Organizing the Bathroom

The bathroom is for _______________. Fill in the blank: bathing, elimination, relaxing, reading, drying hair, putting on make-up, storing necessary supplies, hanging laundry, draping towels, keeping dirty clothes until wash day and lots of other things. We have even known folks who used bathrooms for clothes storage, office space, libraries and junk rooms.

Garden baths, sunken baths and mega baths grace many newer homes. But those of us who live in older homes or small spaces face a challenging proposition when it comes time to organize the stuff we need in the bathroom. Fortunately there are organizing tips and available products that help keep the space uncluttered and the items we need accessible.

The first principle for small spaces is small quantities. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, beauty products and other necessary items should be stored in modest amounts. In very limited space, one to use and a back up is a good principle to follow. Another principle for small spaces is stack if you can. Under sink space can be maximized by using wooden or metal stacking shelves. The under counter corner shelf from Get Organized fits most cabinets. If you have an old fashioned sink with no cabinet underneath, Home Trends sells a sink skirt that is easy to install and allows for hidden storage under the sink. The covered storage space can hold baskets, boxes or bins that will divide you necessities into accessible groupings. These same containers can help group items on counts tops.

There are a host of choices for creating shelving in tubs or showers. If you are faced with the added dilemma of living in a space where you cannot or would rather not permanently mount shelves, look at the standing metal shelf from Home Decorators or the corner bath and shower shelves from various vendors listed below. Very attractive teak and chrome shelves on a tension pole can be found at Hammacher Schlemmer. The shelves can hold the shampoo, soap, shower cap and other bathing necessities. Mirrors that hang on shower heads and have a space for razors and cream are available and provide a handy grouping for guys who shave in the shower.

Click in next time to explore ways to hang towels, store toilet paper and dry hand washables.

Check out the following sites for products:
Hammacher.com
HomeDecorators.com
ShopGetOrganized.com
Solutions.com
ShopHomeTrends.com


Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Finding Space in an Underneath Place

Small spaces are a real challenge. Even with creative use of floor space and wall space, there may not be enough room for the essentials. When the wall won’t hold another shelf and furniture has served as many multiple functions as you can think of, consider looking under things for potential storage.

In the bedroom, the bed is the largest piece of furniture that has potential for storage. Wooden drawers that stack and single wooden drawers on rollers are great places to store clothing that is looking for a home. Plastic rolling storage boxes with a low profile can hold children’s books and games, as well as art supplies or small toys. Several manufacturers make under-bed rolling trays and boxes designed specifically for shoes.

Another potential for storage is under a desk or work table. Rolling files are available that neatly fit into the unused space and an under-desk printer/fax stand can help free up flat surface space.

A decorative box or basket can be placed under a console or coffee table to hold books, magazines or a collection of shells or other memorabilia. Careful selection can create an interesting focal point

Some products to help stimulate ideas for storing underneath furniture may be found at the following web sites:
www.ultimatebed.com
www.abundantearth.com
www.homedepot.com
www.onlinesupplies.com
www.csnofficefurniture.com
www.lillianvernon.com
www.ballard.com
www.shopgetorganized.com


Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Junk Drawers

Do you have a junk drawer lurking in some corner of your house? If you do, you are like one hundred percent of the clients with whom we consult. I tackled my own junk drawer this week.

Yes, professional organizers have their personal pitfalls and have to work to keep themselves organized. My nemesis is a tiny drawer with a deceptive capacity to hold a lot of stuff. I have to check it out periodically to see what wayward possessions have landed in that drawer instead of where they belong. This time I found a flashlight, my eyeglass repair kit, some rubber bands and paper clips, a lottery ticket, a broken chain, two business cards and a takeout menu. I actually have a designated place for all of these items, so it was only a matter of relocating the objects to their proper home. It would have saved time in the long run if I had just put them in their designated spaces to begin with. So, why didn’t I? It was just easier to stuff them in the drawer because:

- I wanted it out of my purse and I was on my way out
- The lights went out and I wanted a flashlight accessible in that area
- I wanted to keep the menu and did not want it littering the dining room
- The chain broke on my way out of the house and I just wanted to stick it someplace until I got home.
- I used the eyeglass kit for a delicate repair and never got it back upstairs
- I have no recollection of putting the other stuff in the drawer; it must have been the junk fairies.

Suffice it to say, I had reasons-not always good reasons, but reasons nonetheless. So I have come to the conclusion that junk drawers should not be called junk drawers. Their contents are not junk but useful items that are homeless or misplaced. They are merely temporary shelter or a warehouse for limited quantities.

If they are the only home for a variety of useful items they should be called useful miscellany drawers. If, like mine, they are used to house things until the owner sorts and relocates them to their designated space, they should be called temporary repositories. The key to staying organized with a temporary repository is periodic review and relocation of contents.

Here are a few hints for bringing order to useful miscellany drawers:

- Group the items into categories such as office supplies, nuts and bolts, tools, sewing.
- Find appropriately sized receptacles for each group and label them in a visible spot.
- Alternatively, use drawer dividers to separate items and make them easier to find.
- Sort through the drawer periodically to discard and reorganize the contents.
- Do not mix solids, liquids and paper items in the same drawer unless they are in leak-proof containers.

Organization is a tool to give us more time and a better life. If your junk drawer helps you stay on top of things, it is an organizational device. If most of your drawers are junk drawers then they are sapping your time and impairing your efficiency. Consider setting goals to organize one drawer at a time, identifying designated space for your possessions. If the task is overwhelming consider getting help from a professional organizer.

Beverly and Kristen
http://www.keytransitions.net/

Kitchen Organization

According to the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), people identify their kitchen as the most cluttered room in the house. That is not surprising because that is the room that is used on a daily basis and usually by multiple members of the household. When I was a young mother chasing after children, maintaining multiple schedules, fixing meals, putting healthy snacks in accessible places, putting the good china where unsteady hands could not break it, I didn’t think about how organized my kitchen was. I just wanted it to be functional. It was not until much later that I learned that functionality is the key to organization. Some of the basic principles I adopted to survive the harried lifestyle of a young parent are the principles that help maintain an organized kitchen.

The first step is to take a look at the uses for your kitchen space and the work flow that accompanies each use. Most frequent uses are preparing meals and snacks, cooking, eating, clean up and social gathering. You might also pay bills, do crafts, get homework in your kitchen. I know of one guy who, much to his wife’s chagrin, repaired small engines in the kitchen space, a real organizational challenge solved by a designated work space away from the kitchen table.

Once you have a good idea of how you function in the kitchen, put things you use to accomplish a task close to the spot where the task is performed. For instance, china and utensils are placed close to the eating area, pots and pans are near the stove, cleaning items are proximal to the sink and dishwasher. The storage space in your kitchen will dictate the options you have for organization, but there are also many products that can create storage space where you need it. A small counter shelf, wall shelf or book shelf might be a good alternative for storing frequently used cookbooks near the preparation area, for instance. A canister or tray might be used near the coffee pot for coffee additives and condiments. Judicious use of under counter appliances and storage shelves can also be helpful.

The last step is to make sure that everyone who uses the kitchen knows the storage plan and the organizational system. Do dirty dishes go in the sink or in the dishwasher? What are the expectations for clean-up and what items can be accessed by children in the family without expectation or threat of bodily harm?

If you find yourself unable to come up with ideas to improve the organization in your kitchen, a fresh pair of eyes might see areas for enhancement. Ask a friend or a professional organizer for help. A better functioning kitchen will save your time and your sanity.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net