Ten Minutes to Organize

by Erin Sharplin Love | [email protected]

One of the hardest parts of getting organized is starting! Many of my clients have no idea how to organize their homes.  If they do happen to bite the bullet and jump into the organizing process, they are often derailed with uncertainty.   Is this you?   If so, don’t worry.  All you need is a little push and extra guidance.  After you finish these ten-minute projects, don’t be surprised if you want to keep going.  Getting organized is addictive!  

The projects below should require only ten minutes or less to complete. After you finish each of these tasks, check them off. The feeling of accomplishment will add to the motivation and momentum, so let’s get started. Choose one of the tasks below, grab a timer and go! You will be surprised at how much you can get done in such a short time.  

Remove all dry cleaner plastic and wire hangers from every closet in your home. If you still want to cover some items of clothing, I suggest cotton covers, as they will still allow the garment to breathe and will keep out bugs and mites. If you do not have any on hand, use part of your ten minutes to place an order for some via Amazon or any other supercenter.  Just remember to use a ten-minute challenge to place the covers on each piece of clothing.  

Declutter your bedside tables. This includes cleaning and organizing the drawers as well as the top of the table.   Make sure to add items that will enhance your bedtime routine, like hand lotion, water, a sleep mask, and a sound machine. Organizing is about creating a functional and beautiful space.  

Eliminate all old, unused, and unneeded newspapers, magazines, and junk mail from your kitchen and living areas. Look for and toss all the following items: expired sales brochures, outdated catalogs, newspapers older than a day or two, magazines older than a few months, invitations to parties that have passed, and credit card offers. I can bet that most of your paper clutter is found in the kitchen or dining room, as these are the places with mostly flat countertops that are perfect for leaving the mail upon entering the home.  

Reorganize the linen drawer in your kitchen. For some reason, this is one of the most disorganized drawers in most of my client’s homes. Not only do you frequent this drawer the most, but it is usually done in a hurry. For instance, when the lasagna is ready you want to remove it from the oven as fast as possible, or maybe you have a wet platter in your hands and you need to grab a drying cloth quickly. Here is a quick tip: try rolling your dish towels instead of folding them, and then stack one on top of the other. Not only are they easy to grab, but they are easier to see and look so much prettier.

Check your spices for expired or ruined items. I suggest completing this task once or twice a year. You never realize how quickly the area gets grimy until you begin pulling everything out. I can assure you that there will be salt or some other spice that has spilled and needs to be cleaned up. Remember that some spices stain, so you want to be sure to protect your paint job.  

Purge your Tupperware! This is an easy task that is actually quite fun. It’s like a game of match! Toss any Tupperware that is stained or that does not have a matching piece.  Place them inside of each other with lids on top of the whole stack, and they will look so much better in your drawer or cabinet.  

Reorganize the junk drawer!  Everyone has one and it is okay!  Just make sure there is a rhyme or reason to it.  It’s okay to have office supplies such as paper clips, rubber bands, pens, pencils, and paper, but pare down. You just need a few of these pieces in your junk drawer. Relegate the rest to your bill- paying area or office. I also suggest keeping a small hammer, screwdriver, and tape measure in the junk drawer for quick projects.  If you keep coupons in your junk drawer, I suggest using a small envelope to corral them. Make sure you put only current coupons into the envelope. 

Sort your medicine cabinet. Toss any expired medication into a bag and immediately place it in your car to be taken to your local pharmacy for proper recycling. Then put everything back in the cabinet in order of vitamins and supplements, stomach/indigestion, sinus, and pain relievers. Extra points if you can get them compartmentalized into their own labeled basket or bin.  

Clean out your refrigerator.  This should be a monthly thing, so put this on your calendar at the beginning of every month.  During your ten minutes, get rid of any expired or ruined items and put back anything that has moved from its original spot. I also enjoy compartmentalizing here with food safe bins!  It makes such a difference in the way the refrigerator looks. Almost like you are opening the doors to your own little grocery store.  

Sort out the mess under each sink one at a time unless you can tackle all of them in ten minutes.  I suggest starting under the kitchen sink. A tip I always use in my client’s homes is decanting. I love to put dishwasher pods and powder in see-through containers. This makes it so much easier to use and to see when you need to refill. You can also maximize the space you have by stacking these containers.  

Contain everyday toiletry items. For instance, make a bathroom caddy that holds all the items you use on a daily basis. Set it next to your sink for ease of use. There are so many ways to make this a beautiful display. Consider decanting some items into beautiful pump bottles or glass containers.  Think outside of the box!  You could also place everything on a beautiful silver or glass tray.

Clean out your purse! How often do you clean out your purse? I try to do it every Sunday as part of my Sunday routine, but I do it at least once a month.  Remove old receipts, reorganize your wallet, remove extra change, throw away candy and gum wrappers, etc.  You could even take the time to switch purses and utilize your purse collection. I know you have one!

Streamline the living room. Make a specific spot for remote controls so they will stop going MIA.  I love to use beautiful boxes or wooden bowls. They make great coffee table décor and you probably have one around the house somewhere. Put it to work.  Also, go through those cabinets next to the television. Most of the time I find games and puzzles in this area, so get rid of any games that are missing pieces or that you do not enjoy anymore. Place them back neatly and in an organized fashion. Fluff your pillows and your ten minutes should be up!  

Create a “charging station.” Corral all chargers, iPads, iPhones, etc. and put them in one general area for charging. Make sure the family is on board so they will know right where to go to dock their devices for the evening.  When you have more time, purchase an organizer that is specific for this, or you could do that ahead of this task.  Don’t forget to style the area with a plant or greenery of some sort.  

Create a master grocery shopping list. This will save you SO much time in the future. All you need to do is create a list of the most frequently bought items, print them out and place them on or near the pantry or fridge.  When you run out of something, check it off the list. When you need to grocery shop, grab your list! No thinking needed. I recommend laminating your shopping list so you can wipe and reuse as many times as you need.  

So, I have given you fifteen quick and easy organizing tasks that should only take you ten minutes or less to complete.  I can promise you that you will start to feel lighter, happier and more motivated as you complete each task.  Where are you going to start?  Please share!  [email protected] or @erinlovedesigns on Instagram.