A Place for Everything

Create a place for everything in the house by following these suggestions:

 

Keep clean dusters in stock.

Kitchen: Store cookware near the range or cooktop. Store utensils in a drawer next to the range or cooktop, or in an attractive container on the counter; store all wooden spoons in one container and all stainless steel and plastic in another. Keep a spray bottle with a solution of 1 part bleach to 4 parts water, or an all-purpose spray cleaner, in the kitchen for sweeping after meals.

Bathroom: Stash a spray bottle with all-in-one window and surface cleaner and an extra roll of paper towels under each sink for surface cleanups.

Hall closet: Install storage bins with separate drawers for gloves, hats, and scarves. Stock up on stackable see-through plastic containers to store light bulbs, batteries, and emergency candles.

Laundry room: Hang the iron and ironing board on a wall caddy. Keep all laundry supplies together in a basket. Store sewing supplies in a container with multiple compartments. Find buttons quickly with a sewing-center book: Fill a three-ring binder with blank pages, and staple on the little envelopes of extra buttons and thread that come with clothing purchases. Note where the buttons belong under each envelope.

Cleaning central: Store all cleaning implements and products in one place for easy retrieval. A closet works fine, but if you have a laundry room or laundry corner, the space is ideal, because soiled or used cloths can go directly into the washing machine. Wherever you store cleaning supplies, keep them out of the reach of small children, even if you have only an occasional young visitor. Post daily, weekly, and monthly chores on a small bulletin board in the cleaning center.

To make your cleaning center efficient, buy a wall rack to hang brooms, mops, and dustpans in one place. Use baskets, bins, and caddies to store products and supplies. Make sure all supplies are stored out of children's reach. Create a customized, computer-generated supply checklist. Make photocopies on colored paper to post in the cleaning center. When a product is running low, note it on the list before the next shopping trip.