5 Ways To Get Your Home More Organized

Spring cleaning isn't just the time when you scrub the areas of your home that aren't always on your "To Do" list, it's also a great opportunity to organize spaces that tend to get easily cluttered. We've vowed to help you with your spring cleaning, so we compiled a list of rooms and appliances that can typically use an assessment, purge, and restructuring. Check it out below, as well as some expert techniques you can modify and implement in your home, and get ready to get organized.

Remember, spring cleaning has chores that fall into three categories: cleaning, organizing, and maintenance. To help you, we're writing blogs to tackle tasks that fall into all three of these categories. Enjoy our tips on organizing below, read up on cleaning here, and check back for more advice on home maintenance.

Organizing

Refrigerator - We're sure cleaning the fridge is on your spring cleaning list, (you probably even do it more than once or twice a year), but is organizing it on the list too? When your fridge space makes sense, you're less likely to waste food and it's easier to keep your fridge clean year-round. Squawkfox has a great system you can modify to fit your refrigerator and eating habits.

Image via Squawkfox

Kitchen Cabinets - While you're working in your kitchen, it might be a good time to evaluate the state of your cabinets. How organized are they? It's easy for us to hold onto kitchen items for longer than we should (I'm sure you've got some Tupperware that doesn't have all its parts, chipped mugs and glasses, and old water bottles that you wouldn't use but don't want to throw away). Since you're in spring cleaning mode, take the plunge and start purging your useless kitchen items. Bargain Briana has got great tips to help you whip your cabinets into shape.

Image via Bargain Briana

Bathrooms - It's so easy for your bathroom to become cluttered. It seems like there's a specific product or two for every part of your body, and if you're sharing a bathroom with one or more people, that's a lot of stuff you have to make room for. If you have a gigantic storage-filled bathroom we're jealous, but if you're like most of us and have a small space you have to make compromises in, Good Housekeeping has some great ideas for you.

Image via Good Housekeeping

Garage - For many households the bulk of spring cleaning revolves around the garage. It is an area of the home that sees a lot of change as the weather gets warmer. Bring out your gardening gear and sports equipment, put away your shovels (finally!) and holiday lights. Getting your garage organized is a large chore, but luckily Listoic has it broken down into 28 manageable tasks.

Image via Listoic

Closet - Another part of your home that'll see some major change as the weather improves is your closet. As you say goodbye to sweaters and hello to sundresses, use the opportunity to take a minute to organize and purge this space. Buzzfeed has some useful techniques to help you assess your garments so you can determine what stays, what should be donated, and what belongs in the trash.

Image via Buzzfeed

We hope these tips help to clear your space and mind. For more spring cleaning advice make sure to check out our article on keeping your home spotless, and watch out for more advice on home maintenance soon.

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4 Tips For Being More Energy Efficient This Winter

With the nights getting longer, the days colder, and snow on the horizon, there's no denying it: winter's on its way. While it doesn't technically arrive until next month there's already a pretty strong chill in the air. As energy prices continue to rise heating your home this winter could be very expensive. To help you cut costs, we've compiled a list of simple measures you can undertake to make your home more energy efficient. Spending less on your energy bills means you'll have more to put towards your heating costs. Check out our list below and start saving today.

1. Be smart about when you use your major appliances - Did you know there are peak times for energy consumption? A time is considered peak when there's consistently more energy being consumed during that period. It's more expensive to use energy at these times. For many areas peak times are on weekday mornings and early evenings. Using your major appliances in off peak times can go a long way on your energy bill. Be conscious of when you're running your dishwasher or doing a load of laundry.

Image via House & Home

Consult your electric company to learn exactly when your area's peak times are.

2. Don't let the heat out - Seal your windows, doors, and any cracks in your foundation. It's harder to heat a home where cold air has a lot of entry points. Closing them up will keep the heat in and the cold out, and it also helps to protect against bugs and rodents.

Image via Apartment Therapy

3. Think first - Before you open the refrigerator think about what you'd like. Standing with the fridge door open for a few moments may not seem like a particularly wasteful or expensive habit, but it adds up. Pausing to decide what you'd like to eat before opening the fridge is a simple but effective way to reduce energy consumption.

Image via House & Home

4. Switch to energy efficient bulbs - Choosing the more energy efficient version of any appliance or system will help to lessen the energy usage in your home. That said, energy efficient appliances are expensive and it's not often that you have to replace these items. However, you do have to replace your light bulbs on a more frequent basis, and their energy efficient counterparts are available for a very reasonable price. If you're due to replace any of your major appliances definitely select an energy efficient model. If not, get energy efficient bulbs the next time you need them.

Image via NPR

We've outlined some very straightforward and non-invasive actions you can take to make your home more energy efficient. Would you be interested in reading about more complex measures homeowners can try to make their properties even more efficient? Let us know below.

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