Organize Your Home
You’ve probably heard the old phrase “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” But when was the last time you could describe your home that way? Occasionally, things get out of hand, or you’re simply tired of an untidy room or cluttered closet and need a little help sorting out the mess. Whether your question is how to start organizing your home, how to know if you should keep an item or get rid of it, or how to maintain the organized home you’ve achieved, we’ve found helpful Web sites that can give you some answers.
Expand All Guide SectionsStart Organizing Your Home
Finding the motivation to organize your home and deciding where to begin are among the biggest ... read more »
Home Organization Products
If you find your home lacking in storage space or you just aren’t sure what to do with some ... read more »
Professional Home Organizers
If you feel like a room in your home, or even your entire home, is in too much of a disorganized ... read more »
Disposing of the Clutter
If “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” it’s true that some of the clutter you’ve eliminated during your home organization efforts may be useful to someone else or may even be recyclable. If you think some of your discarded items might still have a little life left in them, but you’re not sure where to go with your cast-offs, the following Web sites might offer you a little inspiration.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Hoping to donate something but unsure about the validity of local organizations? Several well-respected national organizations, such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army, have centers in several places around the country. Check their Web sites to find a drop-off location near you.
- Some donation centers have rules about when items may be dropped off for donation—and in some cases, not following those rules is illegal. Make sure you know what times you can drop off your donations to a local charity.
- Along similar lines, there may be specific rules that apply if you plan to recycle any of the items you’ve discarded. Call ahead to your area’s recycling center or check its Web site (if it has one) for specific instructions you may need to follow.
- When donating items to charity, don’t forget to get receipts whenever possible and to properly deduct the value of your donations on your tax returns. This article from Bankrate.com explains how to properly document the value of your items in order to report them on your taxes and also links to several IRS publications, including one that lists organizations eligible to receive your tax-deductible contributions. If you aren’t sure what your items are worth, check The Salvation Army's list of values of many commonly donated items.
- Organizing your clutter might literally pay off in the long run. Consider having a garage or yard sale once you’ve determined the items you no longer want to keep, or selling them online through classified or auction sites. Our findingDulcinea Selling Web Guide can show you how to get the best prices for your stuff.
Dulcinea's Picks
For an overview of your options …
Quickstep Organizing
contains advice from a professional organizer. This particular article provides an overview of the many options available for disposing of your unwanted items, including various ways to sell them, donate them, and throw them away.
To donate unwanted items …
The Charity Guide
offers information about making tax-deductible clothing donations in the United States. Links are also provided to several national organizations that accept donations. Be sure to check the complete list of popular and less well-known charities around the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.
Apartments.com
has an enlightening article about old items in your home that you might not think of donating, including used eyeglasses, old computers, and old pet supplies. The article includes Web sites for several organizations that accept a variety of donations.
Give.org
is part of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. This site contains an extensive listing of charitable organizations that solicit donations nationally. (The list will take some browsing as some organizations need financial donations rather than material goods.) Worthiness of an organization is not discussed here, but you may be able to find information about its finances and links to respective Web sites.
To recycle unwanted items …
Earth 911
has a lengthy set of articles about the various types of recycling and how to properly dispose of or recycle more toxic items such as paint and batteries.
For tips about garage and yard sales …
Get Rich Slowly
is a blog about earning money. This particular entry offers tips on planning and holding a successful garage sale.
Yard Sale Queen
also has some suggestions for holding a profitable yard sale. The site design is primitive and text heavy, but you’re sure to find some no-nonsense advice to help make your yard sale a success.
Maintaining an Organized Home
Don’t waste all that hard work you put into getting your home organized by letting it slip. ... read more »
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