Guest Post - Declutter Your Home in 21 Days

Clutter can really take hold and ruin the appearance of an otherwise beautiful home. This infographic from our friends at HappyCleans looks at how you can make your home clutter free in just 21 short days. One area of concern in many homes is paper and this can pile up needlessly with the amount of bills, mails and other random bits around the house. The reality is the majority of these items can be thrown away or recycled.

The fridge & freezer is one appliance in that also needs regular decluttering. Old jars of peanut butter and other random concoctions we never plan on consuming are often kept needlessly. Spend one of the 21 days just clearing this area out and it’ll be like having a new fridge.

Magazines and books can also tend to pile up and the majority of these will never be read again. Sort through them keeping your favourites and consider donating the rest to local charities. They would sure appreciate them and someone would of course benefit from reading them!

The entertainment area is another place we tend to needlessly store piles of DVDs and CDs. With the advent of streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify the majority of these have become redundant. Again, these would be perfect for local charities.

Check out the full infographic now and begin your decluttering journey today. Today is the beginning of your brand new home, enjoy!

Author bio

Kat Buckley is the owner of a local services company called HappyCleans. She is passionate about giving people a little extra time to spend with loved ones by cleaning their homes.

Guest Post - 12 Ways to Better Organize Your Garage and Workshop Storage Space

If your home has a garage, you know how easy it is for it to become the “everything room.” If there’s not a better place for something (or, let’s be real, if the right place is too far away), it often ends up in the garage. Many homeowners find it frustrating and stressful to see a mess every time they pull into or out of their garage, and it can be even worse if the area also doubles as a workshop.

However, you’re not the first to have this problem. Many brilliant DIYers and home organizers have created their own solutions for getting your garage in shape, and there are many excellent products on the market now as well. Here are some of the simplest and most effective strategies and products you can use.

Zone it out.

A plan is the first step toward a well-organized garage. It’s a good idea to measure your garage, then sit down and create a diagram of where things could go. Plot out where you usually park and where you’re currently storing large equipment. Then, start figuring out how to consolidate and organize. However, don’t treat your original plan as something set in stone. It will most likely need to change and evolve as you go. Stay flexible and don’t worry if your first idea isn’t perfect.

Shelving is a basic need.

Just getting some basic metal shelving can be a huge upgrade for your garage or workshop. Four-pole steel shelving racks are inexpensive, widely available, and highly versatile. You can also utilize floor space even further by going with wall-mounted shelving. It’s a good idea, though, to implement shelving as one part of a larger plan. Shelving rarely solves a problem on its own, and it can become just as messy as the rest of your garage!

Use a pegboard or other hand tool storage solutions.

There’s a reason the pegboard is an iconic element of the garage or workshop area. It’s a great way to keep tools visible and easily accessible without sacrificing space. If you don’t have room for a pegboard, you can also consider using VELCRO® Brand Hook and Loop Fasteners on your smaller hand tools. A few quick applications of these sturdy fasteners can create an easy space to store and keep track of your screwdrivers, hammers, and other commonly-used tools.

Create a DIY mudroom to keep muddy shoes where they belong.

A mudroom is a great way to control mess in your home, particularly if you live in a climate with lots of precipitation (or have a very outdoorsy household.) You don’t even have to have an actual separate room for it. In many cases, just installing a basic coat rack and shoe rack by the entrance to your home is enough. For smaller households, you could just add a couple of 3M Command Hooks for coats and a small mat for shoes. As always, modify according to your needs!

Using something frequently? Put it on wheels.

This tip is particularly good for those who use their garage as a workshop. A rolling cart or toolbox is perfect for accessing all of your most frequently-needed items. Whether it’s a standard plastic cart or a professional-level rolling toolbox, the important thing is that it’s mobile!

Try a lattice rack for lumber and other long items.

Here’s an ingeniously simple DIY tip that can save you serious workshop space. It’s easy to turn a standard lattice into a wall-or-ceiling mounted rack that’s great for storing piping, lumber, or even fishing poles!

Get the little things organized.

As you probably know, drill bits, socket wrenches and other small and numerous items are highly prone to get lost. Invest in some good small-item organizers and label them well. Most are designed to be easy to stack and slot, so getting a small metal rack and going vertical is another great space saver here.

Labels, labels, labels.

Speaking of labels: Organization can only be so helpful when you don’t know where anything is! Invest in a label maker or even just use paper signs or writing on boxes. The important thing is to have a labelling system that’s easy to use and understand.

Make it critter-proof.

Much as we love our animal friends, there’s a time and place for them. For most people, the garage is not that place. It’s an easy afternoon’s work to inspect and replace your garage threshold to keep out stray animals.

Don’t forget the ceiling.

We’ve already discussed the power of vertical storage, but maybe you didn’t expect to go this vertical. If you’ve got some stuff you don’t use very often but need to keep around, ceiling racks are a surprisingly popular and efficient solution. Almost every home improvement store offers them, and they can fit a variety of standard-sized storage totes.

Tackle bulky items such as hoses and extension cords.

Bulky corded items such as hoses and extension cords can quickly turn into a tangled mess. What’s more, it’s easy to damage these items by not storing them correctly—they should be stored in a neat roll any time they’re not in use. Installing a few heavy-duty metal hooks on the walls is an easy way to get them into a manageable state, and cable straps and organizers will help keep the rolls together.

Utilize studs to build your own shelving.

Finally, make sure you’re using what your building gives you. If your garage is unfinished, you may have exposed studs. These actually present a great opportunity to build some high-utility shelving and save a lot of space. Take a look at one of the many guides to building between-the-studs shelving for ideas and inspiration!

Whether your garage looks like a war zone or just needs a little TLC to get its best look, it’s easier than you might think to get it under control. All of these projects involve commonly available materials, and only a few demand carpentry skills! Home organization and DIY are projects that anybody can tackle, and the garage is the perfect place to get started.

Author Bio: Halle Summers is a Marketing Coordinator for FASTENation Inc., a premier global manufacturer, technical converter, distributor, and designer of adhesive based fasteners and tapes. She has extensive knowledge of adhesives and fastener solutions, vendors, industry trends, and how they are used across various verticals. When she isn’t writing articles, she enjoys spending time in downtown Charleston, South Carolina and all the amazing food her hometown has to offer.

Guest Post - Prep Your Home for a Handover: A Pre-Move Cleaning Checklist

Moving into a new home can be so exciting and fun. Relocating can mean better opportunities, change (the right kind), and a fresh start. As such, when you’ve found the perfect place, almost all your thoughts will be about it.

Before you move on, however, think about your old home and the responsibilities you still have to take care of it. Whether you’re renting or owned your former abode, it still needs to be left in near pristine condition. After all, it will be a “new” home, signaling a fresh start, for some other lucky person.

Below is a cleaning checklist for your old house before moving to the new one.

Exit Cleaning Checklist

If you were renting your old place, exit cleaning is important to get your full deposit or bond back. The landlord or caretaker of your former home will inspect every nook and cranny to see of the place to see if it is still presentable for new renters.

On the other hand, if you’re selling your house, cleaning is essential to attract potential buyers. Most people looking to purchase real estate don’t want a messy place from the outset.

When it comes to cleaning, work through every section of the house. Start with rooms that are the hardest to clean, and make your way to the easier parts of the home. Follow the checklist below as you are cleaning:

1. Kitchen

a. Appliances

Sometimes appliances are included with the lease of a place. Whether they were there before you came or were purchased by you, make sure the ones left behind are clean. Below are some of the kitchen appliances people usually don’t bring with them during a move.

Stove - Scrub the exhaust fan and hood. Use the self-cleaning option if it is available.

Microwave - Don’t forget to clean behind and underneath it. Make sure the inside is scrubbed clean as well.

Fridge - Scrub all the layers, dividers and compartments, and get rid of any accumulated ice in the freezer (if any).

b. Cabinets and Countertops

Open the cabinet doors and let them air out a bit, especially the ones on the bottom level where trash cans are usually kept. Then scrub every inch inside of them. Don’t forget to clean the exterior of the cabinet doors and to throw out any liners you used during your stay.

For countertops, start with the area surrounding the stove as it is usually the hardest to clean. Work your way to the sink and use cleaning solutions to polish it.

c. Floor

Most kitchen floors are tiled. Start by scrubbing them with specialized cleaning products. Try to clean the grout between each tile as much as possible. Wipe everything down with a mop and let it air dry.

2. Bathroom

a. Toilet

Most people focus on cleaning the inside of the toilet, but they should also scrub the outside of the bowl, the tank, and the base. If the seat needs replacing, do your landlord or the next renter a favor and buy a new one. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

b. Bathroom Sink — Similar to the kitchen sink, scrub it clean using products to make it bright and shiny.

c. Shower Area

Don’t forget to clean the walls of the shower and floor.

Pick up any stray hair that might be sitting near the drain.

Use a vinegar solution to clean the shower head and make sure the water flows properly.

d. Floor — Follow the same cleaning procedure as the kitchen floor.

3. Living Room

a. Furniture

Typically, people bring all their furniture with them during a move. However, sometimes people leave a couple of pieces behind. If you are thinking of doing the same, make sure it is clean. Use a vacuum to clear furniture of any pet hair if you own one and let the pillows air outside.

b. Walls and Ceiling

Take out any screws, nails, or other items you used to hang pictures and other decorations on the walls. If you can, cover them up.

Get rid of any cobwebs in the corners. (Bonus Tip: If you are selling the place and can spare the change, paint the walls white.)

Dust any ceiling fixtures and make sure they are working.

c. Floor

Use specialized cleaning products on the floor. Depending on the type you have, dust, sweep, and vacuum the area.

4. Bedrooms

a. Floors — Follow the same procedure mentioned for the floor in the living room section.

b. Walls and Ceilings — Refer to the cleaning instructions for the walls and ceiling in the living room.

5. Garage

Take out all the stored items in the garage. Scrub the walls and floor clean.

6. Yard

Uproot any weeds in the yard. Try to make it look presentable by mowing the grass and raking up leaves.

7. Patio

Wipe down any patio furniture you may be leaving behind. Scrub the deck if it is an outdoor patio. If it is indoor, clean it the same way you would the bedroom.

Time to Start Afresh

Think about the new renters or owner of your former home and how happy they would be in a beautiful, spotless place. Refer to the checklist above to make sure that the entire house is ready for its new owners.

If cleaning your old place is too much of a hassle, consider hiring professional cleaners to do it for you. After all, no one would want to leave an old home knowing they’ve left behind a mess.

Your new place would have (hopefully) been cleaned by someone, too.

As for you, it’s now time to move on and begin a new life in your new home.

AUTHOR BIO
Craig Jones is the Managing Director at Aussiemove, Australia’s largest independent moving alliance. With 23 years of experience at Aussiemove, he has the skills and the highly trained team to move families safely and reliably, in Adelaide, across Australia and around the world.

Guest Post - How to Properly Organize a Living Space for Older Adults with Special Needs

A space where people dwell can be so simple. All you need is a few well-functioning elements – a chair, a table, bed, stove, shower, sink and a toilet – and one can easily survive if need be. However, survival is not what life's about. A living space that one considers home is a whole other matter. For an elderly person that has experienced a life-changing disability, this is a matter that can determine whether they will be depressed or content, so the design of such a place needs to be taken seriously. With that in mind, here's how to properly organize a living space for older adults with special needs.

A matter of decluttering

A cluttered space is a hazard for disabled elders. You should determine where the senior prefers to spend most of their time and see to it that there are enough drawers and cabinets around to keep the minutia properly stored. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the disabled person – they need to be able to move through the room with the help of a wheelchair or a walker. This means that the arrangement should be economic in such a way to leave enough room between the pieces of furniture for readjustment. De-cluttering simply lowers the risk of injury.

Furniture – less is more

While we are on the topic of injury, stuffing the living space with an arrangement of smaller furniture is begging for a visit to the doctor’s office. Instead, fill up the space with fewer furniture elements and keep them large. Of course, you should ensure that the furniture which is placed in the room does not have any jagged edges.

Natural light makes all the difference

Due to biological senescence, most elderly adults tend to “retire” into their shadowy dwellings and settle with solitary existence. Suffice to say, this impacts their mood immensely, especially if they are not exposed to enough natural light. Getting enough vitamin D is particularly important for disabled seniors and well-lit rooms can look vibrant without excessive over-design.

If you are looking for inspiration, you should check out Mark Moran Vaucluse aged care facilities, which offer some stellar examples of thoughtfully organized living spaces for seniors – such as layouts that are designed to capture maximum natural light and quaint vistas. Remember – the abundance of natural light is the cornerstone of a well-designed and well-organized living space. In fact, it is a “hack” that does a lot of beautifying for you.

A space for guests?

If an elderly disabled person is in good spirits, they’ll almost certainly yearn to cultivate their social life. It is therefore perfectly reasonable to ask yourself: Should the disabled senior have means to entertain in their own living space? If they live in a community or a communal establishment, it is much easier to answer this question – they can simply rely on several reception areas. However, if it’s a smaller, more tightly arranged living space, like a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago for example, – in a private environment or a smaller aged care facility, the answer should still be no. Day-to-day safety takes a priority.

Storage solutions

A well-organized, large storage space that covers an entire wall in a living space is something that can pretty much solve all the issues. Storage solutions can be divided into several areas based on their function. For example, eight smaller drawers can be reserved for keepsakes and paraphernalia. It is simply smarter to remove them off usable surfaces.

The following eight to twelve drawers can be reserved for books that are of particular interest to the elderly. At least several drawers should always be kept empty, just in case something needs to be stored away quickly. Another upside of this is that the dust doesn’t need to be swiped regularly off stored items, and cleaning other surfaces around the room becomes much brisker.

In the end, it does not really matter if the disabled elder lives at home or in a commercial building. The only thing that is truly important is whether their needs are met and if they feel comfortable enough in the organized surrounding. While modified elements that may assist the disabled person in moving around the place are obligatory, one should do their best to design and arrange the dwelling in such a way that it doesn’t look like a spruced-up medical facility. A few heartfelt details here and there can make all the difference in the world.

Lillian Connors can’t resist the urge to embark on a myriad of green living/home improvement projects and spread the word about them. She cherishes the notion that sustainable housing and gardening will not only make us far less dependent on others regarding the dwellings we inhabit, but also contribute to our planet being a better place to live on. You can check her out on Twitter.