CBS 5 - KPHO CBS 5 Morning Team starts spring cleaning

CBS 5 Morning Team starts spring cleaning

It's time for a little spring cleaning and the CBS 5 Morning Team talked to a professional organizer on how to make the task a little easier.

First, we tackle the kitchen.

Amalia Gorraiz, owner of Get Organized, said the first thing you need to do is take everything out of the cabinets.

"So if you have nine pitchers, you can actually visually say I don't need nine pitchers. I can get rid of this one," Gorraiz said.

Also, if you only use your holiday dishes once a year, think about putting them in the garage.

As far as the pantry goes, consolidate all like items like paper goods and canned goods.

Gorraiz said instead of a bunch of half-empty cereal boxes, it's better to use clear containers. They line up well and you can see when you are running low on something.

It's important to clean out your pantry because bugs can start to appear.

Gorraiz said if you find bugs in your pantry, paprika may be the source.

"If you are getting little weevils, look at your dried goods. Boxed cake mixes or things like that," Gorraiz said.

Gorraiz said it's a good idea to go through your pantry every time you go shopping.

"What you're going to want to do anyway is to take the soup you already have and put it a little closer to the front and get your new soup and put it in the back. That way you're rotating your stock as well and that way it doesn't expire," Gorraiz said.

The garage is another area in the home that often needs some organizing help.

Gorraiz said, like in the kitchen, it's important to take everything out of your garage and start fresh.

"But you don't just take it out and throw it on the driveway. What you want to do is, as you remove your items, you put them in a separate area, with the like items."

Then you have your camping gear together and your garden supplies together.

Next, get rid of all your boxes. A lot of people have boxes lying around the kitchen. Once you empty them out and get rid of them, you'll have a lot more space.

When it comes to labeling your bins in the garage, Gorraiz said it's a good idea to buy clear bins so you can put the label on the inside.

Often, in our summer heat, Gorraiz said labels taped on the outside of a bin don't stay on very well.

"You can put a piece of paper on it and actually write what is in the bin and put it right in the front so you can see at a glance what's in it. So you can see at a glance an inventory of what you have in your garage," Gorraiz said.

Of course, it's important to get rid of stuff to make room in your garage.

Gorraiz said if something is broke but you're keeping it because you think you may fix it someday - think again.

"If you're a procrastinator by nature and you know you're not going to do it, get rid of it. If you don't use it, get rid of it," she said.

Now to the kid's room.

Gorraiz said the best way to stay organized to make it easier for your kids to pick up after themselves.

"In the children's room... [use] open bins so that they can help you stay organized," she said.

Gorraiz said it is best if there are no lids on the bins so it's easier for kids to put their toys away.

Also, hang items on the wall that you need to get to often such as hats or backpacks. 

It works as decoration, it's functional and it gives you more space in the room.

Next is the laundry room.

The No. 1 mistake people make in organizing their laundry room, Gorraiz said, is using the space for items unrelated to doing the laundry, such as appliance manuals and paint cans.

Gorraiz said it's harder to find items when they are scattered in different rooms of the house. 

The next room we tackle - the office.

Gorraiz said the home office can be tough because a lot of people have downsized so they share their office with another room in the house.  And many people work out of their home now.

One way to cut down on your paper clutter by at least 50 percent, Gorraiz said, is to pay your bills online.

"There's really no reason to keep any paper work at all.  As far as utilities go, even your insurance premiums... your payments on your car," she said.

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