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The Clean-zine, Issue #13 - 7 Resolutins for a Saner, Cleaner, More Organized 2014
January 01, 2014
Hi,

Welcome to the Post-Season (as they say in sports).

Your tree is down. The decorations are down. The garage is a disaster area. Stop parking in the driveway and get a grip on your garage with these simple organizing tips.

Now is also a great time to consider going into 2014 a bit more efficiently. These 7 resolutions for a saner, cleaner, more organized 2014 can help.

To keep items and surfaces in your home well-maintained in 2014, check out the January home maintenance and cleaning checklist for things you'll want to do in an around your home this month.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Get a Grip on Your Garage

2. 7 Resolutions for a Saner, More Organized 2014

3. January Housecleaning Checklist

Get a Grip on Your Garage

If you have space, the garage is a very good storage place. Yet not all storage is created equal.

Some things need to be accessible at all times; other things we see only every 10 years when we move, but we want to keep them anyway.

Think of your storage in three distinct categories: Short-term storage, mid-term storage (this is where you'll put those Christmas ornaments), and long-term storage.

1. Short-Term Storage. This is for things you'll need in the next three months or things that you need intermittently, such as items you buy in bulk.

Short-term storage also includes items that you don't use often but need to keep handy, such as boots, flashlights, and umbrellas.

2. Mid-Term Storage. These are things you use seasonally, such as holiday decorations, grills, hammocks, and snowboards and skis.

Put them in lofts or stack them in boxes, but don't push them all the way to the back.

Read the full Garage Organizing tips article here..

7 Resolutions for a Saner, Cleaner, More Organized 2014

We've just come through the sound and fury of the holidays - and our homes, nerves and bank accounts reflect it.

These 7 resolutions will rejuvenate you, your home and your wallet.

The best part? They are organized to all build on each other.

1. Downsize, Darling! Consider this post-holidays rule: for every new item (bathrobe, earrings, slippers) that arrives, three things have to say adios.

Call it the get-organized, one-for-three rule. Before anyone puts away presents, he or she must fill a minimum of three bags for donation to a charity.

Now move on to your holiday stuff. Any decorations you didn't use this year? Chances are you won't use it next year, either. These go in the donation pile.

Yes, you want to keep a few cozy T-shirts and jeans for Saturday sports or painting with the kids. But you don't need two dozen. Donation pile.

Read the full article on 7 Resolutions for a Saner, More Organized 2014 here.

January Home Checklist

January Checklist: 10 things to include in your home cleaning and preventative maintenance program this month to keep your home well maintained.

1. Let There Be Dark! In other words, Virginia, it’s time to take down the Christmas lights over the garage.

2. Clear the Clutter. Very, very carefully, wrap and put away every ornament and every light and every Christmas decoration.

Very, very carefully put them in boxes and label them so you can find them more easily next year. (Now, was that so hard?)

3. Out With the Old, In With the New. Clean out your closets to make room for Santa’s bounty. Share what you don’t need anymore with the less fortunate.

4. The Party's Over... So clean your holiday linens and put them away till next year. Ditto for those festive reindeer plates. Box them carefully with cardboard between the dishes so Blitzen doesn’t wind up with a chipped antler.

Read the full January Home Checklist article here.

 Here's to a saner, cleaner, and more organized 2014!
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