Archive for the 'organization tips' Category

5 Spring Cleaning Projects

Published on May 3, 2011 in Clutter, Spring Cleaning, junk removal and organization tips. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .
Winter is long over and you no longer have an excuse for not doing all of those odd jobs you’ve been procrastinating about all winter long. If you live in the Northern part of the country, you had plenty of snow to deal with, but it’s been gone for a few months now. There’s a good chance that someone in your house may have already requested that you do one or more of the five tasks we have listed here, but we thought we’d mention them anyway. Spring has sprung (some time ago) and it’s time to get these things done!
Eliminate Clutter: This is one of those tasks that can be compared to a New Year’s resolution. How many times have you told yourself that you were going to clean out all that clutter and finally get it out of sight and mind.  Somehow, this one always gets put off until later and the pile just gets larger and larger. Don’t let it happen again this year. Instead of making this your last spring cleaning project, make it your first.
Wash Windows: Another candidate for the “later” list, window washing is everyone’s least favorite task, but the results are always awe inspiring. Spend a day washing all the glass portals that look out from your home and you’ll find that your house and the world around it are actually much brighter places than you imagined.
Clear Gutters: If you didn’t do this in the fall you may have had some leakage from the roof or in the basement. If the gutters are clogged and drainage water can’t get down the drain spout, it will spill over the sides of the gutter and pool at the base of your home. That ground isn’t graded to drain like the area around the drain spout, so you end up with pools in the basement. Avoid that by making your gutters part of your spring cleaning efforts.
Detail the Car: Now that you’ve done some of the heavy duty household chores, take some time and detail the car. Inside and out, it’s filthy. Winter has a way of doing some real damage to an automobile, so be nice to your ride and give it a wash and vacuuming. Maybe you’ll find some change in the seats or that favorite CD you thought you lost. Small bonuses like that make auto detailing worthwhile.
Garage/Basement/Attic Yard Sale: If you’re still stuck on the clutter suggestion, try thinking of it in terms of making a profit. Clean out your garage, basement, or attic and put everything on the front lawn for a yard sale. They say one man’s garbage is another man’s prize possession. Just because you think it’s worthless doesn’t mean someone else might not like it. Sell as much as you can, make a few dollars, and then call the junk removal company to get rid of the rest.
And for those bigger items around the house that you would rather someone else haul off – simply call Junk King at 1-800-995 JUNK!

Spring Cleaning Tips

Published on April 7, 2011 in Old Appliances, Spring Cleaning, junk king, junk removal and organization tips. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .
Spring cleaning is a time during the year when people go through their homes and do a thorough clean from top to bottom.  In the past, people did not get out of their homes as much during the winter and they accumulated a variety of trash and junk items.  The practice originated because cleaning was one of the top priorities when winter was over.  Today this process has stuck and many people go about the process of cleaning their homes thoroughly each spring.
In many cases, doing a truly complete spring cleaning job can be a daunting task. The best way to approach this is by creating a list of areas that need to be cleaned and the tasks that need to be completed in each area.  Most people start by performing the basics – picking up, washing dishes, some light dusting.  It is hard to focus on out-of-the-way areas that need cleaning when the rest of the home is dirty or cluttered.  Making sure that dishes are clean and the house is free of debris will make the tasks that come later much easier to perform. Once clutter is removed, the next step is to vacuum and mop.
After your home is clean, you will want to focus on areas of the home that don’t often receive regular attention throughout the year. Closets are the best place to start.  People have an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality and tend to place a lot of useless junk in their closets.  Go through and take a look at all the items placed inside and evaluate their usefulness. Get rid of any useless junk and clothes that are worn out, no longer fit properly, or have gone out of style.
The next place you will want to go is the kitchen.  Go through all the cabinets and see what junk items can be removed.  Often we tend to put away chipped and damaged dishes thinking that we may have a use for them eventually, but it is better to get rid of them now.  These items are easily replaced should the need for extras arise.  Be sure to check the expiration date on all food and discard if it is out of date.
Finally, if you have a garage or store room, you will want to clean there. These are areas that often require professional junk removal services.  Any unusable items like broken tools or lawn equipment should be either fixed or discarded.  Many people have broken appliances in these places as well. Those items may require special disposal to avoid the release of dangerous chemicals.
Once you have finished your spring cleaning, you will find that you have much more space available.  A good way to get rid of all the unwanted junk is to have a yard sale.   As the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another’s treasure.
Be sure to contact Junk King at 1-800-995 JUNK if there are any items that you are unable to discard for yourself.  Before you know it, you’ll be spending your spring relaxing in a clutter free home!

Tips For Cleaning Out Your Walk-In Closet

Published on February 10, 2011 in clean out your closet, junk hauling and organization tips. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The phrase ‘cleaning out your closet’ has come to mean a number of things, including letting go of burdensome memories or social relationships.  The original meaning, however, literally means getting rid of all that junk that’s built up in your closet space.   We don’t often realize it, but we spend quite a bit of time inside our home’s closets, especially if you have a walk-in closet.  It could be getting ready for work, finding the perfect outfit for going out, or trying on new clothes; every day we spend time inside that closet.

Walk-in closets come in all shapes and sizes.  Some have dressers and drawers, some simply have shoe racks, and some select few have entire sectional couches within them.   Just like any other room in your house, these walk-in closets require some upkeep if you want to keep them both tidy and useful.  So, without further ado, here are a few tips for cleaning out your walk-in closet:

Evaluate Efficiency: The closet is one place where we probably aren’t just hanging out or having fun in.  This is a place where you go grab things you need, change your clothes, and leave.  Anything getting in the way of the efficiency of your closet is bad, and can slow you down for getting to work or going out.

Take a second to evaluate your walk-in closet’s efficiency.  Is there a clear path to the clothes you regularly wear, or is there junk getting in your way?  Are your clothing and accessories organized in a clear and accessible manner so you don’t waste time everyday searching for items?  If not, you need to map out a new walk-in closet plan to increase that efficiency.

Decorate When Necessary: This point may seem counterintuitive to the previous efficiency point.  Why worry about your walk-in closet’s design when you want to use it for a purely functional standpoint?  Well, the fact of the matter is you do spend quite a bit of time everyday in that closet.  Although it may not be 100% apparent, if your time inside it is relaxing it can really change the rest of your day.  The decor and design of your closet can make a big difference in whether you are stressfully throwing on clothes, or casually getting dressed.  Decorate your closet as if it were any other room in your house, using subtle queues that make the room more pleasant to be in.

Have a ‘Temporary’ Area: As we know, getting ready for work or going out is not often as peaceful a process as we’d like it to be.  Sometimes a swirl of clothing-changing chaos can leave our closet looking like it was hit by a tornado.  This is why having an area in your closet to place ‘temporary’ items that don’t fit in any one section or drawer can be really helpful.  It could be a corner of your closet, a couch cushion or a section of hangers – use this area to place piles and items of clothing that you simply don’t have time to put back in the right place.

There may be some larger, older items in your closet, like couches or dressers that simply need to be replaced.  For the best in furniture hauling and disposal services call Junk King at 1-800-995 JUNK or book a free on-site estimate online today.

What is an Efficient Home?

Published on November 17, 2010 in Furniture Pick Up, junk removal, organization and organization tips. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

When people think of the word efficient they most often think of automobiles.  In a variety of recent car commercials, vehicles have been titled ‘efficient’ to tout their power, gas mileage and storage space.   One of the more memorable recent car commercials shows off a mini van that has seats that can be moved around, certainly making the vehicle more efficient as far as its use of space.

What do we think of in terms of an efficient home?  One interpretation of an efficient home could mean a family that runs very smoothly – family is out the door, dinner is on the table and the kids are put to bed like clockwork.  Another meaning of an efficient home could be one that uses the available space very well.  For example, the ancient art of ‘Feng Shui’ concentrates on organizing your home to maximize the space available.

Optimizing the available space at home can be done in several ways.  One is to move around furniture to different places.  Perhaps a sectional couch fits better across the room in the corner.  Maybe a plant gets more light if it is moved onto a counter top in the kitchen.  Perhaps the big flat screen TV provides better viewing angles if it is moved to the other side of the living room.  Although re-organizing furniture and household items can often be like a game of ‘Tetris’ – it is also a great way to better utilize your home’s available space.

Another way to make the space in your home more efficient is to simply get rid of the extra clutter.  There aren’t many homes out there that don’t have a bit of useless junk that probably isn’t doing more than collecting dust.  Although we all love to collect items – there is a fine line between holding onto things we like and hoarding.  As shown by a variety of popular hoarding tv shows, Americans are particularly fond of holding onto piles and piles of useless junk.

So how do we get rid of all that unnecessary clutter?  The first step is to have a reality check and take stock of what’s really important and what is unnecessary.  This can be done by dividing items in your into three piles:  “sure-things, would-like-to-keep’arounds, and toss-aways.”  Try using post-it notes around the house to designate items into these three categories.

Now comes the hard part – getting rid of those sometimes clunky items for good.  Although you could do it yourself, you’ll risk throwing out your back and ruining your car interior trying to haul those items away.  Your best option is to give Junk King a call at 1-800-995-JUNK.  Junk King provides affordable, efficient and eco-friendly hauling services so that you don’t have to live with all that clutter.

Get Your Life in Order on Labor Day Weekend

Published on August 31, 2010 in junk hauling, junk removal, labor day and organization tips. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

What is Labor Day all about anyways? Depending on who you are, you might think about this holiday with a distinct perspective.  If you’re in school, you probably see labor day as the end of your coveted summer vacation.  Many people see Labor Day as the unofficial end of the summer season; a time when the leaves are gearing up to change color and the air starts to lose some of its humidity.

Labor day actually began way back in 1882 as a way for the US government to appease trade and labor organizations.  Festivals were held in the streets and people celebrated, just like they do today.   Although labor day is a time of celebration, it also is the last weekend many people have to get ready for a long year ahead.  Besides kicking back and relaxing a bit, here are a few things you can do on labor day weekend to get your life in order for the year.

Donate Your Old Clothes: You might have stocked up on new bathing suits, shorts, and tank tops for the summer months, which doesn’t leave much extra space in your closet.  Grab a big black trash bag and take some time to sort through your clothes, picking out the items that you no longer need.  Be liberal in your selection: most of the articles of clothing that you ‘think you may wear at some point’ you will most likely never wear again.  There are a number of places you can donate old clothes, including the Salvation Army.

Get Rid of Useless Junk:  During the summer you probably were traveling quite a bit, which left you with little time to organize your home.  Labor Day Weekend is a great time to sort and get rid of all of that useless clutter around the house.  You know the stuff I’m talking about.   The toy bins of your now college-aged kids, building materials from the summer’s porch project, the speaker system with frayed wires hanging out the back…  Some items can be fairly large and hefty, making them difficult (and dangerous) to haul away on your own.  For these large pieces, be sure to give Junk King a call at 1-800-995-5865.

Get Your Appointments in Order:  When the summer finally winds down, the next several months can often be a dizzying array of events, doctor’s appointments, weekend trips, work meetings and more.  Although most of us have some sort of calendar or appointment book to keep all of this in order, we usually still aren’t fully prepared for what is to come.  It would be worth it to have a look at your calendar and make sure you have everything on the horizon scheduled – in the end the process of doing this will probably reveal a few items you left off your list.