night, be consistent. Save yourself from running around in the morning, trying to remember where you left them.

Reflective clothing tape

Coming home in the dark isn’t much fun either. Make sure that motorists can see you to stay safe.

Pick up some reflective clothing tape from a dollar store and wrap it around a purse strap or put it on a backpack.

Adding a strip to your coat or jacket will make it easier for drivers who are trying to navigate pedestrian traffic in the dark.

Things are looking brighter already

Remember, it’s only temporary! The days will start getting longer on December 21st. You can make it! So why not do it in an organized, stylish, and safe way.

How to Fold Fitted Sheets

Folding clothes, towels, and blankets is pretty simple. But folding a fitted sheet? Well, that’s another story.

After trying and failing multiple times, it can be tempting to just scrunch up your sheets and throw them in the linen closet.

Bunching up your sheets, however, takes up more space in your closet than a sheet should and it also leaves your closet looking disheveled.

Instead, follow these simple steps and learn how to fold your fitted sheets with ease. You’ll save space and your linen closet will look neat and tidy.

Turn your sheet inside out, with the tag facing away from your body. Place each hand into the corner seams, with one hand in the foot corner and the other in the head corner.
Bring your two hands together and tuck one corner inside the other so that both corners are now in just one of your hands.
Grab the corner that is hanging in front with your free hand and repeat the previous step.
Next, bring up the last corner and tuck it underneath the others.
Now that the corners are tucked neatly into each other, you can easily fold your sheet into a small square or rectangle. Place the folded sheet in your linen closet and enjoy having space to store more of your stuff!

Here is a short video that demonstrates how to fold your fitted sheets easily.

A Quick Guide to Donating Clothes and Organizing Closets

You’re ready to hit the big summer sales, but the bedroom closet is already stuffed full of clothes.

Fortunately, you can easily make room in your closet by donating or tossing the items you no longer wear.

Clearing out old clothes not only creates more space for the latest trends, but it also helps you keep your closet organized and tidy.

Do a clothes audit

To start, go through your wardrobe and pull out any tops, dresses, jackets, slacks or skirts that you haven’t worn in the past six months.

Some apparel you might only wear for special occasions, like a fancy cocktail dress or a suit, and it’s okay to keep those items.

Clothes that are suitable for a variety of occasions but you never seem to wear, however, are the items you want to remove.

Once a pile is put together, sort through the clothes once more to decide which items should be tossed and which should be donated.

When to donate

You have a blouse that has gone out of style, a dress you feel doesn’t flatter you and a jacket that is no longer the right size.

These are the types of clothing you want to donate. You can also donate any clothes that you simply don’t like any more.

When to toss

If a shirt has a hole or a bad stain that won’t come out, toss it. Clothes that are dirty or badly worn out are not worth donating, and many stores will simply throw them out anyway.

Sorting through your closet and getting rid of articles of clothing you no longer wear is a good practice to follow every year.

No one likes a cluttered closet and going through your clothes may even help you discover pieces you thought were missing. Use these tips to guide you through the process.

Where to donate

Finally, where should you donate your clothes in the greater Toronto area? It depends if you want to donate your clothes to community groups, charities, thrift stores or resale shops.

Here are a few organizations that take clothing donations to help others in some way:

Some organizations like OFCP have a free home collection service to collect clothes, shoes, coats, bedding and linen.

If you think somebody can benefit from used clothing, donate it instead of throwing it out.