When family and friends come to visit, the last thing you want is for them to see your dirty laundry strewn about the house.
Not that this is a regular occurrence, but when it happens you never quite forget it.
You can quickly stuff clothes in a portable hamper or basket, of course, but bad odours may not help “hide” the evidence and candles and flowers can only help so much.
Fix your dirty laundry problems once and for all by investing in a customized solution that not only hides clothes but also conveniently helps keep them sorted.
Built-in laundry hampers
Built-in laundry hampers are designed to fit in with your stylish cabinetry, help organize your home and keep it smelling great.
You don’t need to have just one, consider the advantages of having three hampers built into your laundry room; one for whites, one for colours and one for darks. No more additional sorting.
Add a laundry hamper to your closet
Built-in hampers can also be integrated into walk-in closets or dressing rooms. With ready-to-go inserts with handles so you can simply pick up and load in.
Rather than throwing your jeans and blouse on the floor as you’re getting ready for bed, you’ll want to keep a clean room knowing a hamper (or three) is in easy throwing distance.
Customized storage solutions hide not only your dirty clothes, but the entire hamper as well.
To learn more about built-in laundry hampers and other smart laundry solutions, visit our laundry room page.
Some people say the more storage you offer overnight guests the longer they’ll stay.
Good to know if you’re expecting a visit from your least favourite cousin. But good or bad, what can make or break a guest’s visit comes down to simple organization.
If you already have a designated guest room with a bed that’s a great start. If you are using a spare room, den/office, or space in your basement, here are some tips to make or break it.
Hang-ups
Is there a closet or place to hang up your coat?
Break: there’s a coat rack by the door, wall hooks and/or a spare chair in the corner. This says, “We like you, but this is temporary and sorry we don’t have any hangers”.
Make: the space includes a closet behind doors with a couple of feet of rod space and a shelf. This is all most guests need to hang up crushed, travel-packed clothes.
Is there a dresser or place to tuck away folded clothing?
Break: remember that chair?
Make: a clean, empty multi-drawer dresser or built-in drawer system in a closet is very handy and allows guests to settle in and feel at home.
Make them never leave: a closet organizer, complete with multiple storage options including hanging rods, pull out rods, tie racks, jewelry drawer and tilt out laundry hamper.
Bedside storage
Is there a place for reading material, an alarm clock, and a lamp?
Break: there’s a high stack of old magazines that can balance stuff beside the futon.
Make: a table or set of drawers with a roomy top surface is a great convenience for guests at bedtime. A bedside lamp prevents stumbling to an overhead light switch in an unfamiliar space.
Make them never leave: a bedroom storage system complete with open shelves, drawers and built in lighting with a wall bed that tucks away during the day.
Bathroom storage
Is there room for visiting toiletries?
Break: that’s what the top of toilet tanks are for, right?
Make: temporarily clear off some of the shared counter space and clean out a drawer. Or install some custom cabinets overhead, designed to your space.
Make them never leave: an ensuite guest bathroom with fluffy towels and extra toilet paper rolls handy to avoid guests needing to ask for them.
Any room can be a great guest room as long as there is a bed and proper storage.
Organized Interiors can help make the storage space you already have more efficient and beautiful or custom build for whatever your organization needs are.
Are you tired of coming home to a cluttered and disorganized home? Stop feeling stressed about the mess by taking action today.
The best way to tackle an untidy space is to start with the spots that are commonly in disarray. Once you’ve organized these six areas, organizing the rest of your home will feel like a breeze.
Linen closet
Organize your linens by categories: bedrooms, bathroom, dining room, living room, etc. If you have the shelf space separate the bed linens by bedrooms.
Fold and tuck the matching flat and fitted sheets into the pillow case to keep each set separate and ready to go.
Keep towel sets and washcloths handy on the most accessible shelf, as these are the most used. Try to rotate towels so the same ones aren’t in constant use.
If this closet also holds tables cloths, napkins and throws for the living room, place on a separate shelf from the bedding and towels.
Don’t keep old pillows. Toss out or repurpose worn linens to make more room in your closet.
Medicine cabinet
Remove all medication from the bathroom medicine cabinet. The moisture level is too high in an average bathroom for most prescription drugs.
Find a safe, dry place for medications. Check for any old prescriptions or expired medication. Do not flush down the toilet. Bring them to your pharmacist for safe disposal.
If you have numerous almost-empty boxes of over-the-counter pills, put medication in smaller containers or plastic re-sealable bags (and don’t forget to label them!).
Bathroom vanity
Go through all of your products and toss out anything that is old or unused. Then organize items into separate drawers.
One drawer can be dedicated to hair products, such as brushes, combs, and hair product. Another can be used to store body lotions and creams.
Smaller, everyday products like cotton swabs, cotton balls and makeup pads can be placed in decorative, covered jars on your counter.
Jewellery drawer
Untangle your necklaces and sort through your rings, bangles, earrings and bracelets. Don’t hold on to those single earrings, it’s time to find a way to repurpose or throw them away.
There are multiple solutions to keeping jewelry organized, including investing in a drawer system specifically designed for that purpose.
Front hall closet
Rather than stuffing outdoor gear into your front hall closet, designate spots for your shoes, gloves, umbrellas and purse.
Closet accessories like hooks, shoe racks and bins can help you separate items and prevent your closet from turning into a chaotic mess.
If you have the luxury of multiple closet systems in your home, only keep what’s in season in your front hall closet during the year while storing out-of-season garb and gear elsewhere.
Kitchen refrigerator, pantry and drawers
If you’re in the habit of buying cans or boxes of food and then forgetting about them, more than likely your pantry is a little crowded. Go through your dry goods and donate food that you no longer want to make room for the items you need.
Keep your fridge tidy by throwing away expired food and condiments. Keep the foods that need to be eaten soon up front where you can see them.
Go through your doors and drawers and throw out old, worn non-stick coated fry pans. Donate unused or old cutlery and kitchen utensils, keep only what you regularly use. This goes for appliances, too.
Closets, drawers and cabinets tend to cause most of our organization problems.
Once you’ve tackled these areas, prevent your home from becoming disorganized by setting a small amount of time aside each day to declutter and maintain your space’s tidy appearance.
Warmer spring weather should be just around the corner, luring us out of our houses to enjoy the outdoors.
Before you turn your attention outward, tackle those spring cleaning chores like a pro.
Start at the top
Look up at the ceiling, especially in the corners. You may have a few cobwebs that need to be removed.
Use the gentle bristle brush attachment on your vacuum hose, or wipe a soft cloth over the webs to detach from the ceiling and walls.
Include a swipe along any molding, careful not to scratch or smear the surface. If necessary, use a grease cutting spray and damp cloth to clean molding.
Dust and wash every surface
If you don’t have the latest dusting gadgets, throw an old sports sock over your hand and spray it with dusting spray. Run your hand over every surface including counters and shelves and harder-to-reach surfaces.
You might dust your bookshelf regularly but spring is the perfect time to remove all of the books to clean the entire shelf.
Most dust magnets like vases or figurines and light fixtures can be cleaned, too, as they tend to get grimy over time.
Tackle the carpets and upholstery
Your carpets and rugs have to withstand a lot of foot traffic (and possibly some spills as well). Furniture upholstery can also get dirty over the year, which means typical vacuuming is not enough.
To ensure your fabrics are fresh and clean this spring, shampoo carpet and wash furniture with an upholstery cleaner or hire professional cleaners.
Sort, clean and purge
Your winter wardrobe should be cleaned before it’s stored. Take the time to sort through and separate items you never wore, from what you will wear again. Put a “donate” pile into an oversized, see-through bag and “dry clean only” pile into another one.
Trade out with your spring wardrobe, and repeat the same process. Ask yourself if you wore the item the previous season. If the answer is, “no” consider donating the item.
Go through each room and sort through accessories and accumulated belongings with the same process. Some accessories may work better in a different room, find a home for items you wish to keep.
Once you’ve finished sorting, get those bags to the proper destination. Don’t leave them by the door, in the garage or your vehicle, take them yourself so you can enjoy the satisfaction that comes with completing these tasks.
Reward yourself!
Once you’ve finished deep cleaning and organizing your home, why not complete your project with a small reward.
No, not chocolate. A great way to welcome the new season and freshen up your home’s look is with fresh flowers.
On the other hand, if your closets and cabinetry aren’t helping you keep a room clutter-free, consider a better reward by upgrading to a custom closet solution.
Talk to one of our design consultants to learn more about our home organization solutions.
Closet hangers might seem like a small purchase, but the ones you choose can make a big difference.
There are many different materials and styles of hangers available, from wire to padded. Some hangers are made with additional features like strap hooks and others are made exclusively for pants and skirts.
How do you choose the right hanger for your wardrobe?
At Organized Interiors, we value premium design and offer premium hardwood hangers that will not only keep your closet organized but protect your clothing investment.
Select between high-quality cherry or white hardwood hangers.
The metal head of our hangers is smartly designed with a safety hook to prevent scratching.
The shoulders are strong to support jackets and shirts, and we carry thicker hanger shapes to support heavier suit jackets.
Notches securely hold straps in place and prevent clothing from falling.
Last, but not least, the spine features a supportive cross bar that, like the shoulders, is resistant to slips and creases.
Choosing premium hangers can help you maintain your wardrobe and extend the life of your clothing. Quality hangers will be both stretch and crease-resistant. They will prevent shirts and dresses from slipping and keep items wrinkle-free.
It’s important, however, that your closet isn’t too crowded, as your hangers can only help so much. Purge your closet regularly, eliminating out of season pieces and keeping only what you love and wear often. You can also optimize space by using one hanger for a pants and jacket set.
An organized closet makes it much easier to select an outfit each morning, and with high-quality hangers you don’t have to worry about clothing being stretched out or wrinkled when you’re in a rush.
