How to Donate & Free Up Space in Your Home - Our Guide

Now that we are getting closer to the fall and winter months, its time to start thinking of getting rid of our unused/valuable items. I like to call this stuff S.H.I.T which is the stuff in our lives that have no meaning today. Rather than throwing away these things thus sending them to the landfill, you can donate them to organizations that actually need them. That way, you can do the environment, your space, and other people a great service. Here are the three groups of clutter that you can let others have:

1) DRY GOODS GROUP: CLOTHES AND BOOKS

Check your closet for any clothes you think you no longer need. For those you don’t want try donating them to the Houston group of Freecycle.org, a non-profit organization full of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and keeping good stuff out of landfills.

But used garments aren’t the only ones you can donate to Freecycle.org. They also accept books you no longer need as well as other things from the home. They are all about making sure that everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages

2) E-WASTE GROUP: BATTERIES, PHONE, COMPUTERS AND TV

Used batteries, broken phones, old TV sets, and computers not only take up space in your rooms. These electronic wastes (e-waste) also take up 2% of America’s landfill space. Thus, it would be better to give them away to organizations that can still use them.

The organization Battery Solution accepts batteries from anywhere within the US. You can mail them boxes of old batteries even if you live in Houston. There are also Ikea stores in Houston where you can bring your batteries for recycling. The Houston City Government itself also accepts used batteries, and you can even take your battery waste to any Environmental Service Center near you. 

If you also have broken phones to give away, you can download Verizon’s HopeLine app to find the nearest Verizon store in your area and drop off your broken phones at those stores. Verizon will repair these phones and donate them to organizations who help out victims of domestic violence and abuse. But before you donate your broken phone, remember to clear it of any personal data such as numbers, pictures, notes, and messages. 

You may not know it, but most states honor the take-back law which let residents return broken or old TV sets and computers to their manufacturers after they’ve been used. They were designed to keep bulky or toxic products and packaging out of the waste stream. In fact, you can send these items to the manufacturers via courier at no cost! Just search for the manufacturer’s address and mail it to them. As with recycling cellphones, you have to ensure that you have wiped your computer clean of personal information.

3)  BULKY ITEMS GROUP: USED FURNITURE, EQUIPMENT AND CARS

Houston’s six Neighborhood Depository/Recycling Centers only accept bulky wastes every February, April, June, August, October, and December. But you don’t have to relegate sports equipment, kitchen cabinets, furniture, and torn upholstery chairs to the landfill. You can repurpose these items to hold other knick-knacks that take up space in your home. 

If you can’t wait for the bulky waste disposal month or you have no idea on how to repurpose your bulky items, you can donate them to the Houston Furniture Bank or the Charity Guild of Catholic Women. You can also refurbish these materials and sell them at a yard sale.

Free up garage space by letting go of your old car. The American Red Cross, Houston Habitat for Humanity, and the Car Donation Foundation are all willing to receive used cars. But before you give them your vehicle, clean its interior first and remove any coins, jewelry, papers, receipts, and other items that you left there.

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If you’re looking for a decluttering service to help organize your home or office, Rescue My Space is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

Seven Reasons Why You Need to Declutter Now

The process of decluttering is all the rage nowadays. Chances are you’ve heard or read about the importance of decluttering in blogs and magazines or watched something about it on TV. People rave that decluttering is practical and beneficial for many reasons, whether it’s for your home, office space or in the workplace. If you haven’t tried decluttering yourself, you might miss out on some of its benefits but if you’re thinking about it, here are seven reasons why you need to declutter right now:

PRIORITY: It helps you decide what’s important

The good thing about decluttering is that it helps you set priorities. How you ask? By enabling you to decide what’s important and what’s not. Chances are you are still holding on to things that no longer have value in your today and or even have no sentimental importance. When you declutter, you tend to be selective, and you learn to prioritize which typically translates into other areas of your life.

CLEANLINESS: It helps you clean your space

One good reason why you need to declutter is to ensure that your space is clean. It’s highly possible that the mess of occupying your space is compromising its cleanliness. Honestly it’s a lot easier to clean a space that has been decluttered then it clean it if its cluttered. I mean they do say cleanliness is next to godliness. Do you think so?

SPACE: It helps you create more space

If not having enough space is a concern of yours decluttering will definitely help with that. Because we all need ample space to dance around, think, work, or do whatever you want, clutter can hinder you from making the most of your place. Furthermore, you can trip and fall if your floor is too cluttered and no one wants to happen.

TASTE: It can augment your personal taste

When you’re removing clutter from your space, you’re more likely to learn a lot about what you want in terms of clothing, decor, and other items around your home. For instance, let’s say you’re cleaning out your closet. Aside from figuring out which clothes you want to donate, you’ll also learn more about yourself. You will come across clothes that you no longer wear or would be caught wearing. You will also start to discover your current personal style and taste based off your current lifestyle.

SAVINGS: It can help you save money

The less you buy, the less you spend and through decluttering you’ll acquire the habit of saving up. You’ll only want to spend money on things you deem important and not on unnecessary things.

INCOME: It can become a source of income

When it comes to money, here’s another thing you should know: decluttering can help you make money. Chances are there may be a few items that you no longer need or don’t suit your taste, yet they can still be used. Sell them instead. For instance, you can have a garage sale to get rid of clothes that you no longer use. Nowadays there are so many other avenues that help you declutter while making money so if you’re interested in seeing what those are let me know in the comments section below.

FREEDOM: It can give you a sense of liberty

Decluttering can make you feel freer point blank. Physically speaking, it will allow you to quickly and easily move from one space to another. It also helps with concentration as it prevents distractions. Mentality speaking, according to a University of California study they found that levels of the stress hormone cortisol were higher in mothers who lived in homes they described as "cluttered" or full of "unfinished projects." Decluttering contributes to your wellbeing. Just try it and let me know what you think.

Whatever is your reason to declutter your space, the benefits overall are worth trying. If you have any other suggestions on the importance of decluttering, please share in the below comments.

Getting Started in the KonMari Method of Organizing - The Basic Principles

Nowadays, when thinking about decluttering a home, the KonMari method will usually come into the conversation. True enough, Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing has become more than just a book and Netflix show. It has also become a worldwide cultural phenomenon that has inspired people to downsize and dispose of stuff that is not only cluttering their home but their lives. 

The KonMari method centers on Kondo’s smart technique in radically decluttering homes and offices. It is a rather strict and rigid method that may not suit everyone. However, if you want to declutter drastically, then it would be great to start by learning more about the KonMari way to see if it’s for you. In this article, you’ll get a basic summary of what the method entails.

The KonMari method Focuses on Discarding Items

Despite using the term tidying in the book’s title, the method focuses more on getting rid of items that no longer “spark joy” rather than merely cleaning and organizing. The principle behind the method is to get rid of stuff first, then clean after. Tidying is easier and faster when there are fewer items to organize.

It’s About  Changing Your Mindset

The foundation of this method is to change your mindset about owning things for good. The method seeks to help people develop the right mindset about keeping and letting go of their possessions. With the right mindset, it is easier to stay tidy for life and only buy and keep the things you need, instead of decluttering only when you think of doing so. 

Tidying All at Once is Important

The KonMari method teaches to tidy up everything at once. When you declutter your entire space at once instead of leaving some areas to declutter for later, you won’t run the risk of reverting to your old hoarding and cluttering ways. Decluttering should be considered a special event that once you decide to do it, it needs to tremendously bring change not just in your home but in your life as well. 

It’s NOT About Storage

Marie Kondo is not a very big fan of storage, so don’t expect to be advised to get more storage products like racks and shelves. According to Kondo, putting things away in storage creates the illusion that the problem, which is the clutter, has already been solved when it was merely hidden from sight. 

Tidying by Category, Not Location

You’ve probably organized your wardrobe before by first going through the closet, then the drawers, before eventually finishing up with the dresser. The thing about organizing by location is that you can’t see everything at once. For instance, how many shirts do you have? How many of those do you wear? When you organize by category, it will be easier to decide which ones to keep and which ones to dispose of. 

Keep Only What Sparks Joy

When deciding which things to keep, you have to ask yourself whether it “sparks joy” or not. If something no longer sparks joy, discard it.

If you’re looking for a decluttering service to help take care of your home or business, Rescue My Space is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

3 Simple ways to Organize your Bed Linens

Honestly it wasn’t until a year ago when I decided to purchase my very own “expensive” bed linens. I grew up in a household that didn’t really put a lot of value in purchasing such things that didn’t include bills, food and clothes. Everything else was just a want. Lets just say we had to stretch the money we had and bed linens were loooooooow on the priority scale.

Now that I’m an adult and stuff, I 100% understand the significance of having good quality linens. Sure it took until I hit 30 to realize that but that’s neither here nor there. With all that said, now that I have a whole 3 sets of bed linens including comforters coming from someone who only had one set, finding the best ways to organize them in my linen closet felt overwhelming. After trying different solutions, I’ve come up with 3 simple ways to organize my bed linens. Though it does require a bit more time than usual, once you get it down your bed linens will stay organized and be great to look at. Check out those 3 ways below.

USE STORAGE BAGS

Adding your bed linens to a storage bag will keep dust away from them as they aren’t being used as well as keep them at organize and in place. The storage bag I’m using is from the Container Store and is one of my favorites out there. This product is particularly a great option because if you are too busy to fold your linens or if you’re not a great folder, you can just throw your linens inside the bag and no one would know that it’s not folded. Icing on the cake is it has a label section so you can label your bag properly and know exactly what’s in it at all times.

PLACE IN BASKET

Using a bin or a basket to organize your bed linens is another great option. This bin in particular is my personal favorite for bed linens because it has high walls which hide your bed linens in those cases they are not folded neatly. Unlike the storage bag, because this bin is a bit narrow, you will need to file fold your bed linens so they all fit in the bin properly. Plus file folding makes it easier to grab your linens with ease. You can also add a label for that extra touch. The label I used was made using a chalkboard label that I cut, punch holed and added yarn to tie to the bin.

FOLD INTO PILLOWCASE

Lets say you didn’t like the idea of having storage bags and/or didn’t have the budget to pay for bins to house your bed linens, this option would be perfect for you. If I were to choose between the three options I would hands down choose this option. In this option the only items involved is only the bed linens meaning you will be placing your bed linens inside of one pillowcase. As all of your linens (1 set) are folded, you will leave out one pillowcase and place your folded linens inside of it. Once all linens are inside you will fold the pillowcase around your linens creating a rectangle. When opting for this option you will need to make sure your folding is neat since it wont be placed inside an organizing product like the others.

These are just 3 simple ways I like to use to organize my bed linens and I hope it inspires you to get your linen closet organized. Until next time……… If you’re interested in watching video of how I organize bed linens, check it out below.

7 Items to Toss When You Declutter

Decluttering seems to be the ‘it’ thing these days. After all, it keeps your space clean, tidy, and organized. Science now backs up that you can experience psychological benefits when you say goodbye to clutter. 

If you rent a space or an apartment, look around and see if all that are within it are practically useful and aesthetically needed. Chances are half of those items are things that ought to end up in the trash bin. 

Perhaps it’s time for a major decluttering session so here are seven items to toss as you declutter your home:

OLD DAILIES OR MAGAZINES

To begin, go through the old dailies and magazines that you have kept for ages. Chances are that you have things that date back to the early 2000s. In this age where every information can be sourced from the internet, there’s no need to keep those paper collectibles. You can keep the most recent ones or only those reading materials that have valuable information.

TORN CLOTHING

Now is the time to check what’s in your closet and see which items need to stay or which items ought to be thrown away. It’s highly possible that one-fourth of what’s in your closet is no longer being used. Think about your holed socks and undies as well as your tapered pants or tattered shirts. If you aren’t wearing them, it may be time to say goodbye.

EXPIRED MAKEUP

Most women have the habit of hoarding their expired makeup for the sole reason of keeping it. The truth is that expired makeup has dried, doesn’t work, and isn’t good for your skin. Why keep products that are no longer useful to take up space in your room? Toss it out!

DATED SPICES

If you examine your kitchen, perhaps you’ll find that you have forgotten dried herbs and ground spices tucked away in the back of your spice rack. Although dried herbs may not expire, they lose their flavor and aroma over time. The rule of thumb is to get rid of the items that you’ve had for over six months. They won’t do any good for your meals!

STOCKED FOODSTUFF

Aside from dated spices, you may hold onto stocked foodstuff. These can be packed noodles, food in cans, and other preserved goods. Go through the items and check the expiration dates. Throw out anything that is no longer good to eat.

UNUSED KITCHENWARE

While you’re clearing out the kitchen, make sure that you go through your kitchen items, utensils, and wares. Are any of them no longer used? Maybe you’ll find Tupperware without lids, unused coffee mugs, rustic spoons and forks, and a whole lot more. You may even end up tossing out half of your kitchen cabinet!

BROKEN ELECTRONICS

The modern consumer has a number of electronics that are no longer working, yet are sitting in a drawer for some unspecified purpose. Whether it’s an old cellphone, a tablet you don’t touch, chargers that are no longer working, broken headphones, or another gadget that can no longer be fixed, take those old items to the pawnshop or a junk shop.

If you’re looking for a decluttering service to help take care of your garage, Rescue My Space is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

How to make your bathroom clutter-free - Our Guide

Not everyone has those fancy bathrooms you would often find in five-star hotels, on TV or social media. However, even with a small space, you can make your bathroom look nice and functional just with a little organization.  

If your issue is space or lack there of, it is important to keep your bathroom organized and clutter-free. When everything is stored neatly in your bathroom, you can easily find things that you need. Your bathroom also looks more attractive, relaxing, and sanitary. It also becomes easier to clean.

Here are some tips on how you can organize your bathroom to make the best use of its space:

PREPARE THE THINGS YOU NEED

Gather the supplies you will need to start decluttering and organizing your bathroom. These include a trash bag, cleaning wipes, paper towels, cleaning cloth, and other cleaning products. If you already own organizing products, I would suggest gathering them as well. If not, you may need to wait until after the decluttering phase.

SORT THROUGH EVERYTHING

The first step in organizing your bathroom is decluttering. Go through your makeup, hair care, skincare products, medications, first-aid supplies, grooming tools, toilet papers, cleaning supplies, towels, and mats. This is the step that takes the most time because you are basically going through every single item in your bathroom and deciding on what to keep. Remove anything that does not belong in the bathroom and any items you no longer use. Remove everything that is past their expiration dates and dispose of them properly.

ORGANIZE YOUR STUFF

Once you have sorted through all the things that you need in your bathroom, it’s time to organize them neatly. If there’s not enough storage space in your bathroom, you may need to go shopping.

When shopping for organizing products, you should consider how much space you have in your bathroom. Because space may be your issue, it is important to understand the products you will be bringing in will also take up space. You may need a chest or shelving unit, a few square baskets, or small containers for your makeup tools. Make sure that they won’t make your bathroom look cramped and that they will make it easier for you to find the things you need. As mentioned, before bulky containers, for example, may be impractical and will eat up most of your space.

Think about accessibility. When do you need the items or how often you use them? For the stuff that you occasionally use, like extra supplies, you can store them at the back of the cabinet or the upper shelf. Adding labels in front of your organizers will make it easier for you to find anything you need.

 WORDS TO LEAVE YOU WITH

Your bathroom can look gorgeous when it is well-organized, clutter-free, and clean. Adding some storage containers, shelves, or cabinets will help you put things neatly in your bathroom. Regularly check your stuff and declutter to make sure that anything you no longer want, need, or use is not taking up unnecessary space in the bathroom.

If you’re looking for a decluttering service to help take care of your home or business, Rescue My Space is your best option! Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

7 Tips to maintaining a Clean Car

As summer is here our cars typically take the most beating compared to any other space we are in. This is the season for road trips which means food eating, consistent air conditioning and lets not forget overheating. 

As all this is happening to our cars, we neglect them even more and realize how bad it's gotten after it's too late. Well... no need to be in a rut because I'm going to give you 7 easy habits you can add to your daily routine right now that will keep your car clean for good. 

Remember our cars are an extension of us so whether it's clean, cluttered, dirty or organized, it reflects your current emotional state. 

So, let's begin with Car habit #1. I'm starting with this habit because it's probably the first reason why your car is messy right now.

Habit #1 - Don't Eat in your Car

I can already see it. You drive through the drive-through at your favorite restaurant. You get your food and the sensational fragrance that flows out of the bag engulfs your car. The fries start calling your name and by the time you get home (10 minutes away) you're done eating. Little did you know 6 french fries have flown to the floor and now your seat belt smells like ketchup. But it was good though! Trust me. I understand how great it feels to eat in your car, I've been there and dammit it's amazing. Through the years, I've realized that this habit wasn't doing my car any good and after I stopped, my car has been clean ever since. This also goes for anyone else in my car. 

Habit #2 - Always keep a waste bin inside it

If you're an avid water bottle drinker, like to chew gum or opt for the receipt after each purchase, having a waste bin in your car is definitely for you. There is no one perfect waste bin for your car. You can use a trash bag, a hanging trash bin to an empty cup to collect the trash. Just make sure you empty it out at least 4-5 times a week to avoid overload.  

Habit #3 - Garage It

This concept is fairly new to me (its been 4 years now) and it has been one of the best things I can do for my car. Garaging your car protects it from hail and/or flying tree branches. It shields your car from harsh sun UV rays as well as help your car heat up or cool down faster. Most importantly, it protects your car from being an easy target for criminals and my personal favorite, it keeps me dry when it rains! If your garage is cluttered therefore preventing you from parking in it, I'd suggest you schedule out some time this weekend to de-cluttering your garage so you can experience my new love. If you don't have a garage at this time, then please ignore! 

Habit #4 - Wash it Weekly or bi-weekly (okay… as much as you can)

Whether you're hand washing it or taking it to the car wash, dedicating time to washing your car will keep the exterior of your car clean especially during the Spring/Summer months. The hotter and more humid it gets outside, the more dirt, pollen and dust stick to the car. Schedule a car washing session every other week and you will see the difference it will make in the longevity of your car paint. Plus you'll feel great driving it.

Habit #5 - Keep a vacuum in it

Now, this is optional if you get your car washed often but for those of you who don't have one of these bad boys in your possession you need one because it will change your life. The one I use connects to my car's cigarette lighter and even though it only works when the car is running, it has a mean suction head and does the trick. It sits in the trunk of my car so whenever I need, it's close by. If you're interested in seeing how I organize my trunk click here to watch how I keep it in order. 

Habit #6 - Keep a microfiber cloth handy

In the past, I didn't see the importance of this until I wiped my dashboard and saw the piles of dust that accumulated over the years. I was in shock and how neglected my poor dashboard was. After seeing the results, I keep at least 3 microfiber cloths in my car. They're not only good for wiping down dashboards they are also perfect for cleaning your seats, windshield/windows and also spills. They are just great items to have handy for all purposes. It's a must-have in my book.

Habit #7 - Clean it out before you leave it

Last but not least, before you get out of your car always make sure you clean it. Discard wrappers, paper, bottles, safety pins, shoes, clothes, I can go on if you need me to. In all honesty, removing items from your car when you leave it for the days creates a clean and clear state for the next day and best of all keeps your car clean for good. 

If you are having trouble incorporating any of these habits to your lifestyle just know when you do, you will not only see the benefits in your car, you will see it in your life. 

Until next time! 

How to let go of "in the future" clothes

It was a bright and cheerful morning around 7:30AM when I walked into my closet, as I normally would, and picked the clothes I wanted to wear that day. It was Tuesday which meant my outfit would be more on the professional side than casual.

Lets continue…

So I walked into my closet, grabbed the outfit I wanted to wear and walked out with a smile on my face because I knew I chose the best outfit for that day. As I pranced towards my bed, since that’s where I usually changed, I placed my clothes on the bed neatly. I reached over to my pants, put one leg in and then the other and all of sudden the pants stopped. I reached for the zipper to see if it was still up and sadly realized it wasn’t. I gained weight and my pants no longer fit me.

This is something that happens to many of us and a lot of times this happens to not just one clothing item but a whole closet full. We find ourselves holding on to these clothes that no longer fit us for more years than we should and by the time you realize how cluttered your space is, you no longer have space left. It’s the idea that one day we will fit the clothes but unfortunately, that day usually never comes. The truth is you are less likely to wear those clothes after you lose weight because as time passes, those clothes are no longer appealing. The thrill you had when you first wore them is now gone due to time and to the ever evolving fashion industry.

I’ve conjured a 4 tips on how to let go of your “in the future clothes” that will help you get rid of them once and for all

O N L Y K E E P 1 0 P I E C E S

In a medium sized closet, we have on average 150 pieces of clothing from tops to bottoms sitting in our closet now. With the assumption that most of the clothes in your closet are being worn within a 6 month span, it is important that you only keep 10 unworn pieces that you believe will be worn when you lose weight. Holding on to just a few will keep your closet clutter-free which makes it easier to add more clothes to your closet in the future. Plus, because these are the 10 pieces that you love, you are more likely to wear them again when you’re ready.

G E T R I D O F T R E N D Y I T E M S

Because the fashion industry is constantly evolving therefore what’s on trend may not be popular in 1 week, letting go of such clothes can come at ease. Unless your clothes are classic pieces that can be worn over decades, scaling down on most of your trendy items is what will keep your “in the future clothes” at a minimum. Go into your closet and take out all of those trendy clothes you have. Go through them and only select the ones you feel will last through time. You can do some research and check out the evolution of certain pieces to see how well they do within 5 years. For example, patched up colorful jeans may not stand the time but a patched up blue jean jacket will. Though both pieces are trendy, the patched up jean jacket is more likely to cycle back into our wardrobes because of the blue jean factor then the colorful jean would.

G I V E T H E M A W A Y T O S O M E O N E I N N E E D

This is the thing, your in the future clothes are really just someone else present clothes. There are a lot of people in our society who directly benefit from items we no longer need. or wear. So, rather than just housing these clothes for years, passing them on to someone who can actually use them and appreciate them will make the difference not only in your closet but in your heart.

I T ’ S G O O D F O R Y O U R W E L L B E I N G

Clutter is a direct effect of our lives. The bigger your clutter is the more likely your life reflects the excess. Lets get deeper. Happiness is more than just an experience, it’s a life style. The happier you are the more appreciation you have in your life. So how does this equate to your well being. Clutter in no way shape or form is a positive thing. It weighs you down, sucks the life out of you and worst of all, wastes time. Adversely, when you’re clutter free you have more time in your day and way way more closet space.

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These are just a few tips you can follow when getting rid of your “in the future clothes” especially you are finding some difficulties in letting them go. Remember, clutter is just a form of our internal mindset thats being seen in the physical world so if you are in the process of clearing out the negativity in your life, it’s important you start from within your home.

If you’re in the Houston area and need help getting rid of your clothes and creating a more organized closet, feel free to contact Rescue My Space. We would love to help you rescue your closet!