DIY ZIPLOC HOLDERS As we juggle life with kids' snacks, school lunches, meal prepping and more there’s a constant need to access our multitude of ziploc bags in a variety of sizes. I personally use them to portion and freeze some food items, and to keep small items around the house (like batteries) organized within a larger container. Some of us have transitioned to reusable and washable ziploc bags, but lots of us are still using the regular ones, and here comes the dilemma, where to store ziplocs bags so that they are visible and easy to access and most of all not too cumbersome to put away or they will be left on the counter. A lot of my clients have this problem, for some we have found ideal spaces, in drawers or organizers that can be purchased but some people don’t necessarily want to invest funds if they think other family members won’t use them, so here is a quick way you can create a DIY ziploc organizing system that is quick and inexpensive. I have used this same method with clients for tea boxes, either inside cabinets or on the door, where space was tight. It helped to keep the boxes in place and allow them to just get the bag out, when not labeled. All you will need are some small Command hooks, (the ones we used are from the $ Tree) a marker and a scissor.
1 - Attach the hooks to the inside of your cabinet door, (read above notes first ) spaced to fit your box size. These are for a small size so only 2 are needed. If the box is really long you may need 3 to fully support. 2 - Mark the back of your box to correspond to the distance of the hooks you just attached. The marks we did here were too close to the edge of the box so it did not allow the box to sit flush to the door. :-( See below how close to the edge it was? Not the way to go...lol... 3 - We had to make new markings on the other end, this time a little further away from the edge of the box. The red arrow points to the not so ideal holes we cut, the white arrow points to the new markings which worked great, so keep that in mind :-) With the new holes we cut we were able to situate the box on the door and it sat flush against it, unlike our previous failed attempt... lol... So as you see it takes no time and very little effort, but see how easy it is to see and grab the exact size you need, while leaving the box untouched so no need to put away, basically Grab and Go!!
You can add larger sizes underneath and if you don't have space on a cabinet door you can attach on the wall, on the fridge, on the side of a cabinet or wherever you have available space, so you can free up drawer or shelf space for either items as well. Now just try it and enjoy!! Spring is a time of renewal, a good time to freshen up and clean your home. According to Feng Shui clutter and dust trap negative energy and we don’t want any of that! Decluttering your home will give it a fresh, put together look and facilitate cleaning it afterwards, thus making that chore also much quicker afterwards. You will be more successful if you focus on one room at a time and complete it before starting the next. And don't forget to open the windows and let some fresh air in (good energy will flow) and some sun light (it is a natural sanitizer). Before you start gather 5 containers/bags you will use to categorize items. It could be laundry bins, cardboard boxes, trash bags, whatever you have on hand. The 5 categories will be: PUT AWAY RECYCLE TRASH REPAIR/CLEAN/MEND DONATE As you go from room to room pick up all stray items first in that room and deposit in related category, or where they belong in that particular room. Secondly open cabinets, closets, drawers or any other storage unit, empty it completely, wipe it clean if needed, check if any type of maintenance is needed (small repairs/new liners etc). Go through all the items you have taken out, check for expiration dates, damages, stains, age of item, current shape, and ask yourself if you use it and/or like it?? Depending on your assessment you will place items in 1 of the 5 categories above, or return it to its previous location if that is where it resides and you decided to keep it. Sometimes items stray away from the room in which they are used and belong, as you go from room to room try to identify if the items you find really belong there, are there empty plastic bottles, food leftovers, old receipts, items that need to be returned, etc, In your bedroom? Clearly they don’t belong, so sort them out accordingly. PUT AWAY Here you will place items that have strayed from their home and need to be returned to other rooms. As you travel from room to room pick up what does not belong and return what does. This is something you can do on a weekly basis to keep it from accumulating. I call it the Lost and Found basket :-) So if you find a pair of socks in the living room, return them to either the laundry room or wherever you keep your socks. TRASH You can use a trash bag for this category as it will be discarded in the end. This category is for items that cannot be salvaged, and are obvious trash. Broken, badly stained, food leftovers and wrappers and other obvious garbage. RECYCLE Also part of trash in a way but if it can be recycled it should! Any plastic/paper (old mail/magazines/school papers) items you find and that are no longer needed/wanted will go into this category to be recycled. DONATE These are also items you no longer want/need but they still have life left in them, someone else could use them and by donating them you will do your part in keeping our planet a little cleaner. Depending on your area there are multiple options for donations, or you can try posting online in Free for Pickup groups. REPAIR/CLEAN/MEND/RETURN This is a wide category but they are all items going out so make sense to group them together. It is helpful if you can keep them close to the door to make it easy to pick them up on your way out, and as a visual reminder. What goes in this categories are items you purchased online, and need to be returned but for some reason you keep delaying, shoes that need repairs, clothes that need alterations, garments that need to be dry cleaned, or even that garden shears you need to return to your neighbor but you could not find...lol.. In short all those little tasks you have delayed forever for a reason or another. Get them out and be done with it. :-) What you will be left with is a home where everything is where it belongs and there are no stray items laying around, or uncompleted tasks in the back of your mind… even if they are in the further recesses of it...lol... And if you find the process too much for you, you can always call on a Professional Organizer that will assist you. If you are in NYC feel free to reach out and I will be there by your side, if you are somewhere other than New York City and want some support during this process in virtual form please reach out and we can discuss. Happy Spring Cleaning!! |
AuthorHello, my name is Vicky and I am a Professional Organizer in NYC. I am passionate about anything related to organizing and most of all I fully believe in the benefits of it. Archives
January 2024
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