Organizing your home can be a daunting task. There are so many ideas on how to properly separate and keep your storage items, we wrote this blog to clear the noise. At Ace Hardware, we are experts in all aspects of maintaining and updating your home, and organization is a huge part of that. We hope this article helps gives you some clarity and peace of mind as you take on your home’s essential areas of organization.
Basement Organization
Your basement can be a fully-functional and essential part of your home as opposed to a dark, dank place where holiday décor and old furniture hang out. With some organization, your basement can be your dream basement. This reality is not too far away!
The space you can use in the basement depends on whether it’s finished or unfinished. If the basement is finished, this space can easily be used for a family room or kids’ playroom, maybe even an office. If unfinished, basements can serve several purposes, from weight rooms to craft rooms or man caves. Before utilizing your basement to its fullest potential, it’s important to make sure there are no ongoing issues with water or mold. If you find trouble, contact a professional to access the situation.
The best investment for your basement organization is in storage bins. Your basement has likely been a catch-all and chances are you don’t even remember what’s down there. The best way to start an overhaul of an unorganized basement is to move everything to one side of the basement and begin grouping together your possessions.
Here are some suggested categories for organizing your storage for bins:
• Handyman essentials like toolboxes, extra light bulbs, and loose hardware
• Home décor materials like painting supplies or extra flooring pieces for emergencies
• Off-season clothing
• Pet supplies like towels, grooming materials litter, etc.
• Holiday Decorations
• Seasonal sports equipment
• Personal files
At Ace Hardware Colorado Springs, we recommend investing in vertical shelving to maximize the use of your space. Stacking your storage bins is a best practice. It’s a storage no-no to keep valuable items like photos or old tax returns in cardboard boxes. If there is any moisture present in the basement, it will cause serious damage to what’s inside the boxes. It could even lead to mold or mildew, which can become costly to fix in the long run.
Visit your local Ace Hardware for a wide variety of storage bin types. There are many options available to store your unique mix of items.
Basements have a reputation for being dark and dank places.
Once it’s nicely organized, it can easily be turned into a more inviting room with a little paint and lighting. If you are leaving your basement unfinished, a coat of sealer or paint can help to cut down on dust and make the room much more welcoming. For tips on basement painting, stop into your local Ace Hardware here in Colorado Springs and talk to the experts.
Kitchen Organization
Because there are so many essential pieces in the kitchen, it can be one of the most difficult parts of the home to organize. If there is a lot of stuff in the cabinets with no rhyme or reason, we recommend taking everything out of them and starting from scratch. This is great for an assessment of what is there and how much is being dealt with.
The next step is to purge the unneeded items. Be ruthless when you do this! Anything that is broken or unloved should go. Donate or sell the non-essential items that haven’t been used in the last 6 months or a year. Purge seasonal items that were not used in that season too. If the item is something used only once or twice a year, consider borrowing that item from a friend or family member for the occasion.
When re-stocking the cabinets, it’s a good practice to store rarely used items higher on the shelves or towards the back. This will allow your frequently used items to be easily accessible. For smaller, rarely used products, it’s helpful to invest in some small, lidded storage containers from Ace Hardware. TIP: If you have kids, it’s a good idea to have a “kids cabinet” that is easily accessible for them to retrieve their own kitchen items. These cabinets usually have things like kids’ plastic dishes, bowls, cups, lunch bags, and containers.
A well-organized kitchen will result in better utilization of space, a reduction in food spoilage and duplicate, unneeded items, and will free up space. Take the first step by visiting your local Ace Hardware. From storage and essential organizational options to experts who can give you priceless advice, Ace is the place.
Health Benefits of an Organized Home
Energy Boost – According to WebMD, getting organized can create an extra boost of energy. When you are feeling down or have had a bad day, taking a few minutes to do some minor organizing can be a successful pick me up. It can give you the energy to take with you throughout the day.
Better Eating Habits – Being organized can have a positive effect on what you eat. Studies have been done that suggest those who work in a neat space are two times more likely to pick an apple versus a piece of chocolate.
Improve Sleep Habits – Clutter in your bedroom can be stressful for you, even if you don’t realize it, according to an article in the Huffington Post. This can cause you to lose sleep. Did you know that people who make their beds report a better night’s sleep than those who don’t?
These are just a few of the health benefits of keeping an organized lifestyle. It is worth it to invest the time in purging clutter from your life. Not sure where to start? Come see the experts at Ace Hardware. We will set you down the right path to a clean and clutter-free life.
