Tag: Bella Organizing

Declutter the Medicine Cabinet

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date December 12, 2016

Declutter First, Organize Next.

Discarding what you do not need is key to creating valuable space that will make cleaning and organizing easier. Let go of the old, expired, outworn, used up, what upsets you, what’s no longer your style, and that which takes up space you need for something more meaningful. It’s time to say goodbye and move on…

Declutter the Medicine Cabinet
medicine_cabinet

Step One

Prepare a nearby tabletop surface on which to place things when removing them from the cabinet. Avoid bending down and putting items on the floor whenever possible (saves the back).
Gather one or more paper grocery bags for discards. Label one “Hazardous Waste” and another “Donate” (for items still in good condition that you plan to give away.)
Prep a bottle of all-purpose cleaner or mild soap, and a clean sponge or rag.
Grab a pen and pad of paper for notes, or use the notepad on your cell phone in case you come up with a thing or two for your “To Do” list.
Open the medicine cabinet and take a few “Before” photos.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Old and expired medicine AND vitamins is hazardous waste, and can turn into something potentially dangerous. You can’t just flush them down the toilet or toss them in the trash. Take the following steps and avoid putting anyone or anything – people, kids, pets, fish in the ocean – in danger.

earth_911_logo

Drop them off…

One of the safest ways to dispose of old medicine and vitamins is to take advantage of drug drop-off days your city or local community organizations host throughout the year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends drop-off events as the first choice of disposal for over and under the counter drugs, including vitamins. Do an internet search for ones near you or go to Earth911.com for independent drop-off locations. When dropping off anything with your personal information on it, be sure to black out your name and address with a marker. DO NOT black out the drug name, since hazardous waste facilitators need to know what it is. And DO NOT mix a lot of different drugs into one small unmarked bag, for the same reason.

Take them back…

Take unwanted and expired drugs or vitamins back to the store where you bought them if your city or town doesn’t hold drop-off events or if there is not a household hazardous waste collection center near you. If the store has an on-site pharmacy, the employees may be able to properly dispose of them. Speak to your local pharmacist about it.

Do not ever, ever, EVER…

Do not flush old or expired medicine or vitamins down the toilet, cautions the EPA and FDA. While this is a high concern with prescription medications, vitamins can also leach into the water supply and cause safety risks. Don’t dispose of them down drain pipes nor empty them into a garbage or compost bin. Children and animals can get into and eat them.

Lots of other things are stored in medicine cabinets, and many do not have expiration dates. These can include hairspray, hair gel, toothpaste, lotion, face toner, contact lens solution, sunscreen, deodorant…all of which should be considered for disposal, too. How old are they? Do you ever use it? Do you even like it? If it does not have an expiration date and you’ve owned it for more than two years, consider it old. If it’s not face or body soap, nor earth-friendly cleaning fluids meant to go down the drain, it should not go down the drain. Play it safe and place anything else old and unwanted into the hazardous waste bag. Personally, I consider anything made with scientifically named chemicals hazardous waste, and always include it in my next visit to the household hazardous waste center. If anyone’s going to dispose of these things the safest way possible, it’s them.

Now that you know how to handle the discards…

Pick up each item in the medicine cabinet and find the expiration date. If it’s expired, it goes into the “hazardous waste” bag. Don’t take chances with old vitamins, medicine, or anything you put in or on the body.
Place anything you are keeping on a nearby surface for later.

Step Two

Clean

Inside and out, wipe the empty medicine cabinet with a wet and warm, soapy cloth. Regular cleaning will keep it in good shape. Allow surface to dry completely before putting things away.

Step Three

Put Things Back and Organize

Return what you keep back to the cabinet, place like items near each other, labels facing forward: medicine, vitamins, hair products, face products, etc.
Take an “After” photo of your freshly organized medicine cabinet.

Was this a quick and easy project for you? Are you motivated to declutter more from the bathroom? If so, tackle all the shampoos, conditioners, soap, make-up, and toiletries under the sink, in the shower, or stashed in other areas of the home.

Isabella Guajardo, founder and owner of Bella Organizing, is a San Francisco Bay Area professional organizer offering home organizing, interior redesign, and residential move management services throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Call (510) 229-7321 or email info@bellaorganizing.com for more information. Gift certificates are available.

Tags Bella Organizing, clean bathroom, cleaning tips, declutter, get organized, get rid of medicine, home organizing, how to declutter, marie kondo, martha stewart, organize home, organizing tips, professional organizer

Professional-Organizer

Declutter the Linen Closet

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date December 11, 2016

declutter

1. to remove mess or clutter from (a place).

2. to organize and prioritize (one’s commitments, material possessions, etc.)

3. to let go

Declutter First, Organize Next.

Pulling out what you no longer want is key to creating space and will make the organizing process smoother. Whether it’s clothing from a hanger, shoes from a rack, books from a shelf, paper from a filing cabinet, or toys from a bin, it’s time to make decisions on the things you are ready to let go. Focus first on decluttering. When the unwanted is out of the way, begin cleaning and organizing.

Step One – Declutter the Linen Closet

Prepare a large, clean, and comfortable surface on which to work and fold. Avoid bending down and putting things on the floor and on surfaces where linens can pick up dust or animal hair. A clean bed, sofa, or dining table will do.
Have on hand plenty of trash bags for donations.
Prep a bottle of all-purpose cleaner or mild soap, and a clean sponge or rag.
Open the linen closet and take a few “before” photos.
Remove ALL linens from the closet. Sort like with like as you take them out: Bath towels, hand towels, sheets, duvets, comforters, pillows, dish towels, beach towels, etc.
Once sorted, you will know how much of each there are and which sets are matching or missing pieces. This is an important step toward LETTING GO. It’s easier to say goodbye to the old, worn, mismatched, and unwanted if you know there will be enough left to survive.

Allow yourself to let go and help others in need. Shelters always need old towels and small blankets for their ongoing intake and care for animals. You can also drop linens off at a homeless shelter or charity organization of your choice. Shelters accept new and used towel donations year around.

Step Two – Clean

Wipe the empty linen closet surfaces and walls with a wet and warm, soapy cloth. Regular cleaning will keep closets and cabinets in good condition. Allow surface to dry completely before putting things away.

Step Three – Fold & Organize

There are many great ways to fold towels and linens. Visit these Youtube “how to” videos to see my favorites. 1) Unique towel folding, 2) How to fold a fitted sheet, 3) Types of sheets and how to fold sets together
When folding towels, sheets, and blankets, consider the width, height, and depth of the area they are going back into. Fold in a way that allows the linens a bit of space between each other once stacked on a closet shelf (see above photo.) Room to breathe!
Put like items together (towels, sheet sets, blankets, etc.)
Take an “After” photo of your organized linen closet.

Bella_Organizing_Best_Professional_Organizers_San_Francisco_Oakland_Berkeley_silicon_valley_monterey

Isabella Guajardo, founder and owner of Bella Organizing, is a San Francisco Bay Area professional organizer offering home organizing and residential move management services throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Call (510) 229-7321 or email info@bellaorganizing.com for more information. Gift certificates are available.

Tags Bella Organizing, declutter home, donate to animal shelter, donate to spca, home organization, how to fold a fitted sheet, how to fold sheets, how to fold towels, how to organize closet, marie kondo, organize linen closet, professional organizer, where to donate

Professional-Organizer

Declutter Pantry & Food Cabinets

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date December 10, 2016

Decanting Pantry Food

declutter

1. to remove mess or clutter from (a place).

2. to organize and prioritize (one’s commitments, material possessions, etc.)

3. to let it go

Declutter First, Organize Next.

*** Read both steps before getting started, and choose how you will like to proceed. If you have a lot of food to go through and are limited on time, break the process up into the DECLUTTER step now and the CLEANING & ORGANIZING step later. ***

Step One

Declutter the Pantry and Food Cabinets

Take a “Before” photo of the pantry or food cabinets.
Have on hand plenty of plastic trash or paper bags for 1) trash, 2) recycling, 3) compost 4) give away/donate items
Prep a bottle of all-purpose cleaner or mild soap, and a clean sponge or rag.
Grab a pen and pad of paper for notes.
One area at a time, pull out the old and expired food from the kitchen cabinets, pantry, refrigerator/freezer, even the emergency kit (make a list of what needs immediate replacement in the kit.) You may have heard that labels offer “suggested” expirations, but are you willing to take that chance?
Compost expired food and recycle the packaging. If you have non-expired, non-perishable dry food you want to give away, set it aside in the “donate” bag.
Make note of what you are buying too much of and prevent future waste.

Step Two

Clean and Organize the Shelves & Cabinets (can be done the same day or another)

If you didn’t already take everything out during the declutter process, do it one cabinet or shelf at a time. Place on a nearby table or countertop surface. Start sorting and place like with like. Your brain is making an important mental note of what you own.
Sort like items – soups, grains, beans, breads, snack foods, baking items, spices, breakfast items, drink (tea, coffee, cocoa, etc.) Keep like with like to find things faster and avoid buying duplicates.
Wipe empty food cabinets and pantry surfaces with a wet and warm, soapy cloth or all-purpose cleaner. Crumbs and goop accumulate over time, like on that bottle of honey. Keep ants and critters from sniffing out the goods and protect your cabinets with regular cleaning. Allow to completely dry before putting things away.
Put away like items together, labels facing forward when possible. Think “grocery store display.”
Take an “After” photo of your organized pantry & food cabinets.

Feel like getting a little more organized around the kitchen? Read up on how to make a Drink Zone.

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Tags Bella Organizing, declutter, declutter kitchen, declutter pantry, home organizer, home organizing tips, housecleaning tips, how to declutter, how to organize, kitchen cleaning, marie kondo, martha stewart, professional organizing

Garages Professional-Organizer

Tips to Get the Garage Organized

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date September 25, 2016

One of the toughest areas to get and keep organized is the garage. It is a catch-all and living “to-do” list. A multipurpose nature coupled with being out-of-sight, out-of-mind makes a garage prone to clutter. No space could be more useful when utilized well.

Perhaps you’re ready to hit the slopes and want to get on the road without having to dig through piles to find the cold-weather gear. Or you have a special project in mind but never get to it because you lack the space to work. Read our tips on the blog for ways to get and keep the garage organized, and you’ll be on the way to having a functional storage and work space roomy enough to throw a dance party in.

If after reading, you still feel like there’s too much to do, give Bella Organizing a call. We’ll get the garage de-cluttered and set up in no time.

Garage Organizing Tips

Don’t let cardboard boxes and packaging stockpile in the garage. Many people say they want to keep packaging in case a recent purchase needs to be returned, repaired, or for when they move. If you value your space, recycle product packaging immediately after its return or repair insurance date expires. If you one day need a box for it, you can get an equivalent at a local hardware or office supply store, or free from a supermarket or Craigslist. Your personal space is valuable, don’t clutter it with packaging you only anticipate needing.

Sweep the garage once a week. Each go-over will pick up a little more left over from last time. This is a great way for kids to earn allowance. Have a garage-sweeping checklist clipped on the wall to follow when taking out the trash and mark when done.

Keep things off the floor. Critters love dark, cozy places. Prevent piles on the floor and other exposed surfaces to keep pests from returning to make your favorite things their love and poop nests.

Use heavy-duty bins with secure lids to store your most valuable items. Rodents LOVE eating through cardboard to poop on your precious photos of grandma, and the next rain can’t wait to deliver moisture to your memorabilia and start a mold and mildew party. Secure your stuff in solid bins that cannot be penetrated in a garage, attic, basement, or other space that is exposed to the elements.

Create and honor zones. Automotive supplies, recreational gear, holiday decorations, tools and hardware, cleaning supplies, emergency preparedness kit, memorabilia. If you have trouble getting organized, creating and honoring zones will make a HUGE difference in your ability to find what you need and prevent you from buying duplicates.

Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your garage, attic, basement, or other storage space. Gift certificates are available.

Tags Bella Organizing, Garage, home organizing tips, how to declutter, how to get rid of stuff