By Jackie Leffner
Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could organize a space and then everyone in the home followed the system and it stayed perfectly clean? Well, now that we have dreamt of that world, let us talk about organizing realistically. There are areas of your home that you need to be maintaining monthly. Evaluating if the system is working well, performing a little clean & reset. We are going to dive into each of these areas – but just a quick shoutout to our Meat and Potatoes Professional Organizers – we do offer a monthly maintenance package once we have helped you set up those systems. So, we can come back and make sure these areas of your home are getting that monthly refresh!
Now, before you think “oh my gosh, I have to re-organize each of these areas monthly” and get overwhelmed – we are not talking about a complete overhaul. Just schedule yourself 1 hour per area on the list below and do a little bit of maintenance. Trust us, a little maintenance can go a long way!
Food Storage Areas:
Refrigerator:
Go through and take out things that are old or expired. Also, go ahead and throw out those leftovers that you are not going to eat 😉 Sometimes, you will find some scary things in that fridge – it is okay! Discard it and keep on going.
When I declutter my fridge, I try to take an inventory (sometimes in my head – sometimes on paper) of what is going to be expiring soon. Try to work that into some meals for that month to reduce any waste.
Tupperware:
Tupperware drawers are my worst nightmare if we’re being totally honest – BUT if you gather it and make sure you have a top for every bottom once per month, you’re going to be in a better spot next time you need to grab a Tupperware for leftovers or a lunchbox. Once a month take everything out of that cabinet and make sure you have all the parts.
Junk Drawers:
This might seem counterintuitive – why am I organizing my junk drawer? It is called a junk drawer for a reason! But if you take just a few minutes once per month to go through it to get rid of things that do not belong and/or put things back in their original homes it will help your junk drawer, be more functional for you and your family.
Unhomed Items:
Does anyone else have a spot in your home where things get put when you, or your family members, do not know where they go? Hopefully, it is not just me! We have a bin in our mudroom where if we find something not in the right place, it goes into this bin. However, the bin can get out of control if you are not regularly maintaining it and making sure that the person who does know where it goes is putting it away. Once per month, as a part of our “30-minute family cleanup” we take everything out of that bin and whoever is the “owner” of that item takes it and puts it away in its proper home! This one is as easy as 30 minutes if you get your family involved.
Empty Bottles / Packages:
Does anyone else like to keep that big box from your TV? How about boxes from any new skincare your 11-year-old buys (fun fact, we recently found an ENTIRE cabinet in our 11-year-olds bathroom FULL of empty boxes!)? How about that empty bottle of body wash you replaced in your shower but have not thrown out the old one. Take 10 minutes and walk through your house. Lift those hand soaps, body washes, and cleaning supplies and if they are empty – throw them out (or refill them if that is possible for you). This can make a dramatic difference in how cluttered your home looks and feels 😊
Purse:
Do you use a purse? I like to call mine my “mom bag” as it contains 99% items that are not mine. BUT it gets out of control! Extra receipts, candy wrappers, random things my kids have handed me as we walk through a farmers’ market. So, to keep YOU sane as you are looking for things – it is a good idea to, once again, take everything out and only put the essentials back in. Everything else should find its own home.
Laundry Room:
Did you know the laundry room is one of the areas of your home you spend the most time in? Washing, switching, and folding laundry is a primary task in everyone’s home, so let us make sure it is organized and well stocked. Go through and make sure you are going to have enough laundry supplies for the upcoming month – if not, add it to that grocery list. Do you have a “lost sock” bin? Make sure all the laundry is done in the house, go through, and match those mismatched socks. I have a rule that every 6 months, if all the laundry is done and there are still socks in there, they get donated and/or used to provide enrichment to our dogs. Ha. You could also throw them out – but, if you find a creative way to use them, feel free to tag us on social media and let us know how you are using those mismatched socks!
Mudroom / School Drop Zone:
How often are you going through your kids backpack to make sure there are not expired snacks or a crushed banana at the bottom? At a minimum, we recommend going through the backpacks once per month to reset them back to having only the essentials.
On that same note, while you are in that school drop zone – how many pairs of shoes do each of your family members have in that front hall closet? If it is summer, do you still have winter boots? If it is fall, do you still have those strappy sandals you will not wear until next year? How about shoes that no longer fit? We have a rule at our house that we try to keep no more than 3 pairs of shoes per person in the front hall closet. This keeps it looking decluttered and easily accessible. Any fancy or “on occasion” shoes can be stored up in the person’s bedroom closet.
Now you have a few places to be looking through once per month to keep your life decluttered and organized 😊 Not sure you can tackle this alone? Reach out to schedule your complimentary consultation with one of our professional organizers today! Meat and Potatoes can help you declutter one area at a time. Once we have collaborated with you, we even offer our monthly maintenance plan to help keep you on track with all the areas in your home. We would love to help spark joy in your everyday life by transforming your home into functional, beautiful spaces, one area at a time.
