Thursday, April 16, 2009
Streamlining the Flow of Your Household
I found a great definition for the word streamline: to make simpler or more efficient. I love the idea of a simpler, more efficient household.Here are three suggestions on ways to streamline the flow of your household and help you save precious time and energy:
• The upstairs/downstairs basket system
Do you find yourself constantly going up the stairs to bring stuff up or because you forget to bring stuff down? Try putting a basket at the top and the bottom of the stairs and every time you find something that needs to go up or down, just put it in the basket and make one trip when the basket is full. This strategy can work even if you don’t have a two-story home. For example, if you have a long hallway that feeds off into several rooms, you could still use the basket system.
• Incoming mail system
If you’re losing the battle against the mail that keeps piling up, you might want to try this mail system. First, find a basket for incoming mail but don’t stop there. Instead, put a recycling bin and a shredder right next to it. That way, when you bring the mail in, junk mail immediately gets thrown away or shredded and you’re left with the mail you really need.
• Create work stations
Instead of running back and forth to get everything in one spot to do a job, try creating some work stations. While each family has different needs, most people could utilize stations under the kitchen sink, in each bathroom and in the laundry room. You should have all of your cleaning or work supplies in each of these stations to save you from all that back and forth. One of my favorites is the portable diaper station! Instead of bringing my baby to his room every time he needs a change, I keep everything I need in the living room so I can change him right there.
Some of these suggestions seem fairly insignificant but those few minutes saved can really add up by the end of the day. If you feel like you’re stuck it may be worth consulting with a professional organizer. After just a few hours they can help you set-up on systems that will make your life simpler and more efficient.
Do you have any suggestions on streamlining your household? Please share them with us – the goal here is to simplify!
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1 comment:
i love the idea of creating stations around the house for various tasks...thanks for the good ideas!
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