How do you stay organized?

[Stepharoonie!]

My apartment is just an absolute mess, and I hate it. I tried flylady.net, but there were just waaaaaaaaaaay too many emails to try and sift through. What do you do to stay organized, and to keep messes to a minimum?

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

I, too, was overwhelmed by flylady.

But what I did gain from her that has helped:

1. Pick up after myself (and the 3 kids). Sounds simple, but I never did it before. Example: take off shoes, put shoes in closet---not leave them on the floor by the front door;

2. Stay on top of laundry. I do 3-4 loads daily instead of letting it pile up.

3. Morning routine---make beds, empty dishwasher, start laundry, straighten up.

4. I make a schedule to vacuum weekly, mop, clean both baths, dust, etc. Not all on one day

Good luck!

 

[binny]

not a flylady fan here either. too much guilt! LOL

I really like www.organizedhome.com

Theyve helped me A LOT!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I have some house rules:
I have a trash can right by the front door -- all junk mail goes right into it, don't even think about carrying that stuff into the house and opening it.

I empty the dishwasher every morning and all the dirty dishes from the day go into there and not the sink.

If you don't have time to fold the laundry and put it away, then please don't bother to wash it. With 5 people in the family, laundry can pile up in baskets like you wouldn't believe.

I wipe down the bathrooms every morning after I'm done showering. It only takes a couple of minutes.

We are a family that collects "stuff" like crazy. I keep a large Goodwill box in one of the closets and when something becomes unlikely to be used often enough to make it worthwhile, it goes in there. When it gets full, DH drops it off at the collection center. When space is at a premium, there just isn't much room for stuff.

The kids have folders on the bookcase that they put all the graded papers they need to keep in. If they don't put it in there, it gets thrown away. Graded schoolwork can pile up fast.

About the only thing I ever got from Flylady was the sink needs to be clean every night. That forces me to wash the pots and pans and put them away.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Don't let anything get too far out of organized. Keep a system and stick to it.

Every New Year's, I clean out the pantry and the refrigerator. I do it regularly throughout the year, but I do it on NYE or NYD - it's a ritual.

 

[swilphil]

I, too, am a flylady dropout, though I did like reading the flylady book, Sink Reflections. I'm in the same boat and I'll check out the other organization website. I did just clean out my basement and two closets and donated the clothes, etc., to charity. It was a good feeling. I wish I had an answer, but I just come on the DIS Boards and avoid looking at the mess!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I like flylady just can't keep up. I did adopt some of their priciples.

I try and keep my sink "shiny"...ie I keep up with the dishes. I think it is true if you let the dishes go, you let "other" things slide and then you have a BIG MESS on your hands.
I DECLUTTERED and that has been my help. Get rid of things you don't use. It is an on-going process.
Find a "home" for things. That way when it is out of place you know where to put it.

 

[bananiem]

I've found baskets to be helpful. Instead of leaving the kids' schoolwork and the mail all over the kitchen counter I've used a basket to put it in until dh looks at it. I also use baskets in closets and the pantry to hold similar items. They don't spill over into each other and give the illusion that I'm organized.
I empty the dishwasher every morning too. All dirty dishes go right in as we use them.

 

[DCLuvinit]

I just spent all weekend cleaning and organizing my house. It was very cluttered and overwhelming! I am determined to keep on top of it now. I joined flylady yesterday - and unsubscribed today, LOL. Too many emails (although she did give fair warning). I did look the whole website over though and took some of the principles. I am planning on at least keeping up with the weekly zones, and I made a weekly/daily cleaning schedule. I am also going to keep my kitchen sink and "hot spots" clean.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I do some of the same things that have already been mentioned. Empty the dishwasher in the morning, then the dirty dishes go in it throughout the day. I enlist DDs. They are young enough to think cleaning is fun, so I can get the good habits instilled early. They are responsible for picking up their own rooms (even the 3 year old!); I wash their clothes and sheets! They each have hampers in their own rooms, so when clothes come off, they go in the hamper. Shoes go in the closet when they come off the feet. The play area has to be picked up every night or no bedtime stories (I usually set a timer for this one). Everything for the following morning is laid out the night before.

By the way, did I mention that I am an anal retentive organizer!!

However, my house is not pristine. It actually looks like a family of 4 with 2 young kids live in it.

 

[luv2nascar]

good luck
we have tried everything but the clutter keeps adding up
right now I have a small amount of dirty dishes in the sink because dishwasher is full of clean dishes and a laundry basket of clean clothes to put away.
we declutter time and time again then we get lazy and it piles up
I try to throw alot out and donate. Yearly yardsale helps too.

 

[Cindy B]

Well, I throw out/donate a lot. In the past two days, I have made three Goodwill runs.

Each trip had a few different bags. I'm trying to keep up with laundry, dishes, and other items.

I try to get to the mail, that way the junk mail can be sorted effectively immediately.

I am trying better to clear out my car everytime I get out of it.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I watch Clean Sweep and think to myself "I'm so glad my house doesn't look like that!". I have the hardest time with putting laundry away and keeping on top of dirty dishes (no dishwasher, unless you count me). I 'm trying to do better, and it was easier while I was on vacation from work last week. I did manage to rearrange the living room and with my last day off tomorrow, I swear I'm going to finish the other "living" room and my "dressing" room.

 

[wdwpluto]

I try to focus on one room each day. Not full scale cleaning, just a little extra tidying up. Multi-tasking is good. I squirt toilet bowl cleaner in before I jump in the shower and when I get out, a quick brush and I'm done. Things like that.

Also, I purge often. I'm forever selling stuff on eBay, donating to Goodwill, and throwing stuff in the trash. The less clutter we have, the less mess we have. As someone else mentioned, the show Clean Sweep is a really good motivator. I also think when I buy stuff "Do I need this? Or will it just collect dust?" That also helps save money

Mail gets read as soon as I get home, bills get paid and filed immediately, junk gets shredded right away. Laundry gets put away as soon as we walk in the door from the laundramat (sp?)

However, there are some things we're lousy at. Our bed is never made and dishes can easily sit in the dish drain for a day or two (no dishwasher here! ) Oh well!

 

[Pop Daddy]

Im a pig

 

[Tinkertude]

I started reading Flylady after cleaning out my parents house when they moved to the Retirement Village. I just didn't want my kids to have to deal with my junk. The problem is I am a bit of a pack rat and find it hard to part with something I have held onto for years. A good example are my high school news papers. They are 37+ years old and have been moved 4 times after my Mom decluttered her house and gave them to me 20 years ago. See a pattern here. lol Putting up Christmas decorations today I ran across the angel that was on our first tree (hasn't seen a tree in 30 years)but how do you throw it away and it is not worthy of donation.

I have adopted the shoe rule. I do hot spots but don't do tasking list. I did make a portable office in a bag. Just to keep everything in one spot.