Five Projects to Get Organized This Spring

When spring is in the air, we feel so renewed. We open the windows and watch the curtains billow in the spring breeze. Fresh air and sunshine fills our homes and the sweet smell of spring awakens our winter weary hearts with the feeling of endless possibilities. You have one thing on your mind, right? It's time to get organized and do some spring cleaning!

Getting the house organized is at the top of my "to do" list and spring is the perfect time to tackle it. I want an organized home where I can actually find the tape measure when I need it or the ice cream scoop even if I don't. Spring is finally here and with it is the motivation to get moving and tackle those long overdue organizational projects.

Organize the Kitchen

After all, the kitchen is the heart of the home and without organization, it's hard to even plan a meal, let alone cook one. Organize the kitchen by storing items where you actually use them. Pots and pans should be stored in a cabinet near the stove top. Ideally, a baking station should be established by grouping mixing bowls, mixing spoons and baking sheets, etc. in one upper or lower cabinet. Keep flour and sugar in the same cabinet or in pretty display canisters. Everything will be close at hand when the urge strikes to bake cookies.

Store coffee cups and mugs in a cabinet near the coffee maker and the same for any needed condiments. Use cup hooks inside the cabinets if necessary to allow more shelf space and stack dessert plates underneath the cups. Buy inexpensive wire space savers shelves made especially for stacking dishes at the local home improvement store. There is a such huge array of products available to organize every inch of cabinet space and drawer space in the kitchen from spice jars to utensils. The hardest part is narrowing the selection to just what you really need.

Organize the Food Pantry

The pantry shouldn't' be overlooked when it comes time for spring cleaning. Fortunately I have a roomy walk-in pantry but it has to do double duty for brooms, mops and the vacuum cleaner. If I don't keep it organized, I won't find the lunch boxes, spaghetti noodles or the dust pan.

To help with cleaning products, I installed a wall-mounted rack to hold mops and brooms to save floor space. For extra storage, I even added a multi shelf unit over the pantry door that can only be seen when the door is open. I use it for light weight items because heavy cans can actually loosen the door from the hinges. I learned this the hard way.

Start cleaning the pantry by removing everything and check expiration dates on products as you go. This is a good time to give the pantry a thorough cleaning before putting the food back. Group similar items together such as canned fruits and vegetables or put cereals and breakfast foods together. Another option for storage in the pantry is organizing by the meal. Use a box or basket to place all nonperishable items that go together to make a dinner such as taco seasoning packet, taco shells, canned beans or a rice dish.

Use items you already have to organize the pantry. I use a large wicker tray on a shelf in my pantry for sandwich breads. It stays fresh longer in the cool dark pantry. I also use ventilated baskets to store potatoes and onions on the lowest shelf in my pantry. Use large wicker baskets on the pantry shelf to store bags of snacks or chips.

Use clear food-safe containers to keep rice, pasta and dried beans at hand and safe from pantry moths. As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I put the dry items in the canister and recycle the package. If I need a food label for nutritional information or ingredients, I cut it from the original package and tape it on the storage canister with clear packing tape.

Remember when putting away new canned foods, etc., always move the oldest item to the front of a shelf and put the newest to the rear. Items are more likely to be used before they expire.

Organize Your Closet

There's only so long I can put this one off, especially with the seasons changing. After searching for a blouse that's been missing as long as spring's fresh air and sunshine, I know it's time to organize the closet. To do it correctly, everything should be taken out of the closet first. Be brutally honest about what you really wear and what you put back in the closet. If there are clothing items that I'm on the fence about, I pack them in storage containers. But I know I have to get rid of the once sexy halter top from 1975 that I've been hanging onto for the memories.

A better option might be to sell it on the auction site Ebay. It's great for those hard-to-part-with clothing items or the easy to part with hip huggers. Have a yard sale or donate any clothes or shoes that don't fit or you know you'll never use again. There are several charitable organizations that need gently used clothing and shoes. Goodwill has several conveniently located drop-off sites in my area and I can call and schedule a pickup from the local ARC in Nashville.

Put the clothes back in the closet by grouping categories such as shirts, pants, and dresses. When time allows, I even put each group in order by color as well. Use every bit of available wall space in the closet to mount hooks for belts, ties or even jewelry. Buy baskets or cover cardboard boxes with a pretty paper or fabric and use them to store scarves, socks, hosiery or out of season clothing. Put the containers on shelves or on the floor under hanging clothes.

Bathroom Organization is Essential

Bathrooms are small but certainly play an important role in our daily activities. Since it's a small room, organization becomes crucial to keep from pulling your hair out on hectic mornings. It's also one of the least expensive rooms in the house to organize. The organizational product doesn't have to be made for the room you're going to use it in. It just needs to work for whatever you put in it. Be creative with storage containers.

I have several old clear apothecary jars that weren't being used in my kitchen. They're now attractive bathroom storage. They're great for cotton balls and cotton swabs. Any type of clear craft and sewing organizers are also good for storing makeup. If extra space is needed in the linen closet, use slide-on shelf bins for extra storage. I bought them at Lowe's Home Improvement Store but they're readily available at most discount stores.

Organize the Garage

This is not my favorite organizational job but in spring it becomes all the more necessary. All of those warm weather chores are getting ready to be a reality again. Take stock of the gardening tools. If half of them are laying on the floor then it's time to buy a garden tool organizer. There are plenty of garage organizers and storage caddies available at Stacks and Stacks. I love their sale prices. They have several sizes of floor or wall mount garden tool organizers.

Garages too often become dumping grounds for all of those things you don't know what else to do with. I had outgrown children's bikes and scooters taking up valuable storage space in mine. I had to get rid of them and you can, too. Donate these items to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. There are so may charitable organizations that need toys and bikes in good working condition.

Use large plastic bins for storing sports equipment and balls. Rectangular plastic laundry baskets are another less expensive option to organize the garage. They're especially useful for large beach balls and other plastic yard toys for kids.

Use peg board to organize everything from water hoses to extension cords. The great thing about peg board is the flexibility. You design what, where and how you place items on it with the available components made especially for peg board. The next thing you know, the garage will be so organized there might actually be room for a car!