I've gone and searched Google for ways in which to organize my room, ways to organize my school stuff, and the like because the mass quantity of textbooks, binders, paperwork, et cetera is driving me crazy! What I found, to my dismay, was that Google failed me. I wasn't satisfied with any of the written options on the internet. Hence, I'm blogging about how I'm going about cleaning up my room.
Earlier this week, I realized that there was a quick fix to the chaos of shoes covering the floor of my closet. Hence, I went to Walmart and bought a 3-shelf shoe rack. I decided to spend about $20 on a shoe rack from Better Homes and Gardens. I assembled it myself and I felt better about myself when I moved my shoes from the floor onto the rack all neatly. It was nice! I was also surprised that I had so many pairs of shoes. I have more than 16-pairs, which was the amount the shoe rack would hold without extending it.
Therefore, I think that if the room being organized is horrific and it's hard to know where to start, I'd start with a shoe rack to the closet. It's something easy to do and feel better quickly. Besides, what girl doesn't like to admire her shoes?!! It's a win-win situation.
Another thing to do with the closet contents is to try the clothes on and see which ones still fit. I found a pair of jeans that I used to wear all the time that still fit, so that was a victory! However, I also found seven pairs of pants that I'm a little to fluffy to wear right now. Hence, I grouped the pants that are a little too small for me in a box. I could lose the weight one of these days and wear them again. These pants are in excellent condition, so there is no sense in my getting rid of them.
Note: I also notice that the internet hardly ever lists the fact that people could save the fabric for sewing projects (which is what I do with my old clothing). Hence, the piles from sorting a closet might end up being KEEP, DONATE, TRASH, and SEWING FABRIC.
It is also good to take mental inventory of what is currently presiding in the closet. I found that I had blankets, linens, backpacks, big bulky jackets from my time living on the east coast, old uniforms (girl scouts, prom dress, colorguard uniforms, graduation gown), light jackets, business attire (blazers, blouses, vests, a tie), and some old sporting equipment (that I could still use and probably will use). Now, I took all the stuff on the shelves out to assess what was in the closet. Then I put it back in there in a different way temporarily. I've noted that there is potential for additional shelving, which I may need for school. I also note that I may benefit from looking into ways to store large jackets, ways to frame old uniforms, or potentially giving some of the old uniforms away. I also noted that the lower rungs where clothes could be hung are barren, so that is another potential area to hang clothes.
Next for me was picking up the dirty laundry on the bedroom floor. I already had half of it in a laundry basket, so I picked the rest of it up and sorted it into colors and whites for when I get around to laundry. This may not seem like a big deal to accomplish, but it was revealing for me. I found my carpet and I also found some trash on the floor. Hence, I was able to pick up trash as well as the clothes.
I was also able to look under my bed. This allowed me to see what was underneath the bed in this convenient storage area. Now, going through what is under the bed will be an ongoing process. Hence, I picked up the trash and made my bed. I know I'll be tackling the stuff monster under the bed much later.
I also picked up the stack of jeans that I rotate wearing throughout the week and put it on top of my hang-it next to my closet. I figure I should keep in mind that I'll need a convenient location for stack placement when the room is fully organized. I also picked up all my school stuff from this past semester at college and placed it on a shelf in my closet for the time being. This makes it so there is a specific area where everything is so I can go through it later.
I also cleared off the top shelf on one of my bookshelves and stacked my DVDs properly. The top shelf is sometimes the best place to start and it will make us feel better just to see that an area has some improvement. I intend to clear/organize the top of the dresser and desk next. This will help me determine what storage surfaces are available and which ones should be cleared for peace of mind.
As such, here is the task list for trying to organize a hectic room (the first run):
1. Get a shoe rack and organize the shoes on the closet floor
2. Try on the clothes in the closet and figure out if they still fit
3. Take mental inventory on what is being stored in the closet (for future organizing purposes)
4. Put the stuff back into the closet in a semi-organized way (if the mess in the room is too overwhelming to deal with it right away, it's okay to clean in stages)
5. Pick up the dirty laundry
6. Sort laundry into colored and whites for later laundry expeditions
7. Pick up the trash under the laundry (if there is any)
8. Take mental inventory of what is currently being stored under the bed
9. Make sure important stuff is put in a spot that is easy to get to and review later (like stuff from a recent semester at college)
10. Clear the top surfaces and top shelves all around the room.
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