Do you remember in my May goals post about how I wanted to tackle the linen closet and the cupboard under the sink? I got it done! It took me about an hour and a half, maybe, but that included some interruptions from the kids. I am so very pleased with the difference this made and I feel this sense of calm every time I open the door to the linen closet and see it so organized!
This is the before. It’s not TERRIBLE but it’s definitely not as nice as it could be. I did try to reorganize this sometime last fall and managed to at least get similar items grouped together but there is still some crazy stuff going on in here. The random boxes of toothpaste in front of the movies? The game controller tossed onto the towels instead of put away in it’s bin? Bedding on THREE different shelves? The extra shampoo and conditioner not in the bathroom where we’d actually want it when we realize we need some… after we are already in the shower? Yeah, all problems.
Then there is under the sink.
Oodles of cleaning supplies, baby wipes, more baby wipes, “goodies” the hospital gives you after giving birth… THE BABIES ARE NINETEEN MONTHS OLD! Sorry, didn’t mean to yell. How do I ignore some of these things for so long? They get pushed to the back and forgotten about, that’s how.
I decided to go about this almost in a KonMari fashion by pulling everything out and then sorting through it. The hallway and bathroom were unusable this way but it forced me to get it done and not get distracted. I had a pile for keep, a pile for donate, a pile for trash, and a pile for items that belonged elsewhere.
I found a rubbermaid tote with rusted razorblade heads and layers of dried soap. It also contained a jar of dried out oxyclean pads that I’m pretty sure were Micah’s from college (he graduated almost ten years ago!) and random sample bottles of various products. I tossed the blades and the oxyclean pads (cause really?), sorted through the samples for anything worth throwing in a travel bag, and soaked the tote. Then I filled it with all the extra toothpaste tubes and kid shampoos and stuck it under the sink – where it makes sense for them to be!
I decided to move all of the cleaning supplies up into the linen closet on a high shelf. We’ve got two little guys that are starting to get interested in potty training – woo! But this also means that we are spending extra time in the bathroom. The less stuff in there that can cause trouble, the better. I also tossed several bottles that were empty or only had a squirt or two left. Really? Is there a reason I need to keep an empty cleaning solution bottle? Goodness.
With the closet I had a couple goals – get rid of lots of sheets (we inherited twin sheets from my parents from my childhood and the elastic on many of them is shot) and create a space for the kids movies. Once I pulled everything out I did the same thing as I had done with under the sink. I had moved the soaps and other “bathroom items” into the bathroom already so that cleared up a little space. By getting rid of over half the sheets (what? for reals) I was able to move all the bedding to similar areas and make space for the cleaning supplies and all the kid movies. I also added a board to one of the shelves to prevent the books from falling through. Why books in the linen closet? Toddlers.
And look at this box of sheets and other random items I found to send to the thrift store!
We even dropped this box off already so it’s not cluttering up the garage. I think I need to make tackling an organization project should be a monthly task. It felt great to get it done and really makes a difference when I open either spot. What to do next? Front closet? Pantry? Refrigerator? So many choices!
Have you tackled any organization or cleaning projects lately? Tell me about it in the comments!
