Inspiration

Well I have been reading some posts around J-Land and notice people are cleaning and trying to get "organized".  This can be quite a challenge especially if you are overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. 

Now, I am not a professional organizer, but I do have a host of ideas that might work in your situation.

Starting at the beginning, and assuming that you are feeling "OVERWHELMED" my first suggestion would be to pick a room you want to start in. 

Then make sure you have the necessary supplies.  A box of big trash bags and a bin or box for each room of the house.  For instance in my house I would need a box for each bedroom, the garage, the den, the living room and the basement and the bathroom.  Label each box and put them in a spot that is easily accessible, but somewhat out of the way.

Begin cleaning.  Lets say you are starting in the kitchen.  Pick a corner to start in and work your way around clockwise.  When we clean we tend to get sidetracked very easily.  As you clean and come across things that do not belong in that room, put them in the boxes you labeled. For instance, you find a hammer on the kitchen table... put it in the box marked garage. (Unless you keep your tools with your fine china in the dining room)

OK, why you ask?  You start cleaning the kitchen at nine in the morning. How many times have you gone to put the book they left on the table away in the kids room and then seen what a mess that room is.  "Oh geeze!" you say to yourself, then you start cleaning that room.  "There it is!" you exclaim as you find  your favorite T Shirt under your kids bed.  So, you walk yourself down to the laundry room to toss it in the washer and see the pile of clothes that you need to fold.  You start folding the towels and socks and time goes by and your stomach is growling so you decide you need to go have a sandwich. It is three hours later. You stop folding and go down to the kitchen. Now you starting trying to figure out how you can kick your own ass for shirking your promise to clean the kitchen.  You started cleaning the kitchen at nine and it is now twelve.  Have you been cleaning the kitchen for three hours?

GET THE BOXES OR BINS!!  TRUST ME!

Focus on the one room.  Don't leave it till you have cleaned it.  If it is too much to do in one day, make a commitment to how much you will do and then don't leave till you have done it. 

Then, when you have finished, you can go to the boxes and put the items in their proper rooms.

|  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this

• #9 Comment from mleppard06 
  5/6/08 6:06 AM | Permalink

  great advice rosemary, i can relate to this, being more organised is one of my goals at the moment, although people have said i am already too organised, i am organizing our holiday in august now, my SIL seemed to think i was being very organised, i see it as sensible! Got loads of my major jobs done this weekend and it feels so good, i recommend it, good therapy!!!LOL take care mrs t xx
• #8 Comment from fisherkristina 
  5/5/08 11:10 PM | Permalink

  Thanks for the advice.  Starting on one room and then moving along, this reminds me a lot of the FlyLady method.  Only simplified.  Very excellent.  I have a little more cleaning and organizing sense I moved into my new place.  Well, maybe a lot, LOL.
  
  Krissy :)
  http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink
  
• #7 Comment from lifes2odd 
  5/5/08 9:00 PM | Permalink

  Excellent advice!
  Martha :-)
• #6 Comment from redpoppy007 
  5/5/08 3:19 PM | Permalink

  good post..
  thanks, Cassie
• #5 Comment from chat2missie 
  5/5/08 1:48 PM | Permalink

  You wrote some very good advice.
  Missie