Organizing a Few Areas at a Time
I’ve been focusing on two areas of my home to declutter. I want these two to be organized for good, and for me to be able to maintain them. These are the kitchen island - which is such a hot spot for clutter! - and the dining table.
For the island, the tabletop file has been working pretty well. I also added a box shallow as a catch-all for the papers and items that need to be sorted. I figure I’d rather have this box, which I had covered in pretty paper, on the table than a mishmash of letters and whatnot scattered all over. The ideal way to deal with these items is not to let them accumulate at all. But sometimes, I can’t get to them quickly enough and so they need a temporary place to stay.
The dining table has been a general work area for my husband and I. Thus we had books, photos and other assorted items on it for a while. My solution is to turn to the shelves right next to it. I put away most of the books in order to clear one shelf. That shelf is now the project shelf, with a couple of boxes for putting away in-progress tasks. The table is now clear of clutter and is a much more welcoming sight.
My next goal is to find a system to maintain these areas. If I can do this successfully, then I’ll turn my attention to other areas in the house that need some organizing as well. One area at a time. That is hopefully the key to keeping organized and neat. Otherwise, it’s going to be a merry-go-round where I go from cleaning up one area only to come back to it after a while.
What do you do to keep up with clutter in your home?
Tags: organization, clutter control, housekeeping, homemaking
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POSTED IN: Organizing and Clutter Control
4 opinions for Organizing a Few Areas at a Time
Keeping Up With Kitchen Clutter
Jun 9, 2007 at 9:26 am
[...] Maricar at Keeping the Castle has a problem with her kitchen island and dining room table. Does that sound familiar?We have a small house and don’t have a dining room, but I notice by walking into most homes [...]
Grace
Jun 13, 2007 at 1:27 pm
I’m so with you, sis. same two areas that are now the center of clutter on my first floor (not to mention the never-used-but-cluttered second floor office!). i need to tackle these areas and find a good way to organize. thanks for the tips!
Making Habits in Homemaking… and a New Favorite Blog!
Sep 8, 2007 at 12:06 am
[...] example, my ongoing clean-up project is my kitchen island. Yes, I’m at it again. I’ve made some progress, especially with having designated [...]
Thinking Through Home Organizing
Oct 17, 2007 at 11:13 pm
[...] have grand ambitions of organizing the entire house in one go. Instead, I focus on small areas. The kitchen counter. The junk drawers. My bathroom counter. Before I bought any of the containers that I now use for [...]
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