The holiday season is nearing an end and we are preparing for the start of a new year. A great way to start 2020 off with a bang is to get our homes and our minds clutter-free to make room for all this next year has in store for us! I know that thought can be a bit overwhelming, so here are a few tips to help you de-clutter some of the most “clutter prone” areas.

General:

1. Sort through your holiday decorations as you pack them up and throw out broken bulbs, lights and old ribbons and pack a box of items you no longer need and give them to charity.

Closets:

1. For every new clothing gift you received, get rid of something from your closet that you no longer wear. In fact, you hang up new items, sort through your closet and anything you haven’t worn in 5 years, donate it.

2. Organize your closet by category such as blouses, pants, dresses, skirts, sweaters, etc. and by color so when picking out an outfit to wear it is easy to find compatible pieces. Have all accessories such as scarves and purses in one location, same as shoes. And, get rid of all wire hangers. Invest in plastic, wood or the fabulous, space-saving “huggable hangers” to keep your clothes in their best condition and maximize space.

3. Go through your dresser and purge socks, stockings, and underwear that you no longer wear. I bet you’ll find many socks that have no “mates” anymore.

Kitchen:

1. Organize your pantry. Ditch cardboard cereal and pasta boxes and put these items in glass jars or food containers. It will keep them fresh and easy to see what you have in inventory. Arrange your shelves by category – all baking items, spices, canned goods, cereals, snack foods, etc. together so at a glance you can see what you have. While organizing, check for expired food, spices, etc. Purchase a spice rack and organize spices in alphabetical order, it will keep you from purchasing spices you don’t need.

2. Open up each cabinet in your kitchen and go through an assessment of what you have and what you use. Donate items you don’t use and get rid of any Teflon non-stick pans that may not be safe to cook on anymore.

3. Review your cookbooks, many of us have cookbooks that we’ve been given, we’ve purchased or have somehow acquired. Keep the ones you love and sell the rest or donate to a charity.

Now, this is just a start! But take it slow and steady and you will start the New Year with an organized home and peace of mind with what you’ve accomplished. Happy New Year!

This guest blog was provided by Tonia Tomlin, with Sorted Out Professional Organizing. Sorted Out is a trusted partner of Nicole Arnold Interiors and we concurrently serve many of the same clients as we implement their new interior designs. Tonia can be reached at tonia@sortedout.com or 214-868-3862. Her website is www.sortedout.com