Organization can be a very involved and overwhelming process, but there are still plenty of small organizing tasks you can tackle in less than 15 minutes. Here are three quick ideas to get your decluttering ball rolling.
1 - Clean out the cabinet under the kitchen sink
Under the kitchen sink is where old cleaning supplies and plastic grocery bags come to die. For some reason, this space tends to be a magnet for clutter. However, by spending just a few minutes, you can convert this space into a practical, easy-grab, and functional area that works for you.
Start by pulling everything out and wiping down the cabinet to create a clean slate. Then, sort the items into categories such as trash bags, dishwashing, and cleaners.
Think of this area like the kitchen's cleaning and trash command center. You should only keep items here that a) make sense in the kitchen and b) are used regularly. You should store backstock and extra items in the laundry room, storage closet, or garage.
Once you have narrowed down your items, use any basket, bin, or container you might have on hand to keep categories together. Again, this does not have to be fancy, just functional!
2 - Sort through the medicine cabinet
Who hasn't frantically searched for the right medicine in their medicine cabinet only to realize half of the items are expired. Or, scrambled to find a bandaid, any bandaid, when your kid has a scraped knee. So, to lessen the stress and be prepared for life's minor emergencies, take a moment to sort through your medicine cabinet.
First, take everything out, tossing expired products and anything you don't use. Then look things over to look for duplicates. Lastly, put everything back in an orderly fashion.
The final step is to note what you are missing and put those on your shopping list.
3 - Organize the center console in the car
Most people spend a significant amount of time in their cars, and therefore a space like the center console tends to get jam-packed with "necessities" and other random items.
Keeping a few useful things in your car makes sense, but less is more.
Like any other space, clear everything out first, then sort what you have into categories.
Then use either ziplock baggies or small pouches to keep the categories separate and organized, clearly labeling each one to avoid frustration.
Some categories you might have are:
Snacks - granola bars, protein bars, nuts
Toiletries - deodorant, chapstick, kleenex
First aid - bandaids, antibiotic ointment, sanitizer
Office supplies - pens, paperclips, a notepad
Once everything is sorted and organized, make a note on your calendar to tackle this small task every so often to keep it nice and clean.