Merriam-Webster lists one of definition of organize as, “to arrange or order things so that they can be found or used easily and quickly.” See that last bit? “Easily and quickly.” That’s the whole point in taking the time to find organization solutions that work for you – so that in the long run, finding what you need, when you need it, will be an easy and quick process.

In our last post in this series (read it here), we talked about taking things 3 at a time and finding solutions that work for you. Now let’s look a little more at organizing two household chores that take up time more than space.

Laundry

Our guess is laundry is probably not on your top 10 favorite things to do list. Personally, I’ll do just about anything to avoid all the sorting, washing, drying, hanging, folding… And that’s why I end up with so many loads that it takes an entire afternoon. That’s a lot of time that I could spend doing things that are on my top 10 list.

There are dozens of way to make laundry easier. One blog we love that has tons of ideas is from Dawn at I Think We Could Be Friends. By switching to just one style of socks and ditching laundry baskets, she was able to cut down her family’s laundry production by half.

Another blogger, Harvard Homemaker, has a list of 30 tips and tricks to make laundry not so chaotic. Her tips range from using color-coded (and kid friendly) sorters rather than laundry baskets to knowing what actually needs to be folded and what can simply be tossed in a bin.

If putting away laundry is your least favorite part, like it is for me, then sometimes finding room in a closet can be really tricky. That’s where Guardian can help! A small storage unit, like a 5×5, is perfect for storing seasonal clothes and shoes, infrequently-used suitcases and even special-occasion dresses and suits. Not keeping those in your home closets is an easy way to free up closet space, and that means you have more room to organize your clothes.

By the way, you can find fun ways to make laundry rewarding (beyond wearing nice-smelling clothes). Check out what this mom did with all the “stuff” she found in her son’s pockets over the years. Talk about a unique wedding present!

Kids Toys

Any parent will tell you that cleaning up after a child is a never-ending job, even when kiddos are old enough to help out. But here’s where the magic of organization comes in. First, you’re saving yourself time by making the clean-up process simple and easy. Second, you’re teaching your children how to organize things in everyday life, setting the stage for good habits.

This is one of these projects where taking things 3 at a time is a great place to start. What toys are the most frequent headaches – books, Legos, doll clothes? Once you’ve identified the biggest time consumers, it’s time to find easy solution to tame the chaos.

In our home, we spend a lot of time doing arts-and-crafts. Crayons, markers, glue sticks, stickers – all those little things end up all over the kitchen table. The solution that works for us? A clear over-the-door shoe organizer! Each pocket is reserved for a specific item, and the okay-for-kids-to-access items are in the lowest pockets. Things like scissors, stickers and glue sticks are up and out-of-reach. (And I gratefully confess I nabbed this idea from Attempting Aloha.)

We’ve compiled a collection of our favorite ideas for toy organization on our Pinterest board, so check it out.