You've made your list and now you want to get started.These areas are pretty small and you can try the pile system where you donate/sell/keep/trash, but in reality the easiest thing to do is to either keep it or pitch it (recycle it)!
Remember these are your small areas. Areas you can do in 15 minutes like junk drawers, sock drawers, areas under sinks, or a shelf in the linen closet (WARNING: this can lead to the entire linen closet needing to be cleaned out, so I'd suggest the linen closet when you have more than 15 minutes).
*Take a before picture!
I just did under my bathroom sink, which is probably the most unattractive part to my house! I had 4 bottles of hotel shampoo that were all sticky... TRASH. I had the ice packs that you fold in half to activate that they give you when you have a baby.... TRASH. Now maybe you are thinking, "wait, you might use those!" Well, maybe someday...but for almost 3 years they have sat under there waiting to be used, and every time we have the need for an ice pack, I just go to the freezer and get one. Now maybe you are thinking, "wait, someone could have used those!" Well, I'm too embarrassed to give the Goodwill my extra childbirth ice packs, so there is no place for them but the trash! I do not feel guilty and you should not feel guilty either! I also had 2 bottles of lotion that had about 1.5% of lotion left in them....TRASH.
I also had 4 boxes of contacts, lysol, clorox wipes, toilet paper, extra conditioner, soap, shampoo and cleaners. All of those things were staying.
This is when the baskets come in handy. It is almost better to wait and get baskets after you see what you have left; that way you get the right size.
Then you put everything away, and everything has a home.
*Take an after picture, so you can see what a fantastic job you did!
Bridget - You are hilarious! I am jealous....for one thing, I never got ice packs with any of my kids! :P and oh my.......under my bathroom sink, even you would shy away. I just have too much stuff. I need to TRASH it I guess if I haven't used it in awhile. 15 minutes, plus another 30 might get me organized. I love the idea though & will work on it.
ReplyDeleteI WISH I even had a 'under the bathroom sink' space! We have a small bathroom and a pedestal sink which I absolutely HATE!! Not that I hate pedestal sinks in general, but when it's your only full bathroom and there are 5 people, 3 kids (all girls mind you with lots of hair accessories), a step stool for the sink, bath toys, 4 different kinds of toothpaste, dh's shaving sh*t that he NEVER puts away,etc etc....there are no shelves AND no 'under the sink' area......well,lets just say our bathroom is AWFUL!!!!! I swear when I find a job, I will buy a vanity and some baskets just to make that space neater!!! ugh! Shelves are next on my list for that room to get all those things I spoke of OFF the rim of the sink.....ALL over it!! ggrrrr
ReplyDeleteSo much 'TRASH' I had under there too! Yeah - felt good just tossing the things I say I may use or need one day... but years have gone by, and well... it's all TRASH now!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI bet shelves will help quite a it. Target has some neat bathroom organizers (shelves, cabinets, etc). I've seen shelves that have a door, then they have a few open shelves.
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