Make Life Simpler by Organizing Closets

Organizing Closets Makes Your Life Simpler

I think we would all agree that making our lives more stress-free and simpler is a common goal. We are besieged with information daily, and having something as simple as your closets being organized can bring some calm to your life. We discussed organizing your clothes closets and bathroom closets last month. This month, we want to help you tackle organizing your pantry and cleaning closet. Next month, we will offer tips for organizing your laundry room and garage.

Most of us have a fast-paced lifestyle and realize that knowing where to find things quickly helps reduce time spent on daily and weekly tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and clothes washing. Over the years, we have helped many homes get more organized at Crystal Clear Home, since professional organizing is one of the services we offer for homes and businesses. We also know many people who find organizing a stress-reduction activity, so below you will find some great hints on how to organize these areas of your home, simply and easily.

Organizing Your Pantry

It’s amazing how many times a day we access our pantry. If you are a family, it’s probably the most accessed area in your home, second to computers. It’s easy, with a busy lifestyle, for your pantry to become disorganized and for you to lose track of what you have. I recently did a makeover on my pantry because I needed to go gluten-free. I learned so much in the process that I will pass it along today. First, I suggest that unless you want to make a day of it, you do this task one shelf at a time. Organizing your pantry one shelf at a time makes this project so doable and much less likely to put you in overwhelm.

Whether you are doing the entire pantry in a day or a shelf at a time, it’s best to empty the area first. I kept boxes from Costco that were open with handles on each side to place items; this made the process so much easier. You can also cut down large boxes, double over the flaps, and cut your own handles. Having boxes on hand also allows you to categorize items. Next, having clear containers, baskets, and shelf risers on hand lets you make the best use of the space you have.

Pantry Organizing Tips:

• Deep Clean & Discard: Remove everything, whether a shelf or the entire pantry contents, discard expired food, and wipe down the shelves.
• Maximize Vertical Space: I installed shelf risers on many of the shelves to make items in the back more visible, especially for canned items.
• Clear Containers: The variety of clear air-tight containers these days is tremendous, and these can be used for storing pasta, rice, and flour.
• Create Zones: You can first create zones in your boxes on the floor and then create zones in your pantry by category, such as one shelf for baking items, snack items, and sauces.
• Baskets & Bins: Grouping smaller items in bins helps to prevent clutter. Packaged items, such as snack bags and other bagged items.
• Labels: Labeling bins and clear plastic containers helps you find items quickly.
• Heavy Items: Store your heavy items low, such as canned goods or bulk items. I keep my dog food in a flip-top garbage container.
• Lazy Susans: lazy Susans help you source items in corners, making good use of this space for sauces, oils, and condiments.
• Pull Dates: Keep your food items in a first-in and first-out system. I have used a marking pen to put the pull dates larger on containers.
• Measure First & Buy Second: Measure your space before buying containers. This will save you a lot of frustration.

Organizing Your Cleaning Closet

Depending on the size of your home, your cleaning closet can be a large or a very small closet in a smaller home or apartment. The tips we share today will adapt to most sizes of cleaning closets. Organizing your cleaning closet starts with maximizing vertical space with other-the-door-hangers, wall-mounted racks for brooms and mops, and clear bins for cleaning supplies. Using collapsible tools or multi-use tools will save you space. If you create dedicated areas for sprays, cloths, and floor care items will help keep your cleaning closet neat and organized.

Cleaning Closet Organizing Tips:

• Maximize Vertical Space: Install mop or broom holders or hooks on walls or on the back of the door to hold dusters and long-handled items.
• Over-the-Door Organizers: There are many organizers that mount to the door or have hangers that go over the top of the door. This is a great place to store sponges, rags, and small cleaning bottles.
• Clear Bins & Baskets: Use clear, stackable containers to group similar items, making cleaning inventory easy to see and find.
• Shelving & Racks: Installing adjustable shelves really helps to make your space adaptable as your cleaning items change over time. Rolling carts for storage that can move around your house can also help on cleaning day.
• Tool Storage: Using a broom holder or wall hooks for cleaning items helps free up cleaning closet space. This is a great way to store brooms, mops, dusters, and vacuum wands.
• Labels: Use labels for baskets and bins to make items easier to find for everyone in your household.
• Collapsible Items: Investing in collapsible buckets and folding cleaning items helps to maximize space.
• Safety: Store chemicals safely on higher shelves to keep hazardous materials out of reach of children and pets.
• Organizing: Evaluate your cleaning space on an ongoing basis to purge unused or empty products to make the best use of your space.

Organizing your closets one closet at a time helps to bring order to your lives. Being able to find items you need easily makes life simpler and more stress-free. If you want help with organizing your closets or home, please give us a call at Crystal Clear Home at 707-827-3316 or fill out our FREE ESTIMATE form, and one of our cleaning professionals will be in touch promptly to answer your questions.