HomesandGardens.com contacted Sara Jane Organizing for advice on the golden rules of organizing. They wanted to know, “What are some golden organizing rules you swear by and why?” I happily shared three tips that I use in my own home.
Purposeful Acquiring
In my home, nothing is purchased or brought in on a whim. Anything that comes over the threshold of my front door must have a purposeful reason to enter. I want everyone in the home to think before they act or buy. So whenever anyone wants something specific, we consider where it will be stored, what needs to be replaced to make it fit, how the item will be maintained, whether the item is worth our hard-earned money, and if it’s of high quality and won’t break easily.
Donation Station
We have a donation station set up in our guest room. When something no longer fits or is no longer something that we want, we place it in the donation station so items can be donated regularly. This means nothing sits around unused. We are committed to only keeping items in the home that we use and love.
Everything Has a Home
When everything in the home has a designated storage space, there is no reason for things to pile up. Temporary clutter may occur due to lack of time, not lack of space. If items linger for too long, it’s a sign that we need to reevaluate our space or the person responsible for the mess needs to put things away. When everything has a rightful place, there are no excuses for items getting lost, misplaced, or piling up.
Read my advice and the advice of other experts in the article on HomesandGardens.com.
