Are you already starting to think about Spring Cleaning? If so, here are a few tips from professional organizers, Aubry and Lauryl, the founders of Stay Golden Organizing!

Top Tips & Tricks For Keeping Your Home Organized

The 24-hour rule: Always make sure everything goes back in its home within 24 hours. We recommend a 5-10 minute tidy at the end of the day to keep your home picked up and the clutter minimal. This also applies to anything new that comes into your home – a gift from a friend, mail, the new shoes you bought, etc. Take them to their “home” within 24 hours of it entering your house!

1-in-1 out method: You’ve probably heard of this before and that’s because it really is helpful! Anytime you purchase a new item (clothes, shoes, kids’ toys, new kitchen item you already have, etc.), send one out. This one you’re sending out can be donated, given to a friend or family member, or tossed depending on the state it’s in. We love donating items to our clients’ favorite local charities!

Speaking of donations – keep a donation bin or basket in your home or garage! Anytime you come across an item you no longer want or need but it can be of use to someone else, toss it in the bin. When the bin is full, load it up in your car and take it to donate!

Project bin: This bin or basket is for items you need to take care of. Whether it be pants you need to take to the tailor to have hemmed or returning a piece of Tupperware to a friend who brought you food, this bin is to keep all those things that have a task tied to it. We recommend keeping this in your laundry room or garage!

Outgrown bin in your child’s closet: On those crazy mornings when you’re trying to get your kids ready and you realize they’ve put pants on that are way too short, this bin makes it easy for you to have them change and throw the outgrown pants in the bin! Again, when the bin is full, donate or give away the items. 

LABELS! Our number one tip to keeping your spaces organized is to label as much as possible so everyone in the home knows where items should go back!

Maintaining Your Pantry and Fridge Organization

Utilize bins to group categories of foods together (don’t forget your labels!)

Lazy Susans work best in the corners to utilize that otherwise dead space – oils, vinegars, nut butters, & sauces all work great on turntables!

Labels, labels, labels! We never leave a pantry unlabeled. 

Having a back-stock bin helps when you’ve bought one too many of an item. Just be sure to check here first before grocery shopping!

Unbox items that you can to save space. 

Store your baking items in airtight canisters.

Every 6 months, pull everything out to check expiration dates and wipe down your spaces. 

After big holidays, go through and toss or donate foods you know your family won’t eat. Holidays are a time that the pantry can accumulate so much food which can turn to uneaten food that takes up space. 

Before going to the store, clean out what needs to be tossed in your fridge and use what you have to make your shopping list.

If you have extra space in your pantry, make an “eat first” bin. These are the foods you know need to be consumed sooner rather than later or are already opened.

Have you ever walked into a space in your home and instantly felt stressed? Is your pantry stuffed to the brim with food? Do you have trouble fitting new clothes in your closet? Well, if you answered, “yes!”, to any of the questions above, make sure to reach out to Stay Golden Organizing! When you decide to do so, be sure to let them know that The Scout Guide sent you! Happy Scouting!