LiveMARYLAND: Homeowner Tips - Easy Home Organizing Ideas

Are you ready to breathe life back into your home after a long winter? It's time to get organized and declutter your space for a fresh start to the season!

Here are a few easy home organizing tips to help you tackle clutter in every part of your home:

• Follow the one-in, one-out rule of organizing (for each new item brought into your home, one has to leave)

• Try the tray trick to organize cluttered countertops (see below)

• Use a turntable to store condiments in the fridge

• Take advantage of drawer dividers and organizers (especially in the kitchen)

• Color coordinate your closet

• Have a donation or discard bin around at all times.

Here’s the “tray trick” explained:Instead of constantly fighting against the clutter that naturally collects on your kitchen counter, corral it. Invest in a tray (or multiple trays) that are strategically sized to fit your counter and the type of clutter you typically struggle with. For example, if the condiments and spices threaten to take over, order a turntable large enough to stash the essentials within reach. If a pile of mail is the culprit, order a shallow woven tray to contain it.

The moment these trays start to overflow, it's a signal to relocate those extra spices to the cabinet or finally tackle that paperwork. Rather than attempting to maintain a flawless countertop all 365 days of the year (a worthy, but entirely unrealistic goal), the tray method makes your kitchen look perpetually tidy without daily organizing.

As you clean out, if you have some gently used clothes or items you are looking to get rid of, donate them to a local charity! For easy donations, the following organizations do home pickups here in Maryland:

AMVETS | www.amvetspickup.org

What they take: Mens, womens and children, clothing, small appliances, electronics, jewelry, kitchenware, pots, pans, dishes, lamps, toys / games, curtains / drapes, bicycles, books, bedding, seasonal items, flat screen TVs*, computers*, exercise equipment*

*5 years old or less

SECOND CHANCE | secondchanceinc.org

What they take: old doors and windows, hardware and tools, ironwork and mantles, gently used furniture, building materials such as kitchen appliances, bathroom fixtures,

tubs, sinks, accessories, household goods, garden elements, collections, lighting or

unique architectural items in good to excellent condition, historical items, and “oddities.”

VVA | www.pickupplease.org/maryland

(Vietnam Veterans of America)

What they take: Clothing, household goods, electronics, books, exercise equipment,

sporting equipment, tools, small furnishings and more*.

*all items must be small and light enough for one person to lift and carry

The McIntyre Team of Keller Williams Integrity

Direct: (443) 870-4268 | (443) 574-1600