Dear
:
As
you've probably noticed, the weather is changing and before we
realize it those Chicago winters we all know and love will be here.
For that reason, I am dedicating this quarterly newsletter to
tackling organizational projects that are best done while the
weather is still mild: garages and attics. And while we are on the
subject, I'll be addressing basement storage areas too.
I once read that 25% of homeowners cannot park their car in their
garage because they have too much stuff in it! Attics and
basements also seem to become "dumping grounds" where items pile
up.
Hopefully, this newsletter will motivate you to turn your garage,
attic and/or basement storage areas into highly functional and
maybe even aesthetically pleasing (see our Project of the Quarter)
areas of your home.
As always, we are here to help if you need us! Have a wonderful
Fall.
Regards,
Linda
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A
"HOW TO" on HOW TO
FIT
THE CAR IN THE GARAGE!
Here
are some tips for making sure your garage is well organized and has
room for the things it was meant to store. (Including your
car!)
Use Space
Wisely
You only have 3 walls to
work with so use them wisely. Make the most of your vertical wall
space by using cabinets or utility shelves that go from floor to
ceiling. Peg boards are also very useful in a garage and can
be handy for hanging lawn chairs, tools, rakes, racquets, etc.
Hooks and racks can be terrific for storing bikes, golf clubs and
long handled tools. Consider putting in an overhead storage loft
for large items or out of season equipment or lawn
furniture.
Sort into
Categories
Sort the items in your
garage into categories: Bikes/helmets; sporting goods; tools, yard and garden supplies; camping
equipment: paint supplies; car care items; recycling and
garbage.
Let
Go
Make
sure that you intend to use anything that you are storing in the
garage. Go thorough each category of items you've sorted and
determine if there are items that are no longer being used. Then
determine whether they should be disposed of, donated, recycled or
sold. Don't forget to review expiration dates on chemicals and
dispose of those that are outdated. (See article on donating and
disposing of garage items in this newsletter)
Find a Place
Each
of your categories should have a specific location in your garage.
For example, you will have one area for the car care items, one
area for painting supplies and one area for tools.The place you
choose should be determined by who uses these items, how often and
where they use it. For example, sporting equipment that your kids
regularly use should be near the entrance of the garage so that it
is easy for them to get to and put away when they are playing
outside. Items that are hardly ever used should be stored in harder
to access areas rather than in in your prime space.
Safety issues should be considered as well.
Chemicals and tools with sharp edges should be kept out of reach of
small children or in a secured cabinet that children and pets can't
get into.
Choose Containers and
Label Them
Many
of your items can simply sit on the shelves or hang from
a pegboard. Some however will require containers to maximize the
space and keep them from spilling over into other categories. Use
durable bins with lids that can be stacked and make sure to label
them. For example, you may want to use separate bins for the
supplies used in household repair projects like plumbing,
electrical, adhesives and tiling. Hardware organizers are great
for separating out different nails and screws, etc.
Sports equipment organizers can be great for separating and housing
balls, bats, skates, etc. Tall metal garbage cans can also be great
for storing bats, hockey sticks, or for similar sized balls.
Garbage cans are also good for storing rakes and shovels as is an
upright tool organizer.
Maintain
After
these areas are organized-- make an effort to keep them that way.
Put things back where they belong after using or when adding new
items. Once a year, make sure that items are in their correct
categories and check to see if there are items to let go
of.
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THIS QUARTER'S HIGHLIGHTED
PROJECT
How
would you like to drive into this garage each day? After we helped
this client sort through and purge the excess items in their garage
they took it from there! They had bike hooks hung, had cabinetry
installed, the garage floor and walls painted and hung a chandelier
that they had inherited but had no other place for. Just think
what your garage can become!
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 orBasement Storage Area
Use
Space Wisely
If space allows, use
utility shelves from floor to ceiling along the walls and down the
middle of the room if needed. Also, use furniture that you are
storing in these areas to store other items like party supplies or
off season clothing.
Sort into
Categories
Sort your items into
categories. The categories you will most likely have are: Off
season clothing; spare furniture; baby equipment; holiday
decorations; luggage/ travel accessories; photos& memorabilia;
party supplies. You may want to keep extra pantry or cleaning
supplies in the basement storage area as well.
Let it
Go
Just like the garage, these
rooms can easily become dumping grounds and there is probably a lot
you can get rid of. Keeping the items may have made sense at the
time but perhaps not now. Here are some items to let go
of.
Baby
furniture/equipment that your kids have outgrown - Be
realistic. Do your children want the crib they slept in 30 years
prior for their children or will they want to choose their own?
Unless it is an heirloom give it away or sell it.
Holiday
decorations - Throw/donate those that you haven't
used for the last several years.
Boxes for
electronics that you no longer own or are no longer
under warranty.
Luggage
that you don't use anymore.
Paint cans
for colors that you no longer have in your home.
Furniture
that you do not intend to use again and have no antique
value.
Clothes
that you haven't worn in the last 2 years, you no longer like or
are not in good condition.
Extra shopping
bags. You only need a few.
Your old college
schoolwork. It is doubtful that you will ever look at
your old papers and notebooks again. If you feel you must keep them
try to limit yourself to just a few.
Find a
Place
Just as in the garage, you
want to keep all of the items for each of your categories in a
designated and labeled spot. The place you choose should reflect
how often it is used. For
example, if you are storing extra pantry items in the basement, you
may want these near the entrance to the room so that they are easy
to grab when replenishing the kitchen. Or if are a frequent
traveler you may want the luggage area to be in the most accessible
spot of your storage area.
Attics are usually the least
accessible storage space in your home so store the items you need
infrequently. Keep a list near the entrance to the attic of what
is stored there so you won't forget. Photos can be damaged
by extreme temperatures and humidity so the attic is not a good
place for them.
Choose Containers and Label
Holiday decorations can be stored in labeled bins that designate
the holiday they are for. You can also purchase special boxes to
store wreaths and ornaments in. Store smaller boxes within larger
bins so that delicate decorations do not break.
For off season clothing, use cedar chests and wardrobes or sturdy
bins with a few cedar balls tossed in. Make sure to label each bin
with the name of the person the clothes are for, size and season.
Hanging racks with garment bags to protect clothing are another
option.
Loose photos are best stored in archival photo boxes. Old tax or
financial records can be stored in cardboard bankers boxes.
However, use plastic file boxes or a file cabinet if you suspect
you may have rodents or there is humidity in the storage
area.
Store paint cans on shelves labeled with the room they correspond
to.
Maintain
After these areas are organized - make an effort to
keep them that way. Put things back where they belong after using
or when adding new items. Once a year, make sure that items are in
their correct categories and check to see if there are items to let
go of.
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WINTER COATS
NEEDED!
Donation Opportunity
From now until December 4th,
your neighborhood Jewel Food Stores and the Chicago Bears are
providing a great opportunity to donate winter
coats.
Most area Jewel Food Stores will have a coat collection bin for
your winter coat donation. These coats, which will be colllected
on behalf of the Salvation Army, will be donated to public schools
in the greater Chicago area.
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EXTRA "STUFF"
Listed
below are tips for disposing of some of the items you may come
across while organizing your garage.
Latex paint
cans
While latex paint is not a hazardous material, it must be dried
out before disposal with other garbage. To dry it out, put cat
litter, shredded newspaper or sand in the paint can to absorb the
excess paint. Be sure to then throw out the absorbent material in
the trash and recycle the paint can.
Tires
Bring old car tires to any Illinois automotive tire retailer for
recycling. (They are required by Illinois law to accept them.) The
retailer will probably charge you a small fee per
tire.
Household Chemical
Waste
Oil based paints, solvents, motor oil, antifreeze, garden and lawn
chemicals, pool chemicals, old gasoline, fungicides, insecticides,
pesticides, paint remover, driveway sealer, aerosol products, hobby
chemicals and household batteries are all considered household
chemical waste and should not be thrown in the
trash.
These items
should be dropped off at a special household waste collection
event. These events are sponsored by the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency and are periodically held in different
communities. There are also some regular drop-off
locations.
Please visit
the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County's website at
www.swancc.org or the Solid Waste Agency of Cook County's website
at www.swacco.org for more information and upcoming collection
dates and locations. Residents of Chicago should visit www.cityofchicago.org for information.
Broken Garden
Hoses
For tips on how to
recycle a broken garden hose check out www.ehow.com and search for
"recycling garden hoses". It's surprising how many different ways
you can put these to use and keep them out of landfills.
Sports
Equipment
Sports equipment that you no longer use or want can be donated to
many organizations including The Sports Shed at www.thesportsshed.org
You may also want to contact a sports resale store like Play it
Again Sports at (847) 564-9180 to see if they have an interest. www.playitagainsports.com
Bikes
These are also a much appreciated donation and often times your
town's park district will have a special event to donate your
bike.
If you want to sell your bike, you may want to list it on www.craigslist.com. Another donation option is
to list the bike on www.freecycle.org.
(This
article originally appeared in the Q2 2008 edition of our
newsletter . Since it is relevant in this issue we are reprinting
it with several additions to the content.)
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Above is a picture of a basement
holiday storage area by Altogether Organized.
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Contact
Us
847-266-9166
or visit us at
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