Organization for Families: How to Prep for Fall

You clean in the spring and organize in the fall. Why? As the weather cools, you’ll spend more time in the house. Why not make it more organized so you can enjoy that space into the winter? Here are some tips to get started.

Clothing & Shoes

Get your closet or mudroom cleaned out by putting away all the beach towels and swimsuits. Pull out your family’s coats, jackets, and sweaters from where you stored them in the spring. If needed, add some hooks for extra umbrellas or coats. Make room for those rain boots by packing up sandals, flip-flops or other summer shoes. You can use clear Rubbermaid boxes to pack up the summer items and store them on top shelves in the closet.

Outdoor Supplies

This is the perfect time to wipe down the garden tools and accessories and put them away. Clean the outdoor BBQ grill and make sure it’s properly covered or stowed inside the garage or shed. Clean all grill accessories and put them away for next year. Cover and put away your garden furniture. Round up the small garden tools. Sharpen or clean them and then put them away for spring. Store hoses after draining them so they don’t freeze during the winter. Clean your lawn mower’s air filter and change the spark plug so you don’t run into problems the first time you use it next year.

Organize the Garage

If you’re like most people, the garage becomes the home’s storage unit. Take a good look at what’s in the garage now and ask yourself how to make more space. Are you finding that there’s little room for the car? If so, what can you throw out? If there are items in the garage that you don’t need until next spring, a great way to free up space is to rent a storage unit in town. This applies to anything in your home that you want to keep but aren’t using at the moment.

Organize the Pantry & Freezer

Colder weather means you’ll most likely cook more casseroles, soups, and stews. After organizing the pantry, make sure there’s room in the freezer so you can freeze those stews and soups. This will make eating faster when your family gets into its busier fall routine at work and school.

Take time now to get organized so that you and your family can enjoy the fall. Holidays and special events are around the corner and you want to enjoy those times as much as possible.