How to Declutter Your Home Effectively - A 4-Step Guide

Your home should be as functional as possible so that you can do things that you want to do without having to worry about all the things that are in your way. Therefore, you will need to learn to declutter your home as often as you can.

If this is something that you’re not familiar with, it can actually be quite complicated and overwhelming. If this is a problem you’re having, then you’re in luck! Here are four tips on how to declutter your home quickly and effectively:

1. ORGANIZE YOUR TASKS

Like with many other types of job, you need to organize your daily tasks from the most urgent and important to the least of both. For example, if you spend the majority of your time in the study, that’s the room that you will need to focus on first.

You can then make your way down the list of importance and urgency until you’ve gone through the entire house. This will not only help you to stay organized and know what to do at all times, it can help reduce the confusion that typically happens when decluttering.

2. PLAN AHEAD

You will need a good strategy and approach for each room, so it’s crucial that you plan your work ahead of time. This will give you a better idea of what you need to do first, which will minimize distraction and time wasting. You can get a lot more done with a smaller amount of time, which will give you more time to rest and relax as well. With that said, plan your decluttering strategy the night before the day approaches. Planning a night before prepares you with whats to come and it prevents you from overthinking the day of.

3. CLEAR EVERYTHING FROM YOUR HOME

When you’re in the process of decluttering, it’s important to get rid of things that you no longer need or use. One of the main reasons why we hold onto items that bring no value into our lives is because of how difficult it is to let them go. Because the point of decluttering is to clear some space for your home so that you can organize it in a way that’s more functional and aesthetically pleasing, finding creative ways to get rid of items will create clearer paths in your home and most importantly keep it organized.

4. PUT YOUR ITEMS TO GOOD USE

Getting rid of your unused or non-valuable items to your loved or even charities will clear all of your unused items from your home. Selling them on the internet, hosting a yard sale, giving them away to family or friends or even donating them to locale charity make the process of eliminating less daunting. With that said here are some spots you can visit to get rid of your stuff.

The Red Cross, Goodwill, Dress for Success, shelters for Battered Women and Salvation Army are the best places for you to donate your goods, or sell them for cheap. If you’re looking to sell your old furniture on the internet, eBay, Amazon or even FaceBook are the best places to do so. Make sure that you list them as second-hand so that buyers know what to expect from your goods.

If you’re looking for help decluttering your home or office in Houston, TX, get in touch with Rescue My Space today! We’re always more than happy to help.

Our Guide on How to Organize Your Home - What to Know

Our daily routine can be crazy and it can reflect our environment, which affects us. From ever-demanding jobs, kids, homework, and everything in between, it seems like many do not have the time to organize on the go before all the laundry and junk pile up. Instead of spending your hard-earned weekend hours catching up with your inner cleaning crew, do yourself a favor by adopting these easy-to-follow, keep-tidy-tricks. Soon enough, these tried and tested tips can become second nature, where your home can finally shine.

Tip #1: Categorize your belongings and delegate space for it

It’s always hard to keep track of keys, wallets, glasses, or other things we need but are lost continuously. When you designate a space for each item by categorizing them, you will find everything easy to trace and unquestionably in its place.

Tip#2: You can balance being organized and messy

Being naturally messy doesn’t mean you can’t be subtly organized. You can make the messiness look intentional by grouping items into categories and placing them together in its delegated container. A cute example would be a stash of winter hats and gloves all strewn together in a woven bin by the door, giving off a certain rustic charm.

After photo of a client’s Winter Closet

Tip #3: Get creative with your storage containers

Let’s say you’ve got organizing down, but you find your stacked possessions unsightly to look at. The best way to turn it from an eyesore into something more eye-catching is by using appealing receptacles. Your pile of umbrellas, for instance, can level up its look when it's stored upright using a large vase or champagne bucket. Another example is using an over-the-door bag meant for shoes to store a myriad of things like your crafting tools, cleaning supplies, toys, and many more. You make the rules in your house after all, and that includes improvising with other commodities as a cheap space-saving solution.

Tip #4: There’s no such thing as too many hooks

Once you see the potential it offers when it's hanging up by the back of doors, on walls, or anywhere that needs extra storage space, you’ll find yourself instantly hooked.

Tip #5: Make the most of natural storage space

Sometimes it's tempting to shop till we drop and force all our clothes in a closet until it's ready to burst open. You can increase the breathing space by placing unused clothes in a suitcase under the bed or at the back of the closet. This not only gives you more area to hang clothes, but you’d have a focused capsule that you know you’d wear within the month. 

Tip #6: Make the most of vertical storage space

Instead of loading up your cabinets back to the front, you can make use of available space from the tops of items like a refrigerator or even kitchen cabinets. It may require you to use a step-ladder to reach it, so be sure to place items there that you only use occasionally.

Tip #7: Practice conscious buying

Introducing a new item into your home means knowing what you already have. Cycle through it one by one - do you think you have any unused clothes you want to replace with this newly bought shirt? If you find that you can spare to give away some items, do it while you can. The trick to keeping things organized is to do things piece by piece without waiting for the need to do a massive overhaul. It’s the little things that make up the bigger picture after all.

If you’re looking for a Professional Organizer in Houston, TX to help make more space in your home or business, get in touch with Rescue My Space today! We’re always more than happy to help.

STOP buying things others don't WANT!

It was about a year ago when I realized how evident it was each time I was invited into someone’s home. We would walk into one room, I’d ask a question and I would receive the same response. We would walk into another room and I would get the same response, no change. At the end of the consultation I would leave with confusion because I knew my services were needed but at the same time they weren’t.

I’ve noticed that a lot items in our homes were gifted to us and out of those, many of them were given without knowing or even wanting. What do I mean by that? There are items in our homes right now that aren’t being used because we never wanted them but we feel guilty letting them go because they were given to us. It’s like this weird product cycle. We have an item we don’t need or use, we want to get rid of it but because it was given to us we feel guilty so the item stay in our home therefore remains clutter.

To all you lovely individuals who blindly give your loved one things you personally like without asking them what they want before you give it, this is for YOU.

Today marks the last day you will give a gift, whether for a birthday, an anniversary, a baby shower or just because, without asking the recipient what they want. No more surprises. Trust me, I understand your intentions are good and because you love the recipient so much, you want to give them a gift to show your love. I GET IT! The thing is 8 out of 10 people you’re giving said gift to doesn’t want it, use it or life changed after receiving it.

Lets be totally honest. The reason we give gifts, for the most part, is for our own selfishness. We feel great when we give a gift to someone even if they don’t ever use it. We don’t care because the gift came from the heart and that’s what matters right?!? WRONG! Sometimes we give gifts for the sake of giving a gift. We forgot about the event so we rush to the nearest store just to bring something to the party. Our loved one is grieving so we believe giving them a gift will cheer them up….it doesn’t. Even if it does, it’s only temporary. We saw a cute dress at the store and feel it will look great on our niece so we buy it for them and I’m sure that dress has never been worn. And my personal favorite, an inheritance.

I think its important that we understand that the unwanted, surprise gifts we are giving are unnecessary because those gifts usually become clutter. Unless the gifts are loved or being used, they usually take the back seat and are forgotten but because they were given to the individual, the guilt to get rid of it prevents them from letting it go. According to Professional Organizer Regina Lark, the average U.S. household has 300,000 things, from paper clips to ironing boards. Of course they’re are some who fall under that statistics but nevertheless, that’s a lot of stuff! The reason why I felt to add this is because the more unnecessary gifts you give, the more things we continue to possess, thus more clutter. Because my goal is to help people combat the clutter to create an organized life, rather than going at the clutter head on, I want to address the givers first.

So next time, if you’re thinking of giving a gift to someone, before you run out to the store ask them, “What do you want”? It may seem taboo because we love giving surprise gifts but trust me giving a gift someone actually wants is much better than giving a gift they will never use. If you just can’t see yourself asking this question, then try giving them a gift of experience.

Oh, and don’t take “I don’t care what you give me” as an answer because that’s a clear indication that the gift you want to give them will never be used.

If you’re interested in hearing the audio for this blog article, check it out below.

How to Organize a Small Kitchen

Regardless on the size, our kitchen it’s the heart of the home. We eat in our kitchen, teach in our kitchen and sometimes even cry in our kitchen and because of it’s multiple uses, it’s important we keep it organized and clean. With that said, when you have a small kitchen it’s a lot more difficult to keep it organized due to lack of storage. With less storage, you are prone to throwing items into the closest drawer to try to fit it all in or on to the countertops. If you want to create more room in your small kitchen, you’ve got to declutter and get it organized. Here’s how to do so.

GET RID OF ALL USED ITEMS

If you’re looking to organize any space in your home purging is the first and most important step to start at. Take out everything from your kitchen and place them on a flat surface. It’s best to do this in sections, of course! Sort through all items and only keep the items you love and/or use. For all other items, get rid of them by either selling them, donating them or throw them away (only if they’re damaged, duh).

ADD BINS TO CABINETS

Because you lack storage adding bins to your kitchen cabinets help create division especially for those items that are either in multiples or not appealing to look at. Binning items like cleaning cloths, shot glasses or even wine glasses are a great way to organize your cabinets without cluttering your cabinet.

USE UTENSIL DRAWER ORGANIZERS

I can not stress the importance of using drawer organizers in kitchen drawers especially in a small kitchen. Drawer organizers help you use all the space in your drawers which is perfect when you have a limited amount of drawers and helps you create more space to store your kitchen items. They also help keep your drawers neat which is key to maintaining an organized space.

USE BACK OF KITCHEN CABINET TO HANG KITCHEN TOOLS

Hanging kitchen items like measuring cups and spoons on the back of kitchen cabinets is a great way to use unused space in a small kitchen. Using hooks allow you to take advantage of the vertical space in the cabinet which of course is important when organizing a small kitchen. If using the back of the cabinet doors isn’t an option for you, try using the back of the cabinet to hang your items.

ADD PULL OUT DRAWER FOR EASILY ACCESSIBILITY

When things are easily accessible it’s not only easy to grab them, it’s easy to put them away. Choose a cabinet section you want to install the pull out drawer. I would suggest choosing the cabinet space you place your pots and pans in or in your largest cabinet. Installation takes less than hour and once you’re done, you will have a functional storage system.

KEEP COUNTERTOP CLEAR

As simple as this may seem, keeping our countertops clean is not an easy thing to do for a lot of us. When your countertops are clean, it gives the illusion that your space of any size is organized especially in a small kitchen. One way to clear off your countertops is to first make sure everything on your countertops have a home. One of the main reasons why we keep items on our countertops is because there’s no other place to put them. To combat this issue, you need to dedicate at least an hour to the cause, go through your kitchen and see where you can create new homes for these items and get rid of all unused items. Once that’s done, place the items on the countertops in their new home and label the area for easier accessibility.

GET RID OF JUNK DRAWER FOR MORE SPACE

This was probably a tip I juggled with because I believe a junk drawer is important to have in the kitchen. The reason why I’ve mentioned it is because if you have a small kitchen and storage is your issue, removing the junk drawer will free up the drawer, therefore, give you a new area to designated other important kitchen items to. To avoid overwhelm when doing this, try creating a junk bin which replaces the junk drawer. You can also create a list of the items that are in this bin so if you’re looking for a certain item, you can read the list to make sure the item you are looking for is in the bin before going through it. Place your now junk bin in another location maybe in the kitchen or in a nearby area and now you have a new drawer to use.

Whether you have a large kitchen or a small kitchen, creating an organized kitchen provides great benefits for you, your family and the overall value of your home. It not only makes a small kitchen appear larger, it makes it safer for anyone to use. Just be sure you put items back in their place after each use so that it stays organized for good.

If you need help organizing your small kitchen, feel free to comment below and let me know what your concerns are! I’m always happy to help.

Spaces That You Should Organize Daily - Our Guide

When it comes to daily organizing, it can feel like a major chore. But there are quite a few spaces that you should organize every day so that you don’t build up excess items that you don’t need. Taking a few minutes of your time each day to clean out these things will help you stay in control of your space and belongings. If you aren’t already, here are some of the things you should be decluttering every single day:

YOUR BAG

Cleaning your bag daily will keep it organized and clutter-free. When we bring our bag places, sometimes we tend to throw things like receipts or candy wrappers into it. Many of us will treat our handbags as a trashcan, so get rid of those little things so you aren’t lugging junk around all day.

YOUR WALLET

This is another place where you shouldn’t keep any unnecessary things. Remove things like receipts and other scraps of paper, such as money. You can also make sure that your cards are all in their proper slots and that nothing is missing. Remove any excess coins that might be sitting around in your coin purse, weighing your bag down.

DIRTY LAUNDRY

Sometimes we just rush in and out of the house on a daily basis. Whether you were heading to the gym or you just took a quick shower before work, we all have a little pile of clothes sitting in the corners of our rooms. Return all items to their proper places. You should fold or hang up any clothes that you have not worn yet and make sure to put any dirty laundry that you’ve already worn away into a laundry basket or hamper.

YOUR DESK

Whether you have a work area at home or you work in an office building or studio, you will want to keep it clean. An organized workspace will allow you to focus more on your job or task at hand. It will also allow you to find things more easily, as you won’t have to root around in your drawers looking for things when they’re organized better.

YOUR CAR

If you use your car every day, it’s probably best you avoid leaving empty coffee cups or other pieces of garbage lying around in it. Take some time at the end of the day, even for just a few minutes, to clean out all the random trash you might’ve left in your car.

YOUR COUNTERS

You want to make sure that your kitchen counters are clean and that they’re a welcoming workspace for cooking. When you’re making food in the kitchen, you don’t want random clutter sitting around. Besides, having extra space for chopping or rolling can really make cooking faster and more efficient.

YOUR E-MAIL

If you’re one of those people that have thousands of unread emails, you will definitely want to clean up your inbox, even though it’s all digital! Whether you read the emails, answer them, or delete the ones you don’t need to see, it is important that you do declutter your email so that you can see the important ones that you actually need to read.

YOUR BED

It might not seem so important to make your bed every morning because you’re going to sleep in it again tonight anyway, right? But cleaning up your bedroom and making your bed will make your space feel more inviting and if you have surprise guests coming over, your room will look a lot more organized.

If you’re looking for a Professional Organizing company in Houston, TX to help make more space in your property, get in touch with Rescue My Space today! We’re always more than happy to help.

3 Simple Ways to fold A Towel

Towels are an important item in our lives. They are soft, durable and most importantly get us dry. Below are just a few simple ways to fold a towel which can save space and display beautifully.

OPTION #1 – THE REUBEN

Step1: Spread your bath towel on a flat surface and fold the long side of the towel in half.

Step2: Take the left side of the folded towel and fold it towards the middle and do the same with the right side

Step3: Position the towel in front of you and take the edge of the towel and fold it over to the other side twice creating a tightly folded towel.  

OPTION #2 – THE REWIND

Step 1: Spread your bath towel on a flat surface

Step 2: Fold the long side of the towel up in half.

Step 3: Take the left side of the folded towel and fold it towards the middle and do the same with the right side

Step 4: Position the towel in front of you and instead of folding over twice, fold it over once with the edge of the towel on top exposing the towel design.  

OPTION #3 – THE ROLL UP

Step 1: Spread your bath towel on a flat surface

Step 2: Fold the long side of the towel up in half.

Step 3: Grab one of the corners and bring it across creating a triangle until it is parallel to the far edge.

Step 4: Flip the towel over and then fold the corners in thirds.

Step 5: Flip the towel over again making sure the corners are facing down except the top towel corner.

Step 6: Tightly roll your towel up and tuck exposed towel corner inside the towel.

 If you’re interested in watching the 3 Simple ways to fold a Towel video, check out the below.

3 Simple ways to Death Clean

If you were to die tomorrow, how hard would it be for your loved ones to sort through your stuff?

When I first came across death cleaning all I could think of is cleaning until you die. Like cleaning so hard you just fall over and die. Crazy right?? Before we get into different ways to death clean, it’s important you understand what death cleaning is. Well I’m going to tell you!

Death cleaning is a practical way to deal with your stuff as you approach your wiser years which is based on the book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson. I know that’s a hell of a long title. Death cleaning prevents the hardship of your family having to handle the things you leave behind after you die. The overall message from the book is to begin decluttering so your death isn’t such a burden for those you leave behind. Even though it sounds morbid, it’s important we look at death cleaning as a way of life rather than a preparation for death.

Okay, now that you know what death Cleaning is let get right into it.

No.1 - START NOW

Get rid of the unnecessary items in your life right now because honestly, you’re never to young to start. Before you begin death cleaning, you first need to decide on which space in your home you want to tackle first. Per Margareta you should start in areas like the closet, kitchen or storage unit first. With that said, go through your home and remove all items that have no meaning in your life today or in my words SHIT. You can go through your personal notes and photographs last since those ignite a lot of emotion.

No.2 - START A DEATH FUND

Similar to a will or even life insurance, a death fund will give your beneficiary access to your funds and give them the right to hire whom ever you want to get rid of all your stuff when you pass. If you will be alive when death cleaning, putting this fund away will help make the process of death cleaning less overwhelming and quicker since of course you’ll have help. In order to determine what the cost will be to hire a death cleaning specialist, which there are a lot of nowadays, do some research in your area to see what the average cost would be and set it aside for either when you’re ready or for after you pass on.

No.3 - CREATE A THROW AWAY BOX FILLED WITH ITEMS ONLY YOU LOVE

Create a box filled with items you love and only you will enjoy. Be selfish since its only you who will own it. In order to make the process of tossing this box easy when you pass, make sure you label it “throw away”, “burn it” or even “get rid of this shit” and make sure the font is large enough so anyone reading can follow its clear instructions. The goal is when you pass your family member will understand they can throw away the box without guilt. Because guilt is the main reason why we hold onto items therefore we feel guilty to get rid of them even if they have no meaning in our own lives.

Rather than looking at death cleaning as a chore or a selfish act, try looking at it as a relief from meaningless items. Because at the end of the day when you pass, you won’t be taking any of your items with you.

If you’re looking for a Professional Organizer to help you death clean or just have questions about how to properly death clean, get in touch with RMS today! I’m happy to help!

How to get rid of Sentimental Items

This is a subject that probably carries the most weight out of any other matter I’ve ever encountered in my line of work. Sentimental items are the reasons to some of our existence. They hold a lot of weight, encompass our history and most importantly conjure memories that bring smiles to our faces. Lets be honest, the sentimental items we possess hold a special part in our hearts therefore they can NEVER be replaced let alone rid of.

Trust me, I get it. I currently have a box of sentimental items at my parents house right now and the thought of getting rid of them bring anger to my heart. Okay, maybe not anger to where I’d punch a hole in the wall if they were gone. More so, the kind of anger that feels like part of your heart has been ripped out of your body. Like when someone tells you, “ I have to tell you something” and you know what comes after that is information that will piss you off.

I can go on and on about the fear that takes over my body when I have to get rid of sentimental items but that’s not what this is about. Or is it? Okay, it’s not.

Buttons now has a home and is happier than ever!

I’ve had to deal with getting rid of sentimental items my whole life. As my life would change, those items no longer had a place in my environment. Because of that, I had to find different ways to cope with the loss which has gotten me here today. Below I have 2 things you can do right now, that will help you get rid of those sentimental items that once had a purpose in your life. Remember these are things I’ve done in my life that have impacted me so it may be different in yours.

1. SAY CHEESE

Just from reading the title you probably already know what I’m talking about. Because the items in our lives typically have a life cycle, the best way to remember your sentimental items is to take a picture of it. What this does is captures the item in it’s current fresh and beautiful state and allows you to visualize the joy the item once brought you. Whether the item was given to you from your grandma, your first expensive purchase or even artwork from your child, it will eventually be forgotten especially if it’s out of sight. Rather than just storing it away behind old “nothings (things you’ll never use again)” therefore collecting dust, say cheese and take a picture of it. You can even take it a step further and create a book or an album full of your sentimental items. Once created, you can place it on your coffee table and make it a conversation starter. Just a thought.

2. KEEP A FEW

1. As you read above, I do have a box full of sentimental items dating back to elementary. I’ve held onto letters, dead rose pedals and an ugly key chain I will neva eva eva eva eva eva use. Each and every item in that box reminds me of a person, place I’ve been to or time in my life I apparently still want to experience. Though these things mean nothing to me at this time in my life therefore I know no longer need them in my life, there’s a reason I’m sill holding on to them. What will I do with an old sock I wore in middle school? Nothing….. With that said, holding on to a few (10 items at the maximum) I think is okay. We are all different and have experienced different things in our lives so I can’t tell you what to keep and get rid of but I do believe holding on to a few will combat unnecessary clutter and still allow you to hold on those things that mean something to you. Of course you do need to understand you will be sacrificing some.

The goal of this post is to share my personal experience with sentimental items in my life and give you some ideas on how you can get rid of or minimize them. As you are, I am always going through my own organizing journey so I hope this brings some ideas on how you can remove the excess clutter out of your life so you can live free.