Organizing Solutions for NYC Home Recycling

Posted on April 2, 2012 by theorganizingzone

Recycling LogoSince we celebrate Earth Day this month (it’s April 22), this seemed like a good time to focus on NYC home recycling and some home organizing solutions that would help facilitate the process. Did you know that the average person generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day? That’s about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. And although the EPA estimates that 75 percent of solid waste is recyclable, only about 30 percent is actually recycled. Surely we can do better. But with limited space in your NYC home, recycling can be a challenge. Employing some home organizing solutions and specially-designed products can help make household recycling in your NYC home part of your routine.

One organizing solution for your home is to create a temporary storage location for recyclable items in your home so that they aren’t cluttering your countertops or taking up valuable floor space. The Hidden Recycler from Rubbermaid attaches to the inside of a cabinet door (a great spot is under the kitchen sink). The bag has handle so you can easily lift it out and carry the contents to your building or community recycling collection area.

Another option is a 2-bin container that has compartments for both trash and recyclables but takes up no more floor space than a typical kitchen trash can. There are lots of products available, including this 2-Bin Recycler from The Container Store. This 2-Bin Pull-Out Recycler provides space to collect trash and recyclables using cabinet space.

Think that city living means you can’t compost food waste? Think again! This odor-free countertop compost container holds vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells, greens and other food scraps that can be used to make compost for potted plants and outdoor gardens.

Though reusable grocery bags are widely available and in greater use than ever, we still inevitably end up with plastic bags now and then. These bags aren’t typically recyclable except through in-store collection bins, but they’re easily re-usable for lining small trash cans and cleaning up after pets. The question is how to store them so they don’t pile up on the floor of your pantry. Grocery bag holders, such as this stainless steel one, are a great organizing solution to keep bags contained and out of the way until you need them.

In addition to the household waste we produce on a daily basis, products such as home electronics, automotive products, cleaners, and solvents pose a particular recycling challenge. NYC SAFE Disposal Events are scheduled this April and May (a schedule of dates, locations and times is available here). Grow NYC offers a number of recycling events this spring, focusing on electronics and textiles recycling. Take advantage of these opportunities as you undertake your spring cleaning.

While home recycling in NYC can pose challenges, with some creativity, good home organizing solutions and the right products, you take big steps toward a more “green” lifestyle.


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Case Study: Cluttered Kitchen

Posted on March 26, 2012 by theorganizingzone

My client has a good sized kitchen by NYC standards but decided it was time to seek the help of a NYC professional organizer to create a more logical plan for better organizing his kitchen.  This task had an additional level of complexity as there’s very limited storage in the bathroom so items that would typically be stored in a linen closet or medicine cabinet have filled up the entire pantry cabinet in the kitchen. The most-often-used kitchen objects and toiletries were kept out on the counter, leaving little work area and giving a general sense of disorganization and clutter.

Drawers were somewhat haphazardly filled with tools and maintenance items. This client enjoys entertaining and has a large collection of wine glasses, but wasn’t able to store all of them because shelf space was not used efficiently. Our objective was to apply some professional organizing strategies to declutter and organize this NYC kitchen so that items could be found when needed and counter space was available for food preparation and entertaining.

Before

  • Counter was cluttered with small kitchen appliances and supplies as well as toiletry items such as medicines, vitamins and skin care products
  • Pantry closet was overflowing with health and pharmacy items
  • Tools and other household maintenance items were scattered throughout the room
  • New wine glasses were sitting on the counter because there wasn’t sufficient space for them in the glass cabinet

After

  • Counter was completely cleared of extraneous items, leaving just a few essentials, such as the coffee maker and knife set
  • Designated a couple of shelves in an under the counter cabinet for coffee supplies
  • Established an area for shoe polishing supplies in one cabinet
  • Sorted the contents of the pantry eliminating expired personal products and medications
  • Grouped items by category in the pantry and placed most-frequently-used items at eye level, with others stored above and below
  • Identified one drawer for tools and home maintenance items (hand tools, measuring tape, nails)
  • Reorganized the glass cabinet making room on the shelves to incorporate the new glasses

Client Reaction
“I love my new and improved kitchen!  I’m still finishing up the last little bits of kitchen organizing and am amazed that we got so much accomplished in 3 hours.  Stephanie was really helpful in getting me on the right track. I’m hoping to have her come back soon to help me tackle one or two of my closets.”


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Our Favorite Products for Organizing Your NYC Closet

Posted on March 19, 2012 by theorganizingzone

Spring begins this Tuesday, but the really important event on your calendar should be national Clean Out Your Closet Week! Designated as the third week of March, this is a great time for eliminating clutter, maximizing space and organizing your NYC closet. Professional organizers recommend having the right tools for the task you’re trying to accomplish and when it comes to organizing your NYC closet, this is key. Closet space is often limited in NYC homes, so it’s important to make the most of what you have available.

Storage containers, items to maximize shelf space and tools to organize the hanging rods in your closet can make finding the items you need each much easier. Here are some professional organizer favorites for eliminating clutter:

Storage Boxes come in a variety of sizes and are perfect for storing shoes and boots, handbags, and out-of-season items such as sweaters, scarves, and hats. Clear or drop-front boxes make it easy to identify the items inside and decorative designs can enhance the overall appearance of your closet space. If closet space is tight, consider underbed storage boxes for items you don’t need on a regular basis.

Overdoor Storage makes use of often-overlooked vertical space in your closet. Using shoe bags and racks can clear floor space and can even provide a career boost – according to retailer IKEA, women with shoe racks are seven times more likely to be on time for work than women without them.

Closet Rod Organizers help keep items together in the way that works best for you. Use them to sort clothing by item type (jackets, dresses, slacks), season or category (work clothes, weekend clothes, etc.). These are great for kids’ closets too and help them to learn important organization skills.

Shelf Dividers help keep folded clothes tidy and are great for organizing handbags, towels or even books and magazines.

Open Bins are useful for storing large items, handbags, sweaters – even laundry. The variety of sizes, styles and colors available means you can find just the size and shape for just about anything.

Having your accessories organized in one place is a big help when you’re rushing out the door in the morning. Hangers and hooks provide storage for belts, handbags, hats and lots of other items in very little space. Specialty hangers for ties and scarves keep these items wrinkle-free and easy to find.

These are just a few of the many products available and even the best products won’t help if you don’t make a commitment to using them. If you need help eliminating the clutter or establishing a system for organizing your NYC closet, contact a professional organizer in your area.


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Using Apps to Get Organized When You’re On the Go

Posted on March 12, 2012 by theorganizingzone

The number of online tools and smart phone apps to help you get organized has expanded greatly in the past few years – there’s an app for just about everything, from setting goals to tracking your to-do’s to storing expense receipts for tax preparation.  Professional organizers in NYC recommend taking advantage of technology to do the things you need to more quickly and efficiently. The list below is based on professional and user reviews, but always do your own research and evaluation to be sure you’re choosing the right apps to get organized.

Toodledo – Highly-rated among users, this app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is a powerful tool to help manage your to-do-list and notes. Toodledo works as a stand-alone app or synchronizes with Toodledo.com, one of the most popular online task managers.

Features include:

  • Ability to assign tasks to a folder or goal
  • Audible popup alarms
  • Start and stop timers to keep track of time spent on projects (a key component of time management)
  • Assign locations to your tasks and view them on a map so that you can see what you can do nearby. Get proximity alerts when you are near a location where you have things to do.
  • Apply filters to tasks to sort by importance
  • Even Tweet your accomplishments with built-in Twitter support

Evernote, named a New York Times ‘Must-Have App,’ is easy to use and provides synchronization capability across all of your devices and is a favorite of many professional organizers in NYC. Features include:

  • Create and edit text notes, to-dos and task lists
  • Save, sync and share files
  • Record voice and audio notes
  • Search for text inside images
  • Organize notes by notebooks and tags
  • Email notes and save tweets to your Evernote account
  • Connect Evernote to other apps and products you use

Gtdagenda offers an online tool as well as an app for iPod and Android and can be used to manage your goals, projects and tasks, as well as set next actions and contexts. The tool includes checklists and a calendar and syncs with Evernote and Google Calendar. Gtdagenda integrates with your email, allowing you to send/receive emails and convert them into projects or tasks.

Lemon scans, stores and organizes receipts, giving you IRS-compliant paperless records of your spending. With the Family and Business premium plans, you can share receipts with others, such as your accountant. You can also create real-time charts and graphs to see where your money goes, with month-to-month and year-to-year comparison capability.

eWallet securely stores passwords, account information, card numbers, PINs and more. Just think of the number of passwords and PINs you use every day – and how frustrating it is when you can’t remember one. The software uses strong 256-bit AES encryption to keep your data safe and is available for iPhone, Android, PC and Mac.

As we are all more dependent on our mobile devices than ever before, it is essential that we identify the best combination of apps to help us get and stay organized.


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Organize Your Tax Paperwork to Simplify Filing NY Returns

Posted on March 5, 2012 by theorganizingzone

Shoebox with papersWhether you prepare your own personal or business taxes or enlist a professional, following these recommendations from a professional organizer  in NY to organize your tax paperwork ahead of time can make the process more efficient and perhaps even save you some money. Organizing your tax paperwork in advance makes the tax preparation process go faster for your accountant and it can help keep you from missing money-saving deductions if you’re filing for yourself.

Start by establishing one location to organize throughout the year the paperwork you’ll need at tax time. As any professional organizer in NY would suggest, the type of tools used to manage the paperwork depends on how complex your tax preparation process is. For personal taxes, a simple two-pocket folder may be sufficient, with income documentation filed on one side and deductions and expenses on the other.

Organizing tax paperwork for your business can be a more complex, with more income sources, expenses, receipts and other papers to keep track of. A set of file folders or a binder with pockets can be labeled for each category. You may want to consider a portable file box, which can make it easy to transport all of your documentation to your accountant.

Keeping track of expenses and receipts is key to maximizing your deductions come tax time. Tools such as Quicken, QuickBooks and the NeatReceipts receipt scanner can help with organizing your tax paperwork and financial records into electronic files that are easy to store and sort as needed.

Before you begin to prepare your taxes (or turn everything over to your tax preparer), use a checklist to ensure that you have everything you need. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Social Security Number and business Tax ID Number
  • W-2s, 1099s, 1098s and related documents
  • Brokerage statements
  • Records of other taxes paid throughout the year
  • Documentation of interest paid on mortgage and student loans
  • Charitable donation receipts
  • Documentation of retirement account contributions
  • Childcare and education cost documentation
  • Receipts for medical costs
  • Other paperwork for tax-related income and expenses

Professional organizers in NY and across the country recommend utilizing simple systems year-round to organize your tax paperwork as it can make filing your returns a snap each Spring!


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