The changing of the seasons is a great, natural time to get some decluttering and cleaning done. For many, fall symbolizes a fresh start.
Many seniors find themselves overly cluttered with momentos, family photos, or other items that don't serve a practical purpose anymore. Suggest your elderly loved ones do some fall cleaning and help them sort through and decide what's worth keeping or not.
If you don't know where to start, let us help you out with these organization tips! First, it may be helpful for you to develop a general plan of what you'd like to accomplish and any ideas you may have about changing your space.
Start with one area. While decluttering your whole house is a fantastic goal for the season, it can be overwhelming when you're trying to clean up the whole house at once. Instead, pick one room or area to start with, and only move on when that area is completed. This will give you a sense of satisfaction when it's done to motivate you to make the rest of your house just as neat and functional.
Take inventory and get rid of what you no longer need. As you're sorting through everything, take note of the things that you forgot you had and ask yourself if you'd be missing it if you got rid of it. For clothes, a good way to do this is to think about whether you've worn an article more than once in the past year. If not, it may be time to say goodbye! Another way to track what you're wearing most and not wearing at all, is to turn the hanger around on something after you wear it. In a month or two's time, you'll be able to see easily what you could go without. And, remember, at the end of the day, your lightly loved and in-good-condition items can be brought down to your local donation store to be given a second life.
Think of visibility, accessibility, and flexibility. These are key fundamentals to consider when reorganizing. Visibility: Make sure what you decide to store in bins is see through or labeled to ensure that you can find what you're looking for when you need it. Accessibility: Put the items you use often in a place that's easily accessible. For things you don't need as much, put them on a higher shelf or in a more tucked-away area. Flexibility: Choose an organization system that works for you and that can be easily changed if needed! Sometimes when organization solutions are put to the practical test, there are going to be some tweaks you'll want to make to make your system perfect for you.
Maximize vertical space. One of the best ways to make the most out of a storage area is to maximize your vertical space! That way, your shelving doesn't take up as much floor space. Adding in shelves "up" rather than "out" or "over" can add so much more room for storage. And remember accessibility - put those things you only need once in a while towards the top.
Look for wasted space. Look around, your solution for more storage might be right under your nose! Or, more commonly, under your bed or maybe over your door. Seek out creative solutions to get more space. There are many storage products available for over the door closet storage or under the bed boxes.
Take your time. Although you may want to feel decluttered and perfectly organized overnight, be realistic with yourself and give yourself time to get everything done that you want to. In the end, you will be glad that you took your time when everything has a place that makes sense to you and things are in order. Putting in an hour of work a day towards organizing is a great place to start! Plus, for many, organizing can be a nice way to unwind and relax.
We hope these tips were helpful and wish you the best of luck on your decluttering/organization journey! Happy Fall :)