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Amber’s Home and Office Organizing Blog index

Cleaning Up for Company

I don’t read the Tribune newspaper every day but I almost always enjoy reading the home and garden section every Sunday. This last Sunday I pulled it out and saw an article on cleaning up quickly before company. Most of their tips were helpful but I didn’t appreciate one. They suggested you shove paper piles into a closet if you need to clear your desk or the kitchen counter top quickly. I think that’s a really bad suggestion because it only makes matters worse. I can admit, I did that once and it was horrible because I forgot about the pile completely and was late on getting things done when I found it. As an organizer, I’ve come across many of these “stash piles” or bags full of “stash paper and nine times out of ten, the client comments that he or she had been looking for that forever. My point it proven: never stash a pile of paper in a closet or bag just for company. Try these tips instead: 

1. Keep a decorative bin or basket on your counter top, in your office, or under a coffee table. Gather loose paper and store it there at the last minute. Make sure the container is visible and hopefully you’ll work on getting through the paper once company has left.  

2. Draw boundaries by committing to keeping paper in just one room of the house. No paper lands in my kitchen, family room or bedroom because my home office is the only place I allow myself to drop loose paper. I don’t feel bad if company drops by and I have one neat pile of paper on the desk. That’s to be expected because I work from home. 

3. The best scenario is try to go through your paper/mail every day so that you don’t have to scramble when your neighbor or friend drops in. Have a designated place for bills and paper to be filed, etc. 

Do you have a fast clean up trick? Tell us about it!

 

 

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