Home Organization Project 49

For week #49 of 2014’s New Year’s Resolution – yes, every week we’ve cleaned and sorted out a different area of the house – we’re going where very few have gone before – behind the gingham curtain! Yes, I put up a gingham curtain to hide the contents on our basement shelves. No, it’s not fancy but neither is our basement.

Here’s a view of the area before….

And here’s a view after…..

What’s hidden behind the curtain are items that keep a house running – light bulbs, dish washing sponges, laundry supplies, liquid/organic soap making supplies, dish washing detergent, lint rollers, etc. There’s nothing glamorous about this stuff but it does need to go somewhere and I can’t think of the last time I pulled everything off the shelf and wiped it down.

And, here’s the shelf after….all cleaned and sorted!

Since we switched out all of our cleaning and laundry supplies over the last year or so, we had very few items – and fewer items had spilled! Here’s why we made the switch and I had gotten rid of our regular cleaning and laundry supplies at our garage sale this past summer.

I took all of the light bulbs out of their big giant plastic containers and recycled them. It’s so much easier to see what we have now!

We reused cardboard boxes that we already had to store items in. What’s the point of buying storage containers when they’re behind the gingham curtain?

This little table (which was found on a curb for free) is just the right size for between the washer and sink. It’s usually a mess – picture kids doing their own laundry and the spills that go along with that.

I had some fabric scraps underneath that were supposed to be easy to wipe off – except that I never did.

Instead, I used a cleaning rag that was a cute t-shirt in a previous life. (Remember when we cleaned out Brad’s closet? It’s his old t-shirt.) After a few spills, I’m tossing the rag in the laundry and use what’s spilled in the washing machine – zero waste! Then, I can use another old t-shirt/rag underneath.

We dry our laundry in the basement on laundry lines and use our dryer very little. We use the laundry lines year round, too. Here’s more about it: Why we use laundry lines and How to set up your own laundry lines and How to best hang clothing on laundry lines.

The gingham curtain is actually a queen size Ralph Lauren flat sheet. Check T.J. Maxx, Marshall’s, or your favorite discount store for sales on fine bedding. I’ve even asked clerks at Macy’s what they have hidden in the back stock room on sale – you’d be surprised what they can find and are willing to sell! Flat sheets purchased on sale are usually less expensive than buying fabric. Plus, the seams are already sewn.

Another week, another project done – and really, I would not have done this area had it not been for this crazy weekly home organization project and my sharing it with you, dear readers! Thanks for tuning in and yippee! We are almost done! I hope you’re getting your home organized, too.

What did you sort out and clean out this week?

52 weeks of home organization

As part of our New Year’s resolution, we’re cleaning out a different area of our house every week this year. Find all of the “weekly home organization projects” – or click the image below.