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6 Ways to Organize your Closet

6 Ways to Organize your Closet

Spring is finally here, and the excitement of new beginnings is everywhere. Spring cleaning has always been a special part of this season, allowing us to reorganize the way we live in our daily lives, and smooth out anything that isn’t working. One place in the home that often gets overwhelmingly cluttered during the winter months is our closet. After piling in the coats, presents, and crazy amount of layers needed to stay warm, it’s clear that a closet intervention is needed by the time spring arrives before it gets out of control. Whether you just have a little bit of a mess, or if you can barely keep your closet door closed, here are six ways to help you get your closet in tip-top shape.

1. Look at what you currently have in there.
The only way to get a true, honest look at what you have in your closet is to empty its entire contents out. This may initially seem overwhelming, but simply trudge on and make separate piles of the big massive pile you start out with. Make a pile for must keeps, donating, and throwing away. I heard a brilliant piece of advice that said to look at each article of clothing, and ask yourself if you were at the mall right now, would you buy this? If not, then it’s not likely going to be used that much.

2. Invest in closet organizers.
After you have pared down your clothes to the absolute necessities, it’s time to figure out where to put it all. One of the best ways to get your closet organized is by investing in a closet organizer.

3. Put like items together.
After installing the closet organizer, begin to make specified areas that hold part of your outfits, Dedicate an area to undergarments, shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, etc. Then organize each individual area by colors, length, styles. This will seriously speed up your morning outfit finding routine.

4. Add light
Depending on where your closet is situated, it may lack light needed to quickly find objects. New homes sometimes have a small overhead light that helps a little, but older homes hardly ever have this feature. Stick-on or screw-in battery-operated LED lights placed on each shelf will help achieve high glamor and efficient appearance, without the high cost.

5. Invest in good quality matching hangers.
Although this is often overlooked in closet organization, hanger uniformity is actually quite helpful because it keeps all your clothes at the same level, while avoiding the wildly cluttered look that many closets sport when using different kinds of hangers. Bad quality hangers will also damage your clothes. Good quality hangers can be made of plastic, metal or wood, each allowing for a different price tag. Whichever you go with, make sure they’re durable enough to stand the weight and type of clothes you will be laying on them.

6. Use the top shelves.
One of the spaces that often gets overlooked in closet organizing is the top shelf. This can be an effective place for more storage, or it can be a great place to display your collection of purses. However, you may find that even after you have organized your closet to the very last detail, the highest top shelf is still evasive to your daily routine (for those of us that are vertically challenged). To maximize your ability to move in the closet, you may consider using a stool, or even a rolling ladder. This will make all the difference when it comes to accessing those otherwise out-of-reach spaces.

Improve Your Home With Blinds, Shutters & Shades

Improve Your Home With Blinds, Shutters & Shades

Have you ever walked into a room without anything covering the windows? The room looks open and has plenty of natural light…but it also can make the room look bland and bare.

Part of making a house a home is adding your own style to it, while still considering the functionality of the home. Window treatments are a part of this. Whether you choose blinds, shutters or shades, the right window treatments can help set each room apart.

-Set the proper mood.
Each room has a different purpose and so you’ll want to set different moods. Your living room – you may want a cozy feel, while still letting in some soft, natural light. But your bedroom, you may want to have privacy and no light seeping in when you’re trying to get some sleep. So, we would recommend a multi-purpose shade or shutters for the living room, but then room darkening shades for the bedroom.

Plus, do you enjoy a little sunshine in the morning as you sit in your pajamas and sip your coffee? The right window treatment will allow you to have a relaxing morning, while enjoying your privacy! It’s just one of the reasons why you should add window treatments to your kitchen.

-Add style and contrast.
Choosing the right coverings for your window aren’t strictly functional; they’re a fashion decision as well. You can decide to let your window treatments blend into the room or make a statement.

Whether you choose blinds, shutters or shades, you can choose from a vast selection of colors and stains. You want to pick something that will go with your window trim but also your room’s decor.

-Control sun exposure.
This isn’t just about controlling the glare on your computer as you’re working in your office. It’s about limiting the sun’s rays to help protect your belongings. Direct sunlight on rugs and furniture has a lasting effect.

And, during the summer, the right blinds and shades can help you keep the heat of the day out of your home. It can actually reduce your electric bills in the summer and winter!

The Best Way to Clean all the Blinds in Your House

The Best Way to Clean all the Blinds in Your House

Spring is finally in the air, and the excitement of new life is everywhere. Synonymous with the arrival of spring is cleaning…a time where the dust gathered in the winter is swept out, and fresh air is brought into the home. However, one chore nobody seems to enjoy is cleaning the blinds. It’s annoyingly time-consuming, and because there are so many different kinds of blinds, it can be hard to know if you’re even doing it right. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to get all of your blinds clean in one day, getting this notorious chore done quickly and effectively, so you can move on to the better things and enjoy the beautiful spring views framed by the loveliest of blinds.

Faux-Wood Blinds
Faux-wood blinds are one of the most popular types of window coverings in our modern day world. They also attract a ton of dust. If you find that your faux-wood blinds are dusty, simply using a vacuum with a dust brush attachment will make cleaning them a breeze. Just close the blinds all the way, vacuum the first side, then turn them the other way and vacuum the other side. Make sure that the suction is on its lightest setting so you don’t accidentally warp the slats.

Faux-wood blinds located in the kitchen usually collect some grease and dirt in addition to dust, which requires a bit more cleaning. This is where all natural white vinegar comes to the rescue. Simply fill a small bowl with a mixture made up of of one part vinegar and one part water, and then use a clean sock to dip in the bowl. Same as before, turn the blinds one way and wipe them, then turn them the other way and clean the other side. The vinegar will
effectively remove the grease and grime, and your blinds will be left looking fresh, all without the use of any harmful chemicals.

Wood Blinds
Most wood blinds are treated with a special finish to repel dirt and stains. Just like wood furniture, wood blinds can be cleaned with a good quality furniture polish and a clean sock. Simply spray the furniture polish on the cloth and wipe each slat individually, being sure to avoid touching the cords. If heavier cleaning is required, you can use plain water, just be careful not to saturate the wood. Be sure to wipe any excess water immediately to prevent unsightly warping, discoloration, or warping.

Vinyl or Aluminum Mini Blinds
Vinyl or aluminum mini blinds can be treated like faux-wood blinds and be cleaned by dusting and washing with a cloth. However, if there is greasy grime in addition to the dust, this can become quite time consuming. If this is the case, take each set of blinds down one at a time and soak them in your bathtub with some dish soap. Using a soft sponge, go over both sides of the slats. After soaking, drain the dirty water and refill the tub with clean water to rinse them out. Make sure to rinse away all of the soap suds to avoid any spotting. After rinsing, gently lay the blinds on top of some dry towels to soak up some of the remaining water, then hang the blinds back up to allow them to dry completely, opening your windows may help them dry faster. Once your aluminum blinds are clean, you can treat them with a dusting spray to prevent any future dust and dirt from settling on them.

Fabric Shades (Cellular, Pleated, Roman)
To clean and dust fabric shades and coverings, use the dust brush attachment of your vacuum on a low setting as you vacuum and brush away any dirt. You can also do this with a hair dryer that is set to cool by using it to blow away trapped dirt, bugs, or spider webs. Any existing stains or grime on these types of blinds can be treated by using a sponge that is dampened with warm, soapy water. Use a gentle soap to prevent damaging the cloth. Just gently blot the area as necessary, but be careful not to oversaturate. Be sure to allow the shades to dry completely before raising them.

Vertical Blinds
Cleaning vertical blinds is very similar as cleaning the ones listed above, depending on whether they are fabric or vinyl. A lint roller may be helpful to easily roll over vertical blinds picking up dust and cobwebs along the way.

After you have cleaned out your blinds, you can keep them looking fresh and clean by making it a habit to vacuum and dust around your home regularly.

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