It’s mid-February, which means Spring is just a few short weeks away! After this Winter we can’t wait for the snow to fully melt and warmer weather stick around. Unfortunately, we still have a few weeks left of the cold, and if you’ve lived in Indiana for very long you know you can never fully trust the forecast or know what the weather is going to be like day to day. We may be stuck inside for a little while longer, so why not fight off the Winter Blues by being productive? Binge a couple episodes of Tidying Up With Marie Kondo to get inspired, then get a head start on your Spring Cleaning. Even if you don’t go all-in with the KonMari Method now is the perfect time to get some organization in your life.
Get a Plan in Place
Again, you don’t have to go full KonMari if you don’t want to. For those of you who aren’t aware, the KonMari Method instructs you to pile all your belongings in the middle of a room then go item by item asking yourself if it “sparks joy”. If the item does spark joy you can keep it, but if it doesn’t you thank it then discard it. This is a very time consuming and labor intensive way of organizing, but for some it’s been very successful. If you don’t have the time or mental energy to undertake such a task, though, that’s completely understandable. The important part is that before you start you think about what you want to accomplish and the best way to get it done. Maybe you’re already a fairly tidy person and just want to get rid of a few clothes you don’t wear and do a deep clean. If you only have a couple hours a week to devote to the project it may be best to go room-by-room and make it your goal to finish one room per week.
Use What You Have
Once you’ve decided a game plan start with what you have. If you’re decluttering do that first, then figure out where your remaining belongings will go. Rearrange furniture to make a room feel more open or to allow better organization. Reorganize your kitchen cabinets so all your plastic containers fit nicely instead of threatening to fall on top of you every time you open the door. Also think about utilizing under the bed, at the top of closets, or other overlooked spaces. Make sure to spend a good amount of time in the bathroom as well. Bathrooms tend to be smaller rooms even though they house the most items, from toiletries, to makeup, to grooming supplies, to health supplies, to mini bottles of products taken from hotel rooms, and anything else you may have left in there.
Buy What You Don’t
There’s a good chance you won’t have enough storage containers to keep everything organized. The good news is, thanks in part to Marie Kondo, there are tons of advice articles and listicles to offer suggestions for any organizational woe you may have. A quick internet search will give you solutions for organizing any area of any room, and links for where to buy what you need. Online you can get boxes, totes, and baskets of all shapes and sizes, not to mention shelving units and bookcases. If you’re more of a brick-and-mortar shopper head over to the nearest Target or Ikea for plenty of organization and container options.
Change Your Habits Where Needed
Once you’ve cleaned, organized, and transformed your apartment take a step back to fully enjoy it. Your hard work wasn’t all for naught and your apartment now looks better than it has possibly since you moved in. Enjoy the feeling and think about how you’re going to keep that feeling going. What steps can you take to keep your place cleaner longer? What habits can you change? If you’re someone who comes home from work, piles everything by the front door, and plops down on the couch for the rest of the evening, make a commitment to take a few extra minutes to hang up your coat, put away your shoes, and go through the mail then and there. If you have kids think about how to get them involved in the day-to-day organizing, for example by gamifying cleanup time. Make a chart and if they put everything away before going to bed they’ll get a sticker. After so many stickers they’ll win a prize.
What are your favorite organizational tips and tricks? Find us on Facebook and Instagram to let us know!