Your Simplified Guide to Back-to-School Cleaning and Organizing

Now that the kids are back in school, it’s finally time to take stock of the hurricane that was the house over summer break. Where do you begin to organize after a flurry of summer camps, family vacations, longer days and a general lack of structure? Whether you’re at home while the kids are at school or able to embark on some back-to-school cleanouts over the weekend, now is a great time to work on cleaning and organizing the house. Why not capitalize on the structure of the new school routine and eliminate some chaos to help the kids (and parents) thrive this year?

No matter what area you’re cleaning, these tips will help you to organize the process and give you great results!

·Stay in one area- Pick a space and stay there until you’re done. You’ll be amazed at how much faster you’ll work if you keep distractions at bay. Set aside a basket of items to take to other rooms of the house. Don’t go to those rooms until you’re done in the first zone. This keeps distractions to a minimum and helps you to work with laser focus.

·Remove everything to one area- Pull every item of clothing out of the closet and pile it on your bed. Remove all the items from drawers to a table. Place contents of a dresser on a flat surface. Seeing everything in the open makes cleaning so much easier. You will be able to view everything clearly and can work more efficiently.

· Reevaluate- Now that school is back in session, take into account your child’s new stage of life. Have they outgrown or worn out clothes from last year? Have they advanced past the early reader books on their shelves? Can you donate some of the more juvenile toys they no longer play with? You can easily eliminate clutter and make a stress-free environment for your children by addressing cluttered areas.

· Create peaceful spaces- Most children complete their homework in different zones of the house. Create spaces they can use to increase focus and eliminate distraction. Clear desks of clutter and messy papers, create a peaceful nook for reading or minimize the items on the kitchen bar. Creating spaces that encourage homework success will be appreciated by your child and their school performance.

· Minimize for easier routines- Minimalists cite reduced choices as a benefit to their lifestyle. Pare down the amount of choices your students will make each day by cleaning and organizing. For example- help your student to create a “uniform” they can wear each day. This can be as simple as 5 pants options and 8 shirt choices to encourage a simplified routine. Simple choices will minimize distractions as you complete daily routines.

· Create piles- As you clean, label piles or containers. Create a trash pile, donation pile, keep pile, and to-be-sold pile. Compartmentalizing the items you’re cleaning will make the process go quickly and smoothly.

· Ask yourself “does this bring me joy?”- This question from Marie Kondo’s KonMari method is a great starting point. Ask yourself honestly if items actually bring joy to your family. Don’t ask, “do I use this?” or, “Should I keep this?”. By approaching each item this way, you will keep what you truly love and easily part with the things that don’t enrich your life.

· Take stock and organize what’s left- The part that remains is reassembly. Take stock of what you have and then organize accordingly. Ideally, you will have fewer items to replace. Create organizational systems that make each space work for you and avoid any future relapses into cluttered living.

A cleaner and more organized space will make the school year better for both parents and students. We hope this is a great starting point and a fun guide to your next big cleanout.

Photo by pixabay via pexels.com.