Getting organized is more than just purchasing great containers to hold all your stuff. It's about using what you have, donating what you don't need, and recycling whenever you can. — Southern Home Organizers
Spring is here and Earth Day is April 22, which means spring cleaning and green cleaning are on people's minds. Luckily, those who want to be organized and green can easily do both. Here are some tips and suggestions to green your organizing.
When we work with clients, we begin by sorting through and purging items. Most families use 20% of their stuff 80% of the time, which means many household are crammed with unused items taking up space. The next time you’re out shopping, really think about an item before purchasing it.
Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. When will I use this item?
2. How often will I use it?
3. Where will I store it? Do I even have the space to store it?
When it comes to organizing in your home, you can often reuse everyday items as organizing supplies.
Here are 5 green upcycling suggestions:
1. Convert cereal boxes into magazine holders
2. Renovate shoe boxes to hold arts and crafts supplies
3. Use that funky old mismatched mug as a pencil holder or container for kitchen utensils
4. Deputize toilet paper tubes as cord organizers; use bread tags as cord labels
5. Store cotton balls and swabs in those empty baby food jars; baby food jars are also great for sorting and containing office supplies such as paper clips and thumbtacks
As you organize your home and purge items, limit what you send to the landfill by donating and recycling what you can. There are fantastic resources in the Seattle area to donate unneeded household items:
Donate Seattle. Find out which local charities need the items you are giving away.
InterConnection. Donate computers (working or not) and computer accessories.
WestSide Baby. Donate gently used children's items such as clothing, toys, books, and gear.
Seattle Goodwill. Donate clothes for all ages, small appliances and electronics, and used furniture and household items.
For even more tips on green organizing, download Innovatively Organized's Green Organizing: How to Reduce & Reuse webinar.
To read more tips from Innovatively Organized and organizing and productivity expert, Elizabeth Bowman, check out the Innovatively Organized blog, where new tips, tricks and information about the latest apps and organizing products are posted regularly. Innovatively Organized is a Seattle-based organizing and productivity firm that provides effective organizing solutions for busy professionals, teams, and families to better manage their time, increase productivity, and gain control of their spaces. You can contact Elizabeth Bowman via email at elizabeth@innovativelyorganized.com, twitter at @iOrganized or visit her website at InnovativelyOrganized.com.
