Your Winter Organizing Guide
When the days grow shorter, and the weather keeps us inside, it’s easy to feel stir-crazy… and surrounded by clutter. Normally, we think of spring as the time to organize and clean out; however, winter is actually the perfect season to tackle indoor organizing projects that often get overlooked in busier, warmer months. If you’re snowed in or it’s too cold to go outside, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite organizing projects!
1. Entryways and Mudrooms
Winter gear takes a beating like no other type of seasonal clothing. Start by clearing out last year’s outerwear. Go through the piles of old hats and gloves. Donate outgrown sizes and toss gloves without a match. Create labeled bins for hats, scarves, and gloves, and keep a washable mat by the door for wet shoes. Put all your backpacks and bags in a pile, and as you sort through them, set aside the ones that haven’t been used in a year and donate them. A bench or hooks at adult and kid-height can help everyone stay organized during the daily in-and-out shuffle.
2. Kitchen and Pantry
Cold days often mean more time cooking and baking at home. A cluttered, messy kitchen is hard to use and stressful to spend time in. While you’re stuck inside, go through your cupboards and toss those old storage containers that are stained or missing lids. Give away the mugs you never use and reorganize your food storage. Check expiration dates on canned goods, rotate pantry staples, and tidy your spice rack. If your freezer is packed, take an afternoon to defrost and inventory what’s inside, then plan a few meals using what you have. You’ll free up space and save money!
3. Coat Closets and Linen Storage
Winter is bulky season, and overstuffed closets only make getting dressed and keeping track of things harder. Start by sorting coats, sweaters, blankets, and bedding by their purpose. Keep what you love and use, store off-season items in breathable bags or plastic bins, and donate extras to local shelters. Fold and arrange linens by category, bath towels together, sheets by size, etc… this will simplify laundry days.
4. Hobby and Game Spaces
Winter naturally invites indoor creativity. Whether it’s crafting, puzzles, or family game nights, these spaces can quickly become cluttered. Gather similar items together and use stackable bins or shelving units to create easy-to-maintain zones. Labeling helps everyone in the family return supplies to their rightful places. This is a great space to organize with the whole family. Instead of scrolling on phones at night, gather the kids and go through games and crafts together. Donate things no one uses anymore and let your kids help decide how things should be sorted and organized so they can practice the skill.
5. Home Office or Work Desk
Tax season is around the corner, making winter the best time to streamline documents. Create categories for bills, receipts, and important papers. Shred or recycle what’s outdated and set up a consistent system for incoming mail (one that’s simple enough to maintain all year). Declutter your desk by using small bins for office supplies and leaving only what you use daily on your desktop. If you have a bin of old papers that you’ve dreaded having to look through, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea, get cozy on your couch with your favorite TV show, and go through it!
6. Holiday Items
After the winter holidays, take note of things you didn’t put out and donate them. Throw away broken ornaments and old decorations that have seen better days. Use clear bins to store holiday items and label them so you can find them more easily next year. And after you’ve gotten your winter holiday decorations organized, you might as well go through any other decorations, like Halloween or Easter, so you can find them when the time comes!
