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Storage & Organization

Does your kitchen look cluttered?

Is your table a catch-all for things that your family drops when they come through the door, such as homework, newspapers and mail?

Is your kitchen counter untidy?

Do your kitchen drawers attract things that belong in other places?

A cluttered kitchen is a problem I faced recently.

Here's how I organized my kitchen from top to bottom...

Well, not exactly.

Believe it or not, there are actually some big differences among the many types of plastic hangers that are available.

How do I know?

Because moments ago, I finished switching out every single plastic hanger on Jim's side of the closet for a similar (but different) type of plastic hanger.

Here's the scoop...

Some of the times when you might want to give your home a deep cleaning include:

Prior to moving

Before guests come for an overnight stay

At the start of each season (fall, spring, winter, summer)

Before putting your house up for sale

That said, sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what to do and where to start.

Here are a few tips to help you deep clean your home -- inside and out.

People usually want to clean their home in the shortest amount of time possible.

As a professional house cleaner, I've whittled my best speed cleaning tips down to 7.

Hopefully, these tips will help you get your cleaning chores done quickly, while still doing a good job.

I've written about some of the clever ways to fold things like shirts, napkins, and sheets.

I've also shown you some fun ways to fold towels into creative shapes and animals.

Now, it's time for the most practical folding technique that everyone can use on a daily basis: how to fold towels & keep them looking great!

By now, most people realize the importance of using compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) to save energy.

It's one of the simplest things you can do to start living an environmentally-friendly life and to save money on your light bills.

BUT... did you also know that CFLs contain mercury which can be dangerous? Mercury is actually poisonous and can affect the nervous system.

I don't say this to scare you or to detract from the many benefits of using CFLs, but rather to assist you in the event that one of them breaks!

#1 Move anything you don't intend to sell.
First and foremost, anything you do not want to sell should be moved as far away from the yard sale area as possible. Or, covered those items with blankets and tarps.

I can't tell you how many times people have wanted to buy items that were simply being stored in our garage. Here are just a few of the strange things that people have wanted to buy at my yard sales:
"I see a garden hose over there in the corner, are you selling that?"
"Is that bike for sale?"
"The footstool that you're using for to display items... is that for sale, too?"
"What about the magazine racks that are holding all those magazines... are you selling those?"