You surely had fun decorating your pad for the festive season and entertaining family and friends. You may still have a holiday hangover, but you need to face it: party season is over. Get moving and start the year right with post-holiday condo cleaning. Declutter your place and your mind. Maximize your space with these New Year organizing tips. While you’re at it, tackle house repairs. Lastly, breathe new life to your home with fresh condo renovation ideas. Giving your condo a makeover has never been this easy and fun.
Declutter
The start of the new year marks a clean slate. Just like in life, you need to let go of things in your condo to make space for the things that you really need.
1. Just Do It, That is, Putting Away the Remnants of the Holidays.
The first step in decluttering your condo after the holidays is to store away your Christmas tree and decors in your living room as well as other places in your condo. Dispose of any Christmas lights and ornaments that have been damaged. This will save you storage space. Then, put them in boxes and containers according to their shape and material. Label them to make Yuletide decorating easier when you have to take them out again.
2. Raid the Fridge.
No, you are not going to binge eat — you need to keep your fitness resolution in check. What you will do is to clean the constantly-working appliance in your condo kitchen, the refrigerator. According to Martha Stewart, a clean refrigerator keeps food fresher so it is important to take care of it. First, throw away spoiled items. Next, clean the doors with mild dishwashing liquid and water and the interior with baking soda and water. Organize the leftovers and keep them in airtight food containers. Lastly, eliminate odors. You can use fresh coffee grounds, charcoal, or kitty litter.
3. Revamp Your Wardrobe.
Thinking of where to put all the clothes that you received for Christmas? Edit your overflowing closet and take out items that are uncomfortable, you have not used in a year, and you have grown out of. Donate them to charity. You will not only have the space to accommodate the gifts you would like to keep, but you will also get to stay on top of what you have.
Repair
There are some repairs that are not big enough for in-house maintenance calls. Moreover, it does not take much to learn how to fix things. Spare yourself from spending on professional repair with quick and easy DIY condo repairs.
4. Deal with that Drain.
Unclog drains by removing the accumulated debris and hair. Check the sink design, detach the sink pop up, if any, and clean. You can also pour some baking soda on the drain. Afterwards, just flush it with a mixture of hot water and vinegar. This should have the residue going down the drain.
5. A Fast Hack for Wall Cracks
Condo living means shared floors and walls with other tenants and this translates to amplified noise and unwanted smells from the next door when cracks appear. Fret not, though. First, check the size of the crack. According to How Stuff Works, you can tape and bed small cracks by placing a drywall mesh tape on top of the crack. Next, cover with drywall mud and spread over the tape. Then, let it try and lastly, sand and paint the area.
6. Nurture Your Furniture.
Furniture with signs of extensive use are not flattering for any condo interior. Cover up small dings, dents or scratches by rubbing pecan, walnut or Brazil nut meat over the damaged area. If there are more than a few scratches, How Stuff Works suggests applying hard paste wax, preferably, No. 0000 steel wool. Gently rub the wax on the grain of wood until the scratches are not as visible. Afterwards, wipe with a soft cloth.
Organize
Once you get rid your home of clutter, you need to organize your things for you to make the most out of your condo space.
7. Invest in Functional Furniture.
Every inch counts so make sure you work with the space that you have in organizing things. No biggie. The condo lifestyle is on the rise and you will find a variety of space-saving furniture that can double as storage. These will hide unsightly clutter, instantly making your condo organized. What is more, who would not want to stay organized with attractive and practical storage solutions?
8. Organize According to Your Lifestyle.
According to Better Homes and Gardens, “storage systems that adjust to your habits rather than vice versa have a greater chance of enduring success” — a good thing to remember especially when one of your New Year resolutions is to be organized. For instance, figure out where you and your family tend to dump your stuff and put trays or baskets. Also, plan your storage according to the sizes and shapes of your stuff so that you can maximize space.
Beautify
Come home to a chic condo interior with these fuss-free tips.
9. Back to Basics
According to Meryl Starr, owner of Let's Get Organized, too much furniture can make even the most spacious living room look like an episode of Hoarders. Ease things up by “sticking to the basics — a sofa, a bookshelf, a comfy chair, an end table, and a coffee table—and arrange so there’s clear, unimpeded traffic flow.”
10. Spruce Things Up.
A back-to-basics condo design does not have to be boring. Liven up your interior by changing certain pieces like the table linens in your kitchen and dining room and beddings in your bedroom. Pick fabrics in bright hues that catch your fancy and watch how the instant pop of color makes condo decoration simply effortless.
11. Got A Green Thumb?
Do not let space constraints limit you. Get into container gardening and reap the benefits of plants like better air quality and a scenic view in your small balcony. Container gardening is effective and highly customizable. You just pick the right container, plant, and soil according to your outdoor space.
A clutter-free and organized home reflects an energetic and productive mindset. Live the life that you have always wanted in a condo that is as modern and cosmopolitan as your lifestyle.
