Do you have a New Year’s Resolution to purge your junk and get more organized?

Now that the new year is upon us and everyone makes resolutions some want to get organized and purge their junk. Others may just want to have a simpler life and live without all the unnecessary stuff.  Regardless, tackling it can be so overwhelming that just leaving the stuff in boxes or just taking it all to a dumpster seems, well, easier.

4 Easy Ways to get rid of junk – purging is always the first way of getting organized:

1. Trash? Take it to the dump. At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, if it’s trash get rid of it! Simply take it to the landfill and please, don’t abandon it where it doesn’t belong. If you need help hauling it there are companies that specialize in junk removal.
2. Get donations picked up for you. Some charities nationwide are willing to make an appointment to swing by your house and grab your donations Loudoun Blue Ridge Hospice thrift shore, Goodwill and Habitat for Humanityjust to name a few. Search Google to find out what local places will pick up your things for you. You can always call your local junk removal service as well as see if they take the time to separate donations.
3. Drop off donations yourself. You probably have thrifts store that will happily take your donations nearby. Income from many of these stores support our community directly. Items that the thrift stores can’t sell are often gifted to families in need.
4. Sell items. While certainly not the easiest way to get rid of junk, there are some ways to make some money off your unwanted stuff that’s easier than listing it online and waiting for someone to show-up. You can use a service like ThredUp, which allows you to simply mail them items they may accept for consignment and give them permission to donate the things they don’t want. ThredUp helps you to reduce, reuse, recycle your closet.

Now that you have removed some junk let’s get organized – 15 simple ways to get started:

1. Repurpose vessels already kicking around the house. Dip trays work great for storing small accessories like rings and hair ties.
2. A few “S” hooks can wrangle all your belts
3. Storage trunks are as handy as they are stylish
4. Use pillowcases to store sheets (match the sheet sets inside the pillowcases)
5. Group items by task – Keep all the items you need for a specific daily task, like making coffee, on a single tray. You’ll suddenly have a tidy counter.
6. Use jars to organize dried goods Wire baskets are great for storing produce that needs air like potatoes and onions.
7. Custom utensil holders will buy you more space
8. Hang pots on the wall or from the ceiling
9. Wire baskets look great on the wall. Use them as shelves to store extra towels or toilet paper.
10. A magnetic strip goes a long way
11. Stick it to the inside of a cabinet door to hang tweezers, nail scissors and files.
12. Decorative baskets do wonders on the floor
13. No closet storage? Keep clean towels and toilet paper concealed in a pretty basket.
14. Use a shoe organizer to hold boring bathroom supplies. Out of sight, out of mind! Hang one on the inside of a closet door for toiletry refills and bathroom cleaning products to free up counter and cabinet space.
15. Keep loose papers all in one place