Browsing Tag

organizing tips

CLEANING

Tiny Home, Big Mess?

tiny-home-big-mess-cleaning-tips-for-tiny-homes

Some people buy tiny homes with the idea that it would be much easier to clean. But soon, they discover that mess and clutter accumulate faster in a small area, and they find that they are spending more time cleaning their small homes rather than relaxing in it.

So how could you manage the clutter and mess in your tiny home? Here are some strategies you could use to stay organized and clutter-free.

Clean as You Go

Cleaning up after dinner, after relaxing and lounging on the sofa, or after a few drinks with friends can be a big help in maintaining the cleanliness of your apartment. Especially if you rent a furnished condominium unit, you need to keep the furniture clean and maintained well. If you find any of them damaged, it’s best to inform the owner (if you are renting) so they can replace it.

Washing the dishes immediately after a meal and throwing out the garbage can help prevent pest infestation. If you are composting your waste, make sure to cover it entirely and do it outside the house.

Don’t Buy Things You Don’t Need

Collecting things can be a hobby for some people, but if you live in a tiny home, it is a hobby you must do without. Collections take up space and could become a source of clutter, mess, and dust, so don’t start one once you move in a tiny apartment. The same goes for things that you think you will need in the future. If you are not going to use something today, it’s best not to buy it as it will only clutter your home.

Clean Everyday

Living in a tiny home means whatever mess you bring is immediately noticeable. Devote five minutes a day to vacuum the floors or dust the shelves. You can do different things every day, and you’ll find that your daily five-minute ritual has kept your home looking organized and clean.

Invest in Cleaning Equipment

It’s best to buy a powerful vacuum cleaner, a turbo power scrubber, a spray mop, and a hand duster as part of your cleaning arsenal. A powerful vacuum cleaner can suck all the dust and debris between small spaces, and a powerful scrubber could remove all kinds of grime and debris on your bathroom and kitchen walls. A spray mop makes it easier to mop small spaces, and a hand duster is the best tool to remove dust on your furniture.

De-clutter

Organize your things so that they will be placed on shelves, boxes, and stands. Buy organizers to keep wires, cables and electrical equipment stowed away. Clips, papers, notes, and even pens and pencils should be organized in drawers sothat they won’t create a mess on your desks and tables.

The most important thing to remember when you move into a tiny home is that it is a lifestyle that is minimalist and functional. If you want to live a simple life with little mess and clutter, then moving into a tiny home is one way of doing it. But you have to be organized and disciplined, so your small house won’t become a big mess.

0 comment
Share:
CLEANING, HOME DECOR, STORAGE + ORGANIZING

How to make your home visitor-ready at all times

how-to-make-your-home-visitor-ready-at-all-times

Have you ever encountered the anxiety when the doorbell rings and you realize it is someone who will expect to be invited in? You apologize profusely for the mess and make excuses as to why the house is in the state it is. Fear not, this is not something you have to continue to experience. There are ways in which you can make your house visitor-ready for all occasions. Continue reading for our advice.

Declutter

The first step is usually the biggest. Decluttering will help to get rid of any unnecessary stuff. As well as clearing the rooms, it can also help to clear the mind. Having fewer things within a room means that it is much easier to tidy up. It also means less dust meaning allergy-sufferers should be less unwell. It can be challenging to declutter in one go. Some people choose to do it in stages by focusing on certain categories or areas of rooms. For others, seeing that the clutter is not improving sets them back. Putting as many items as possible into boxes to store in the garage, for example, can be helpful. Then one box at a time can be sorted.  

Tidy up routine

Spend ten minutes at the end of every day putting things back into their home. Get other members of the family to do the same. Once you get into a routine, you will find that you spend a lot less time tidying up. It feels like much less of a chore to do a little bit every day rather than it all building up and doing hours on end within the same period of time.

Playroom

If you have a room which could be used as a playroom, we highly recommend this. Children’s toys strewn everywhere five minutes after being sorted can be frustrating and demotivating. Of course, this is a natural part of a child’s development. However, keeping it out of the living room is ideal. Having a separate room especially for your child or children can be great. Just don’t forget to tidy in there regularly. It can be easy to subconsciously forget about an area until it is too late and a deep clean needs carrying out.

Finishing touches

Being proud of your home is essential to feeling comfortable and confident about inviting a visitor in. They always say that when people view homes, the smell of baked bread is important as well as the sight of fresh flowers. Flowers can boost your mood too as well as making a statement about how positive you feel about your home. Fresh bouquets, such as these gorgeous ones from this local Houston florist, can make a huge impact. Ensuring that your décor is up to scratch is vital too. Yellowing woodwork and grubby walls can be off-putting and embarrassing. A quick lick of paint can solve these problems. In fact, you could always consider employing the services of a painter to do it for you. Finally, a selection of photographs framed and some homely additions like bright, colorful cushions can also help you to feel more confidence in your home and keep it visitor ready! 

FINISHING TOUCHES…

0 comment
Share:
STORAGE + ORGANIZING

4 Ways To Usher Your Home Into The New Decade

4-ways-to-usher-your-home-into-the-new-decade

Not only is it a new year, but it’s also the start of a new decade and what better way to ring in the roaring 20s than to get organized? We all love The Addams family but who has the luxury of entire closets just for knick-knacks? Organizing all your closets can feel very intimidating so just think of one at a time! Where does one start the day? Tackle your coat closet first with some masterful hacks from The Home Blog to get your morning rolling. 

Kitchen Confident

There is nothing more demotivating (at least for me) than an untidy kitchen. Edit your crockery and other kitchen equipment or utensils and get rid of the excess (but never the teaspoons… can’t have too many of those). Having fewer dishes to dirty means you have fewer to clean later on and keeps things simple! No clutter also frees up your brain to get creative with all those meal prep ideas you’ve been dying to try but haven’t found the time.

Space Oddities 

Every single home, whether it’s a studio apartment, duplex or sprawling four-bedroom house has those weird spaces that nothing seems to fit in. That weirdly shaped stairwell or really high cupboard shelf may be worth investigating for its storage potential. Investigate the myriad of custom storage ideas on offer from companies or tackle a DIY project to utilize those odd corners of your home. 

Garage Bland No More

How many movie plots are built around cleaning out an old, badly packed garage and discovering something marvellous? Far too many, but although quite a cliche, you too may have the pleasure of that discovery. For many, a garage is simply a place where the car sleeps but it has so much more potential! Don’t have a car? Turn it into an entertainment space or even a home office with the addition of some shelves and a nice rug or two. Do have a car? The storage options abound! From floating shelves to stackable storage and even suspended shelving from the roof beams there’s very little reason not to make the most of this oft-neglected space.

The Office

Working from home sounds luxurious but as the initiated well know, it can drive even the most stoic of humans to madness! The antidote to this insanity is bringing order to the chaos. Getting a professional filing system might seem absurd but having that security for your important documents is a huge relief. Without the stress of losing paperwork, you can spend that energy on tackling your business goals for 2020 and keep track of all the progress you’re making.

Having an organized home is not just about the physical simplicity and ease it brings to your life. It also helps keep the mental clutter at bay! There are a plethora of ways you can life-hack your way into a more organized and productive year and hopefully, these have just gotten you started! Go forth and conquer! 


0 comment
Share:
HOLIDAYS, STORAGE + ORGANIZING

Christmas : Storage and Organization

christmas-storage-organization

It is late December and the Christmas holidays are slowly coming to a close. Have you started to ‘wrap’ it all up? Or is your tree and decor still on full display? Storage and organizing of Christmas decor doesn’t have to be a total mess – there are so many awesome ways to pack up and make your Christmas storage easy and neat.

 

Christmas Tree Storage

For years, we used the box that our tree came in but honestly after year 2 the box was just being held up with some tape and it was just a mess.  Garbage bags are also a pain – you are stuffing the tree pieces into bags and I know it is damaging and really not effective.

Did you know that there are ‘Christmas Tree Bags’? Yes, these bags are actually designed to fit and store your tree.

Here are some great options for Christmas Tree Bags at all price points – be sure to find one that will fit your tree as they do come in different sizes.

Christmas Tree Storage Bag with wheels by Zober – this one fits a disassembled 9 ‘ tree. The wheels make moving the tree so much easier plus the extra wide opening makes storing the tree inside much easier.

 

Christmas Tree storage Bag by Sanatas Bags – this bag is designed to fit trees from 6-9 feet (disassembled) I love the exterior label option so there’s no mistaking it for sporting equipment.

 

Christmas Tree Storage Bag by Handy Laundry – again this bag can fit a disassembled 6-9 ft tree and the red and green colour is just perfect for the season – there is really no mistaking that this is a Christmas storage item. This is a very affordable option and it gets great online reviews!

 

Christmas Ornament Organizing

Like my tree, I have been storing my ornaments in boxes, old shoe boxes to be exact, and it suited us fine until we started get some glass and more delicate tree ornaments.  I will say that Christmas is a great time to get ‘new’ boxes for your Christmas ornaments – toss out the old ones you have been using for years and use boxes you received as gift wrapping.  Now that I have some special tree ornaments that I want to hang onto and possibly even pas son to my kids once they are adults – I love these ornament organizing boxes.

Here are some of my favourite ones.

Compartment Cube Ornament Organizer by Richards Homewares – this 12 x 12 x 12 box can hold up to 64 ornaments – the exterior label allows for the box to be identified, too!

 

Christmas Ornament Storage box by Handy Laundry – another box that holds up to 64 ornaments.  One feature I love with his piece is adjustable dividers, so if you have ornaments of different shapes and sizes, you can easily make room for them in this box.  Plus …the zipper top means no losing the lid and you can collapse the box when it is not being used!

 

Other Christmas Organizing Products

Christmas Wreath Storage Bag – I know my wreaths have taken a beating when they aren’t protected or stored properly, so I love this bag as it keeps away the dust and moisture.

 

Master Craft Gift Wrap and Storage Bag – when it comes to gift wrapping and all of the necessities, my area used to be a mess! But now with a gift wrap organizer, I have it all in one place.  It does make wrapping gifts for all occasions easier – I also keep rolls of tape and a set of scissors in mine.

So if you find the tidying up and packing up of Christmas to be a big task – maybe these pieces will help keep you organized and make the whole task easier.  So when do you plan on taking down your Christmas tree and decor?

0 comment
Share: