Prepare Your Toilets for the Fall Like a Goddamn Adult
The time has come. The seasons have officially changed, the air has taken on a fresh morning hue, and the humidity has left the building. (At least where I live. Sorry Florida). What means? Time to flip those toilets for fall. And we’re not just talking about clothes here. New seasons often require new bedding, new entertainment, and ready-made new sports equipment. Here’s how you can “fall” (ugh, we know) in a more organized way.
Get rid of unused items
In a dark corner of every toilet there are things of the wrong size, the wrong age, outdated, no longer used, which we hold in our hands just in case . In which case? We were suddenly gripped by the urge to put on the free hats from the Eagles – or do something that we crashed and burned out three years ago? Take an honest inventory and be ruthless. (It’s just bullshit! It’s okay.) Anything that hasn’t been used for over a year – throw it away or donate. If you hate throwing away clothes with one small hole or stain, look for a textile recycling department near you .
Give your clothes an autumn makeover
After you’ve unloaded your fall wardrobe, inspect all of your clothes. Do you need a visit to a tailor or dry cleaning? How are your buttons on your coat struggling? Any sweaters you need to remove from the pile? Check your shoes and boots to see if they need weather protection, polishing, or replacing the sole.
Remember to show love for the clothes you are about to store as well . Rather than tossing them in bulk in a cardboard box until next spring, determine which parts might need fixing, lint rolling, or dry cleaning before storing them in a dry, dark place (you can even use a spare suitcase for this).
Organize by people, not equipment type
Many family walk-in closets, including ours, are organized by type of clothing or warm-weather outfit. A box for children’s gloves, a garbage bin for scarves, a shelf for hats. However, instead of organizing by category, try organizing by person . Thus, each person’s things can be easily found and put away – in an open-top basket, on which their name will be written.
Get your shoes up
Rather than just tossing off-season shoes in a large plastic tub to stink and fester for the next six months, have a shoe spa day for them. (They may have adhered dirt, dust, or other questionable debris that you don’t want to wash off the rest of the piece.) Rub them with a soft bristled toothbrush or brush, baby wipes or detergent and water on a microfiber cloth or cloth. … Treat smelly insoles with baking soda and stuff your shoes with rags or old socks to prevent accidental wrinkling or wrinkling during winter breaks.
Shape your shoe storage
Speaking of shoes – goodbye sandals, hello boots with thick heels. In autumn and winter, the volume of shoes increases. What was used to properly store your summer shoes may stop working when the temperature drops. Professional organizer Michelle Vig suggests asking yourself if you are taking off your shoes, “drunk or loose.” If you are kicking, equip your closet with labeled containers that everyone can easily throw them into. Whether you place, shoe racks, shelves, or a hanging door trolley is what you need.
Bedeck your bed
If you didn’t wash your fall sheets and duvet covers before storing them last spring, now is the time. If so, then you are one step ahead – all they need is to whisk quickly over low to medium heat in the dryer. (Ditto for throw pillows.) To get rid of that musty storage smell, rinse them off with drying towels or these fresh, scented alternatives . For a warm sheet; fold the flat sheet, sheet, and one pillowcase together, then slide them into the second pillowcase for storage.
Check your game situation
We’ve all been frolicking outside for the past few months, but now is the time to squat and bond with the whole family around the campfire. Browse your board game and puzzle collection . Are there any things that are no longer age-appropriate for anyone in the family (we’re looking at you, Thomas the Tank Engine 4-meter floor puzzle). Are there any missing pieces that will never be found? Are there boxes that need to be replaced? Donate what your family has outgrown, repurpose or throw away what no longer works, and use old shoeboxes and Ziploc bags to transform battered but still working games into a new home.
Browse pantry and baking supplies
While the pantry is not technically a closet, it is a shelf for storing food with a door, so that counts. Check the expiration date and throw away dry or canned foods after they bloom. Place the ones that are about to expire in front of the pantry where you can see and remember to use them (fingers crossed).
It’s baking season too, boo. While you may have hung up your apron for the summer heat, this bread pan will be calling your name soon. Stock up on any staple foods like flour, sugar, brown sugar, and baking powder. On a personal note, you need more muffin mold liners. It doesn’t matter if you know what you need them for, you need them. Oh, and there can never be too many chocolate chips. Should you also buy this premium pumpkin puree before they sell out? Yes. Yes, you should.