Moving sucks is what I hear upon answering the telephone. My client recently moved and hasn't had a moment to organize her home. She tells me she is in desperate need to get her sons room organized, so clean up time isn't a daily nightmare. She was at her wits end and needed cleaning and organizing help done- yesterday. Please HELP!
I had to put a plan of action in place to help her keep her sanity. She works full time job and doesn't have time to constantly pick up toys. I immediately booked my next available appointment to go out and see what I was up against. She was right his room was in major disarray and the room was half the size it used to be.
Here's how I started!
1. Out with the old and in with the new.
My client and I went through all of the toys and she picked out the ones he isn't currently interested in and we packed them up into a plastic storage container. The plan is to put them away for a few months. Bring them back out and repeat this process again. The child will always have new toys to play with and you wont have as much of a mess to deal with. We continued to pick out all the broken toys and threw them away.
(Suggestion: Do this step when child isn't around, because to them they play with every toy they have! LOL)
2. Corral Small Toys
For small toys like legos, matchbox cars or barbies it is best to use a toy organizer.
You can label the containers and will make it easier for the child to put their toys back when they are finished playing with them.
3. Book storage 101
Store books vertically in a cloth bin, cardboard box or a dish pan. This makes it easier for the child to put his books away independently. Verses a book shelf where it can be difficult for them to squeeze the book back into a tight space.
4. Stuffed animal collections
Stuffed animals can get out of control easily, but there are great ways to organize them. Laundry baskets, stuffed animal hammocks or even a decorative box is great for containing the mess.
5. Hide the big stuff
A giant toy box or a big storage container with a lids are great options to hide away all the toys that do not fit into these categories.
My client needed a plan of action and had no idea where to begin and was completely overwhelmed! I completed this job in under an hour and my client is feeling more confident and less stressed. Since helping her organize her sons room she is motivated to get the rest of her house done. For more great tips on cleaning and organizing, come hang out on our Facebook page.