share post

Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient Housekeeping

by | Jun 4, 2012 | Domesticity, Organization

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient Housekeeping
Lovely kitchen by Pretty Handy Girl // Photo via BHG

Cleaning and Housekeeping Tips

Summertime should be full of fun in the sun and lots of relaxation, right? But, someone (eh, hem) should still keep up with the housework (at least a little bit, right?). Humpf. The need for cleaning and housekeeping doesn’t necessarily end when summer arrives.

So what are we going to do about that?

I’ll tell you what I do about it. I speed clean.

Speed cleaning, by my definition, is being organized and efficient enough with cleaning to get the house “clean enough” in a short period of time. My thought is the more efficient we are with cleaning, the more time we can spend outside and enjoying summer activities! I like the sound of that! A clean house AND a fun summer — a perfect stress free combination!

Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient HousekeepingWallpaper via: Schumacher

Here are my favorite speed cleaning tips for fast and efficient housekeeping! 

1. Get your daily routines down.

If I keep up with my basic routines, things don’t get so out of control in the first place. My house will stay clean enough! Trust me on this, cleaning routines will change your life.

Try my 4 Daily Routines or make up your own! The important thing is that you get yourself in a simple rhythm of daily upkeep of your home. Once you do, all the other necessary homemaking tasks will not seem so overwhelming or take so long in a day. This is so important!

2. Dress for success!

Want to fly through your cleaning routine? What you wear just might affect the efficiency in which you clean! I certainly find that to be true. I actually do not clean well in my PJs. Sorry to disappoint you PJ loving people, but it just doesn’t work for me. My clothes tell me what I can accomplish. PJs and slippers tell me to be lazy and slow and maybe even crawl back in bed. I can do a quick load of laundry while still in my PJs, but anything else and I am good for nothing.

Shoes and clothes tell me it is time to get down to business and start the day. Too nice of clothes tell me I shouldn’t clean at all. Aprons tell me it is OK to tackle a quick cleaning job no matter what I’m wearing.

Moral of this story, I find I need to be dressed appropriately for cleaning or wear an apron in order to be efficient. Try it. Get dressed and I bet you’ll be more efficient. I dare you.

3. Stay focused.

It is so easy for me to get carried away when I start cleaning and end up spending way too much time on something I only intended to do for 15 minutes. Setting a short timer for the task at hand keeps me focused on completing a task (rather than getting bogged down in perfection or lost by distraction) and moving quickly through the process. Your timer is your housekeeping friend, use it!

Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient Housekeeping
BHG

4. Keep cleaning supplies in convenient location.

This is HUGE for me. If I have to run downstairs for a cleaning supply I need upstairs, I get distracted on my way down. Pretty soon I’m having a snack. Checking Facebook. Looking at old photos. And then I forget to finish cleaning. True story. So if I keep everything I need to clean the upstairs bathrooms handy right there in the bathroom, chances are I’ll finish cleaning without getting distracted!

5. Clean as you go.

Cleaning as I go through my day saves so much time! Even though at first it will seem like you are cleaning all the time, eventually it becomes second nature and you won’t even think twice about it!

Here are my best clean-as-you-go tips:

  • Clean out the shower while you are taking a shower.
  • Wipe out the sink after you brush your teeth.
  • Throw all the laundry in the wash before you start breakfast.
  • Set a timer for when it is time to move clothes to the dryer and again for when dryer will finish.
  • Pull clothes out of the dryer and hang immediately. Do not pile anything but socks, undies or towels in a laundry basket. I repeat, hang clothes immediately.
  • Empty dishwasher before you cook or eat.
  • Put dirty dishes directly in the dishwasher instead of piling them in the sink first.
  • Soak pots immediately after cooking.
  • Clear the table right after dinner.
  • Start the dishwasher right after the dinner dishes are put in.

Simple clean-as-you-go tips, yes, but if you use them they will save hours in a day! Hours you can use for fun in the summer sun.

6. Clean in a logical order.

If I need to clean an entire room or house top to bottom, it is helpful to think through the most logical order in which to complete the tasks. For instance, I always sweep and vacuum before I dust. If I do it the other way around, I end up having to dust all over again as the vacuum will kick up more dust.

In the kitchen, clean top to bottom. Wipe down your appliances and counters, sweep and then mop your floors. Always wash your floors last, as you back out of the room!

Think through the order of housekeeping will keep you from doubling your effort! It is worth a little planning in order to save time for things you’d rather do than clean! Like RELAX!

Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient Housekeeping
BHG

7. Lighten your load.

Less stuff means less to clean and organize and more space for what you really need. When all of your cabinets and closets are stuffed and overflowing, it is too frustrating to try to be organized. Summer is the perfect time to have that garage sale, donate items to charities and rid your home of excess!

Your daily cleaning routine will go so much faster when there is less to shuffle and clean around, and you’ll feel much happier and lighter all summer long! Set aside even just a few minutes every day to clean out a new drawer, a closet or a cabinet and say good-bye to stuff you don’t need.

Want more inspiration? Check out my new book, Love the Home You Have!

Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient Housekeeping

1,025 Comments

  1. Lynn from For Love or Funny

    Now that my kids are teens, I’m starting to include them in my “clean as you go” mantra. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, etc…

  2. Alaina

    My organizational goal this summer is to get the little things done early in the season so that I can sit and enjoy the pool and great weather later on.

  3. Emily

    My organizational goal for the summer is to finally finish unpacking from our recent move and to start setting up the nursery for our first baby due in October!!

  4. Jojo

    Dress for cleaning… That is a great suggestion! It’s like dressing for success. My goal I’d to do some major thinning out in the linen closet and the basement. For some reason these areas are easily forgotten and there are things in there that haven’t been used in years!

  5. Lisa B

    I really want to get the photos cleaned up and organized! I have SO many pictures to print and already printed ones to figure out what to do with. This is a project I say I am going to do every summer and don’t. THIS summer will be the one! Thanks for the chance to win.

  6. Brigid

    I am a little behind schedule-I need to get my spring cleaning finished!!!!

  7. marie

    this summer i want to finally organize the closet in my bedroom. it’s SO small and inefficient…it needs a LOT of purging and organizing. i just haven’t had the strength to take it on. lol

  8. Lori H

    2 organizational goals for the summer: one, meal planning so I don’t get to dinner time after being at the pool and have to scramble to get dinner together. Two, I want to de-clutter and wipe down all the “hidden” storage in my house…drawers, cabinets, etc. Great giveaway!

  9. Kristin

    My biggest challenge with cleaning this summer may just be the transition from stay at home mom to a working mom (fingers crosed!!!). I will have to revamp my cleaning routines!

  10. Abby

    I need to tackle our garage… it’s out of control! We don’t have a large kitchen or pantry to help store certain small appliances so we tend to let them sit on shelves in the garage until we need them. I’d love to get some REAL shelves in there with REAL storage and also maybe redo all the other items that are stored out there like Holiday decorations, sports equipment, tools, etc. Not to mention all the crafty pieces I leave out there until I’m ready to tackle them. I’d also love to tackle our master bathroom drawers and cabinets… they need a little help.

  11. Courtney

    My basement! It’s a terrible, cluttered mess.

  12. Vanessa

    The garage! I moved about 9 years ago, and we still have moving boxing that haven’t been unboxed yet (talk about crazy). So I definitely need to make it a point to try and tackle all of our boxes and clean out, maybe have a garage sale? I just know, it has to be done, though I’m dreading it … :)

  13. Bethany

    My summer goal is to declutter our little 2-bedroom apartment. We’ve lived here 5 years and are planning to move next summer so hopefully this will make life a better for future me. :-)

  14. Kelly

    My one cleaning/organizational goal is our craft closet!!! Little bits and bobs everywhere and I don’t even know what’s there!

  15. Linda G

    This month we are cleaning up the house for our daughter’s first birthday party. We’re following that old trick, “host a party to get your house clean”. I hope things will look the way I picture them in my head. Right now, there are still miles and miles to go. We’re “nibbling” away at projects (outdoors and in) as we can.

  16. Jackie K

    I’ll focus on the master bedroom and closet organization this summer. There’s a dresser to empty and donate, then oodles of over-packed shelves and closet rods to purge!

  17. Kate

    The basement. It’s horrible and must be dealt with before I just start throwing everything into trash bags.

  18. Holly Noel

    My goal is to come up with a weekly cleaning schedule that doesn’t overwhelm me. I tend to try and tackle everything at a time, so a much easier routine could save me from frustration. I like a clean house at all times, but I’m realizing it just isn’t possible with animals – ha! This post was great! Thanks for the tips!

  19. Lindsay

    I really want to clean and organize all of our camping and kayaking gear so we can grab it at a moment’s notice for a mini-vacations whenever the weather’s nice. Mostly, this involves the acquisition of some new storage totes that fit easily into the car and some shelf-shuffling.

  20. Danielle D

    My goal is to declutter by having a garage sale and giving items to charities.

  21. Liz B

    We have lots of projects slated for this summer, but the one I want to focus on most is cleaning out and organizing the master bedroom and closet in preparation to paint them. We haven’t changed anything in there since the day we moved it, and it needs some serious work!

  22. Jen

    Love this post. I already do a lot of these things which is nice. One helpful tip that I do is laundry should be done with towels and sheets in between. Darks, towels, whites, sheets. This way there is always an easy load to fold in between, it helps me fold better and get less tired, plus have time and energy to put everything away easier : ) thanks for sharing : )

  23. Geri

    I will be having at least 2 garage sales this year– possibly 3. Starting this weekend! We moved over a year ago- and we have stuff that we just haven’t used- so it is time to get rid of it.

  24. MeliD11

    I am home for the summer on maternity leave (with twins!) And I have a to do list 2 miles long that includes cleaning out and organizing all the closets in my house.

  25. melanie

    reorganizing all my closets!!

  26. Neena

    I always start the dishwasher right before bed and then empty it first thing in the morning. That allows me to load it immediately during the day as the dishes get dirty.

  27. Anna Walters

    Thanks for the tips! This summer I am going to finish on packing/organizing our new home. We moved in about a month ago and we still have lots of boxes (it is hard to unpack with 2 little ones under foot).

  28. jen

    Organizing the kids bedrooms are at the top of my to-do list for the summer

  29. Jamie

    Well, the project list for this summer is rather long, but topping the list is our basement. We recently moved in, and just haven’t gotten time to scrub it down, put up shelves and make it our own yet!

  30. rachel b

    my goal for the summer is to hang/fold clothes directly out of the drier… no more piles! thanks for the generous giveaway & the awesome tips!

  31. momof5

    Going through clothes to find those that are outgrown. With five kids this is always an event!

  32. Betsy

    I’ve got kids itching to switch bedrooms – a huge project, but I will get it done this summer!

  33. TracyR

    My summer goal is to get the garage organized. I’d like to finally get the Christmas wreaths put away in the right place!

  34. JulianneRM

    Clean and organize the whole second floor of my house!! :)

  35. Eleanor

    Cleaning out the basement and getting rid of book we won’t read again.

  36. Harmony

    My summer goal is to organize all my closets… no small task!

  37. Beth

    You are so right that getting dressed is one of the best ways to get it in gear to clean!! I always have music going and I light a candle in a scent that I love. Reminding myself that cleaning my house is important because I don’t want my children living in clutter and mess.

  38. Karen

    My summer cleaning project is to organize my pantry once and for all. I need a system where I can see everything and get to what I need without going on a treasure hunt!

  39. Tanya S

    We’re moving this summer, so my goal is to purge as we go through and pack up our things.

  40. Rebecca C

    I actually find that if I keep some of the wipes in places like the bathroom, that it doesn’t take long at all to run a wipe over surfaces and keep them clean. I spent a great deal of time over the last two weeks deep cleaning parts of the house and donating a lot of items that I no longer needed. I have decided that if I do a little bit every day, the task doesn’t seem as daunting.

  41. Melissa

    Great tips! Thanks for the inspiration & motivation!

  42. Denise Wilson

    My major goal for this summer is to organize the homeschool room. My son starts kindergarten this year, so this is pretty new for us. (We did some preschool last year.) I have big dreams of having a well-stocked and organized school room! :) I’ll settle for the organizational part of that for now… Thanks for the chance to win! This would go a long way to help!

  43. Amy N

    My summer goal is to clean and organize my laundry room.

  44. SueAnn

    Take craft items that I only use once a year and store in containers..hence I need this win for the container store!! Ha!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

  45. Julie

    I’m organizing closets this summer! One down, too many to go!

  46. Doreen H

    We need to go through our garage this summer and organize it better. Plus, we need to get rid of some things… It’s time to purge! Thank you for the giveaway!

  47. Michelle

    It’s got to be organizing for kindergarten next year–especially because I am homeschooling 2 days a week. We need a work-space for my son that is not also where we eat!

  48. Doris Krebs

    Dejunk the attic.

  49. Robert

    I would like to organize our garage. I also need to clean out the shed. Probably the closets, too. My wife would greatly enjoy spending these gift certificates on organizational products for me! lol

  50. Kelly Wetherholt

    PLAYROOM!!! I have 2 boys (4 1/2 and 3 yrs) and it is time for a re-vamping of the playroom! It has exploded with superheroes, cars of all sorts and of course a plethora of tools!!! A good cleaning out of this space will bring us all joy!!!

  51. Hanna

    I would love to get our pantry cleaned and organzied. It seems like it is a constant battle for me.

  52. Elle

    Good tips! I plan to work on the piles and files in my home office:) I would love to win the gift cards!!!

  53. VA Mom

    My oldest son is setting out for college in the fall and my goal is to help him clean out his room from top to bottom.

  54. Beth Duron

    My summer goal is to organize my garage.

  55. Diane

    Great tips Melissa!
    I absolutely need to figure out how to find a method that works well for cleaning my wood floors. That means…discovering the right vacuum to use. We have 3 cats…long story….but, even though I have rugs near their litter box, they manage to track litter all over the house. Plus staying on top of the fur balls that quickly accumulate under chests and in corners when I thought I’d done a good job. I don’t want to work on this every day. Or do I? I need some tips for sure. Help!

  56. Stephanie

    One goal for the summer is to clean all the windows in our house (inside) – my husband did his job of power washing the outside!

  57. Samantha Kensell

    Completely organize my closet,it’s a mess.

  58. Kim Bond

    I love that cleaning supply closet you posted!
    The task I MUST accomplish this summer is to organize my attic space! The bins are stacked on top of each other making it a pure struggle to get into the ones at the bottom should I need something from them. Need to purge and put some order into that space!

  59. Caroline

    I find it difficult to clean when there’s too much clutter so I’ve been working on gathering stuff to donate, selling my daughter’s clothes she has outgrown on EBay, and tossing stuff in the trash if it’s useless. Thanks for the great cleaning tips!

  60. Edwina

    The area I would most like to get better organized is the garage-but it isn’t ‘my’ turf. :) This is an awesome, generous giveaway-thanks for offering it!

  61. Heather

    Terrific advice, Melissa. I have my version of the 4 steps for daily tidying. One of the things I do is use the bottom or top of the stairs as a “loading area”. Every time I go up or down, I take something and put it away. That way there’s never a pile of things that “need to go to the basement”.

  62. Robin

    My goal is to clean out our basement storage area. The basement is usually the coolest part of the house, so this is a perfect chore for a hot summer day (s).

  63. Erin Buchanan

    My priority for my major “clean up ” this summer is my hall bathroom. The one that guests see but unfortunately also the one my 3 boys use regularly. On daily basis I wipe down all the fixtures with my Clorox wipes. That also includes behind and around the toilet ( I won’t bore you with the nasty details why). I’m hoping to do a major overhaul at some point in this room! Until then I guess I will be going through a tub a week of the wipes. Erin

  64. Shantel Schow

    The area I would love to conquer is my kids bedrooms, and helping toys find homes. Thanks for always sharing such good advice.

  65. Robin McGlinchey

    Our (I say “our” because I WILL NOT be doing this by myself) biggest organizational project will be getting my son’s room in order before he leaves for college in mid August. That means lots of purging and lots of storage bins to get his momentos, toys, papers – he for some reason cannot part with, and various other items into our storage area in the basement. Then get together all he needs to take with him. The idea is to transition not only the son but the room to young adulthood. Big job? I’d say so!

  66. Sarah

    Hard to pick just one! Your post reminds me to just tackle one job at a time so as not to get overwhelmed. The first thing I need to do is reclaim a closet that we have underneath the stairs. It’s the blackhole of our house. Whenever things don’t have a home they go in there. I need to just throw everything out and reclaim the space for something useful – like storage for winter clothes.

  67. sarahsmith

    One organizational project that I MUST take on sooner rather than later are the piles of children and baby clothes that need to be either packed away to save, donated or sold…I have three kids under three and it seems that they are growing out of more clothes each day!

  68. Cassandra

    I have a list of chores I do every single day, mostly wiping things down & general picking up. Then I have my home broken down by room for each day of the week. I have 5200 square feet with 5 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms that I clean all myself, so I have to keep on top of it or it gets overwhelming in a hurry! The container store card sounds great, because I tend to accumulate I LOT of stuff, and clutter is a huge problem!

  69. Randi

    My goal is to tackle the piles…They are taking over my house, when you clean a pile you just move it to another pile…Time to purge

  70. Danielle White

    I use Clorox wipes to clean just about everything…baseboards, sinks toilet tops, lamp shades etc… Also, have vac on each floor (if you have mutiple levels) with helps you eliminate lifting your vac up and down the stairs.

  71. Francine

    I need to get my walk in closet cleaned, and should try to do so before it gets really hot out, as it gets stuffy in there, if you spend any amount of time!! Always hard since I’m a caregiver for my husband which requires alot of my attention!

  72. Catherine

    Use Scour Off by Shaklee or Magic White Eraser to clean off black metal marks in a white sink.

  73. TerryBMc

    For a variety of reasons (newly-empty nest, unexpected unemployment and likely move, etc.) we need to clean up AND clean out. Every cupboard. Every closet. The garage. All of it. What makes the cut this time? What can be sold/donated/tossed? It is time. And I loathe the thought. Then, of course, it will have to be kept “in showing condition” until it sells. Not my norm, to say the least.

  74. Diana Johannesen

    GREAT ADVICE>>>
    MY LIFE is like the home if it is disorganized I am disorganized…thanks for the great give away…..I will go to the basement and the connecting crawlspace….one word
    purge!
    Thanks
    Diana

  75. Gina

    Great giveaway! Need to organize the old playroom which has turned into the dumping ground!

  76. Angie

    I’m in declutter mode right now. My cleaning goal is to get rid of the unnecessary stuff to make my cleaning more manageable. Thanks for the great tips and giveaway!
    Angie

  77. Angela Bailey

    I am in the middle of finishes my unpacking and organizing from my move last summer. I am determined to get rid of all of the stuff in the basement that is not there for a reason. I unpacked most of our stuff and then started enjoying my summer and just have not been back to it because I have been painting and gardening and doing other home projects. Once I finish I am going to try some of your tips to see if I cannot keep this place clean and organized. My problem when I start cleaning is that I get a little ocd and have to take everything off the counter before I wipe it down and then put everything back. If I clean something I have to clean everything in that area. I really have to get over this because it holds me back.

  78. Phyllis

    Love the suggestions in this post. I have been working on organizing my home and coming up with routines that work for us, for the last couple of months. It has been a much bigger job than I had originally thought it would be, especially since I tend to get bogged down in the details and side-tracked. I can’t even decide what the priority project for this summer needs to be, there are so many around here.

  79. Becky

    I really need to do a deep cleaning of my laundry room!

  80. erin

    I hope I win! I’m buying a house soon and could use the gift cards! :o)

  81. Erin W

    I have an office that has become a junk room and depository for all the things I haven’t found a place for. This summer I want to spruce it up so it is a joy to be in there instead of a nightmare.

  82. Ashley

    The cleaning tips are great! Perfect timing as I am cleaning out & organizing my house before the kids are finished with school!

  83. Lisa

    My goal this summer is to deep-clean my house…I have been very sick for the last 6 months and not able to do anything…with two small children, my house has suffered!! It needs cleaned top to bottom now that I seem to be feeling better once more.

  84. Leslie

    My goal this summer is to organize my gardening supplies and garage.

  85. Kate S.

    These are fabulous tips! Speed cleaning and having a quick cleaning routine are the only ways I manage the chaos of 4 cats, 3 dogs, and my almost 9month old daughter! I can appreciate all of these suggestions especially the idea of purging as you go. It’s incredible how much you can organize by donating or selling at a yard sale, also the added bonus of putting the $$ back into decorating!

  86. Sarah

    I am hoping to tackle my closet – the sweaters on the top shelf are always falling over after folding them and all my shoes are in a dusty pile – not good!!!

  87. Allison Hunter

    I will tackle my garage. Mostly get rid of, organize, and spend time with my wonderful hubby while doing it!!!

  88. Alicia

    I keep Clorox wipes under each sink in every bathroom. Then when I see something that needs to be cleaned I pull a wipe out and wipe the toilet down or wipe the sink if needed. I also keep Windex wipes under the sink to clean the mirrors. I usually do this numerous times a week. Then when it is time to really clean it is not as bad.

  89. Stacey

    I will be tackling the cleaning and organizing of my my school room. Oh my, it is going to be awesome. When I’m finished :)

  90. ash

    I want to organize our general pool of clothing. Donate extra clothing and pack away winter stuff. Replace old socks, handkerchiefs and towels.

  91. Shelley

    My goal is to clean and reorganize the pantry… it seems to constantly be a mess.

  92. Alexandra

    My pantry is DYING to be organized! This summer I plan to take it on :)

  93. Sarah J.

    My goal is to clean up our master bedroom!

  94. Michele Laramay

    I need to reorganize the coat closet by our back door, so that I can fit the beach towels and summery items in there through the summer.

  95. Joy

    My summer organizing tip is to purge, purge, purge the clutter from my house! You can’t clean clutter, you only reorganize it.

  96. Cassity

    My goal for this summer? Get rid of a bunch of extra stuff so I don’t have to move it with me. (what an awesome giveaway! I’m crossing my fingers! thanks!)

  97. Melissa S

    Great tips! My summer organizing plans include purging our basement …too much Christmas decorations, too much building materials, too much STUFF!

  98. Sally P

    As a teacher, I always have grand cleaning plans for the summer. This summer, I plan to venture into the scary world of my upstairs rooms – where my two daughters live and I try to stay away from as much as possible!!! Thanks for the awesome giveaway. Count me in!!!

  99. Jessica N.

    Great tips! My goal is to tackle the kids closets with them while they are on summer break!

  100. Jerami

    My summer goal is to organize the 500 sq ft studio my husband and I just moved into…our first home, yay!

  101. Debbie Henry

    My goal is to keep my house “company clean” this summer. Thank you for your excellent tips.

  102. Lisa K

    My goal for the summer is to lighten my load: clearing out what I no longer use or want. So I will be having a garage sale and donating things to local charities.

  103. Garden, Home and Party

    Melissa,
    Each year, at the beginning of summer, I removed each and every items from my kitchen cupboards and clean the shelves. I also take the opportunity to organize and pare down on unused items. It keeps my kitchen working more efficiently. BTW, we love the Clorox wipes, easy to use and they make everything smell nice.
    Karen

  104. carol

    Wow! I LOVE Target and the Container Store. My summer project would be to clean out and organize my master bedroom closet. Needs it soooooo much!!!

  105. Tatum

    I am going to keep my laundry organized this summer.

  106. Susan Watts

    I am in the process of cleaning out closets and reorganizing into closets with “some type of order” instead of just throwing everything in and closing the door. Not an easy task!!!

  107. Elizabeth Guzzo

    Lemon juice on hard water stains…like my glass shower doors is a great time saver! Thank you for all of your cleaning ideas. I too feel I have to be dressed before cleaning!

  108. margaret

    This summer I plan to clean out the storage in the basement and downsize!

  109. Hollie

    I would like to get my kid’s closets and toys under control and organized.

  110. Elizabeth

    I am going to get my laundry organized within the next two weeks – yes it will really take that long. :) I also have a bathroom that desperately needs redone. I think the gift cards would help quite nicely with both of these projects!

  111. Maureen

    I am a knitter and I would like to organize all the yarn and the items that go along with knitting. I would also like to donate the yarn that is just extra that is not a complete ball or skein to charity. It is in the guest room so that I can then clean the guest room and have some guest stay over.

  112. Sandy A

    I need to organize my craft room closet. Lots of not so important “stuff” gets put in there to never be seen again–this summer–out all the junk goes…

  113. Missy Randall

    Melissa,

    I am an organized nut, but as I got older I get more relaxed. Staying organized is the key though to less frustration and not finding things. Less is best. Do we really need all the things we have? I learned one summer to live on nothing but an air mattress and had just the necessities and it was a great summer.
    Missy

  114. Danielle

    I want to have a garage sale to lighten the cleaning/organizing load!!

  115. Kelsey

    I want to clean and organize the garage so it can be a playroom!

  116. Joy

    Your post has inspired me to go clean the corner cupboard in my kitchen. It is so cluttered it sags under the weight!

    Thanks you the give away.

  117. Peggy

    I really need to organize my closet.

  118. Mary

    I am going to give away my excess. I have inherited many teacups along the way and it is time to throw a tea party and give some away…plus, it’s always fun to have a tea party! This will help with the clutter and clean up!

  119. Megan

    We need to organize our basement – I’m scared of going down there!!

  120. Amber R

    My goal is to clean out my garage. I moved in about 8 months ago, and still haven’t finished unpacking!

  121. Edie

    Great tips!! I find it very important to stick to my morning routines if I don’t I feel like I am trying to catch up all day. My big summer project is the basement…. It’s in some need of serious attention. Really enjoy your blog..have a great summer!

  122. Tammi D

    I would love to get my craft room cleaned and organized for effective project completion!

  123. Sandy

    I love the tip on what to wear. It’s so true, if I’m in the wrong clothes, it’s such a drag. Lol Comfy and something easy to move quickly in! Because I want to get it done. :) Great giveaway!

  124. Terri

    This summer I plan to keep my house “spur of the moment” party ready! Nothing says welcome like being able to say “come on in”!

  125. Alicia

    My goal this summer is to organize my family and home so this would be a great inspiration! I might even share the target one with the kids (new video game to bribe them to help might work)!

  126. Lynsey

    My summer goal is to keep the house tidy each day. Most of what I love about any blog I read, Southern Living, or Better Homes & Gardens is how nice and neat everything looks. I am so much more appreciative and grateful of what I do have and find myself wanting less when my house looks nice and clean and everything is put away in its place.

  127. Debra Schramm

    I will be lightening my load also. If I haven’t touched it in 6 months it’s gone; if I’ve touched it but really don’t need it, it’s gone too. I’ve got to get organized so that I can keep my house company clean!

  128. Tara

    My summer organizational project is my jewelry! I just purchased a bracelet and ring holder, and I’ve actually had my eye on some other ones from the Container Store. Thanks for a great giveaway!

  129. Jennifer

    I want to clean and recaulk all of the baseboards in the house.

  130. Sarah

    I am going to organize our family library by separating our books by genres.

  131. Carly

    We just found closet doors, so we’ll be hanging them and reorganizing the closets.

  132. Kristine K

    I have been so focused with my at-home business the last year, I feel like clutter is taking over too many spaces. My summer goal is to sort thru all this “stuff” and see what can be donated or passed along to another family for their enjoyment.
    Thanks for the inspiring post!

  133. Kim walker

    I must tackle the garage this summer. The kids. can clean up their toys if they have a clean place to put them.

  134. Lisa

    My biggest goal is cleaning out my basement, which includes my laundry area. Yikes.

  135. Michelle

    I am going to cute-ify my shed. It looks like a Victorian playhouse, but has always housed junk. It will have color-blocked pegboard and organized tools for stained glass projects, and other things I don’t want in the house.

  136. teresa

    My goal this summer is to organize my “office desk” put all the addresses in one notebook….etc, etc. =)
    Today is about window cleaning …oh the joy ;/

  137. Susan

    Cleaning out & organizing a 2 story garage–which currently has inventory of FOUR moves crammed inside…if anyone needs a container, it’s me!

  138. Michelle

    Reorganizing the kitchen cabinets is my big job for the summer — it’s a very small kitchen so I’m going to have to get creative with my organizing.

  139. sangeetha

    My goal is rather big, but I am going to chunk it out – I desperately need to clean out my basement and garage

  140. Tami

    My goal this summer is to make room for our guests to put their things in our guest room closet! At the moment the guest room is ready for guests but the closet is full of all the stuff we do not have room for elsewhere.

  141. Jen

    Our organizational project is building lockers in our mudroom! I cannot wait until they are finished :)

  142. Michelle

    Because of great tips like yours that I read years ago, my house stays very clean and clutterfree.. This is SO not to brag, but to encourage. Tips work! My big organizational challenge this summer is to fully embrace technology and learn how to organize my digital photos. I want to label, back them up on a disk and get them as usable as my 35 mm negatives were. :-)

  143. Jeannine B.

    My organizational goal for the summer is to finally get my office/craft room organized to where it is easy and efficient for me to get work done. Right now I spend more time searching for supplies than I do actually getting things done!

  144. Lisa

    We are really trying to revamp the garage. Give it a little faclift and make some custom builds. My hubby is pretty handy so I’m lucky in that way!

  145. Stefanie

    My tip is to have a complete weekly schedule – baths for kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays, laundry on Wednesdays and Sundays, grocery shopping on Saturdays, mow the lawn on Mondays. When you have one specific task to tackle each day, it doesn’t seem as daunting. Thanks for the other great tips!

  146. Peggy

    It’s definitely got to be the garage! Which we have to do together because my DH gets nervous when I threaten to do it myself!! It must be done!

  147. Nicole W.

    My BIGGEST summer goal is to digitize all the photos we have on photo negatives and to post them on Flickr or another “cloud” site. I have a friend who lost all her photos when she was little in a house fire. It is comforting to know that with the Internet we don’t have to worry about that today.

  148. maggie

    The basement! The junk down there is unreal! If we had a tornado we’d have no place to go because the basement is SO full of stuff. It will take more than one garage sale to clean that baby out.

  149. Renee B

    My goal is to involve my 4 children in the cleaning process more so we can spend more time together outside!

  150. Stephanie

    Love this!

    My summer cleaning goal – we semi-recently moved and I still need to find a place for everything so that everything can go in its place!

  151. Josee T.

    I couldn’t agree more, especially with being appropriately dressed. I need to wear something comfortable but not too loose and I can get twice as much done!

    This summer, I have 2 major areas of focus: my basement and turning our guest room into a nursery!

  152. Debby

    To organize and clean the basement laundry room where it will be nice and cool on one of the steamy hot days of summer.

  153. Angie

    Hi Melissa,
    My goal this summer is to incorporate my kids into a daily cleaning routine that keeps our house looking ready-for-company fresh with just a bit of effort, but also allows us to spend plenty of time playing on those glorious summer afternoons. You know: ‘Make some hay whilst the sun shines!’ :)

  154. Janet Crouch

    My organizational goal is to clean out and organize my basement! What a mess! I tend to just drop things off without making a place for them. This summer….that must change!

  155. Shannon

    My goal for the summer is to keep our house ready for drop in visitors.

  156. Nancy Reid

    My organizational goal this summer is stay focused and create an environment of ~ a place for everything and everything in its place! I vow to get rid of the clutter and perform small tasks on a daily basis like only handle the mail once instead creating a pile that has be gone through over and over!

  157. Darla P.

    Declutter to prepare for a fall yard sale!

  158. Ellen Moore

    We recently moved my husband’s office into the room he uses as a studio, which was formerly our guest room. I want to organize the closet in the new guest room, rid it of all my husband’s “stuff” and maybe find a place to store the vacuum cleaner!

  159. Mary S

    My goal is to get our family room/play room under control so my 4 children can do most of the work. Love your tips. I hope to incorporate them!

  160. Heather

    A cleaning goal?? Oh boy! With the twins being 2 setting a goal is easy, it’s the attainment that is difficult. I really want to organize our homeschool things. It’s getting a bit unruly. But I also want DH to build some rolling shelve/drawer things under the stairs so we can optimize our storage.

  161. Robin

    It’s my goal to get rid of all the clothes I can no longer wear. Probably shouldn’t wear anymore.

  162. Lisa

    I really need to organize my clothes (in the closet and dresser). I can’t find anything. I’d rather have my toenails pulled out one by one than organize; but, I’ve put it off way too long.

  163. Kay

    Melissa, thanks for the inspiration….and you are so right about not completing as many chores wearing PJs……embarassingly, I was reading that hint in PJs, coffe cup in hand…after being up for 3 hours! No more!! My goal this summer is to organize every closet in the house….and tomorrow morning I will be dressed to do it!

  164. Nancy

    This summer my goal is to organize our master bedroom closets with hanging space, drawers, and labels so we don’t have clothes scattered all over our room! Mostly because of my husband, not me of course :)

  165. Roxanne

    My goal is to cut down on clutter and to teach my three boys to keep their rooms clean.

  166. Anne Marie

    Great post – I think cleaning a little each day is a big help – do not let things pile up. I also love vinegar – best product around for cleaning almost anything. It is economical and a powerhouse when it comes to removing scum, dirt, hard water deposits and just about everything.

  167. Amy in PA

    Love all the tips!! Thanks for sharing!!

  168. Kim c

    I try to organize my closet twice a year. When the weather turns warmer I put all my spring and summer clothes in the front of the closet then I will bring down my cold weather clothes in the fall. Each time I do this I decide what I will keep by thinking about how often I wore it in the last six months. I now have a niece that fits the clothes I no longer wear, so I will call her to set up a time to deliver the clothes to her. Whatever she doesn’t want will then be ready for donation.

  169. Jessica

    Great post. I need to clean out our junkroom and make it into a functional space to get some work done!

  170. Heidi

    Purge the dreaded basement…

    And although I appreciate your tips of all kinds, there’s no amount of looking nice or pretty aprons that are gonna make that job any more pleasant:)

  171. Carole Resnick

    My goal is to havw an award winning garden.

  172. Sandy

    My goal is to keep the clutter under control by clearing my desk and kitchen island every day. I also need to get into the shiny sink routine.

  173. Brenda

    We have many decorating projects we want to do. We our going to tackle our living room first.
    After that, we are going to completely remodel the kitchen. At least, that is what we hope to do!
    I do love advice on how to make cleaning and remodeling projects easier. Thanks!

  174. Cheryl

    I plan to clean out my laundry room this summer. Our 100-year-old farmhouse has very limited closet space, so my laundry room tends to accumulate WAY too much stuff throughout the year. When our homeschool is on summer break, I spend several days (yes, days!) in the laundry room putting it to rights!

  175. Susie {aka Mrs V}

    Fabulous tips! My summer goal is to clean out & reorganize my son’s bedroom, bathroom and closet! Currently it includes a lot of wasted space. Plus, he has grown so much this year that many items are going unused and should be donated.
    Thanks for the inspiration & the opportunity to win!

  176. Whitney

    We are getting ready to move into a new house and I will need all the help I can get from Target and the Container Store to organize everything so I can keep it clean. My goal is to not ever let it go that cleaning the house becomes an all day chore!

  177. Michelle

    After a long semester, my goal this summer is to clean up all my class notes and organize my office/homework area and art supply closet. Next fall I will be taking my last two credits – my Senior Capstone Project – and will be graduating with my degree in Interior Design in December. Yaaahoooo!

    Now that the bulk of my classwork is finished, I have to organize all my class notes into binders so I can find things if I need to go back to them. (and I will need to later to study for my licensing exam!) I have a bazillion markers and pens and drafting supplies and Exacto knives that need a home, as well as all of my marker and sketch pads, foam core, adhesives, and general office stuff. I also need to get an organizational system in place to handle the upcoming influx of samples and swatches and paperwork that I’m going to have for the biggest project of my school career!

    I know if I can get the existing stuff clean and organized this summer and good organizational systems in place now… it will save me SO much stress and frustration in the fall. I’m already going to be a busy girl, with a husband and two little boys, and I want to be ready for my final time in school and ready to begin looking for my first job!

  178. Julie

    My goal is to keep a clean-enough, comfortable, welcoming house while planning our daughter’s wedding…in less than 9 weeks!?!

  179. Alison

    My husband and I are planning on moving to a bigger home with our toddler son near the end of the summer. My goal will be to make the transition in an organized manner, decluttering and organizing as we move.
    On a smaller scale, I would like to finish my many scrapbook projects that are now piled into a basket in our bedroom!

  180. Gretchen Leake

    My goal is to organize my “junk room & closet” into a crafty studio!!

  181. Liz

    My main problem is when I moved into this home 15 years ago, I had plenty of space and stuff slowly accumulated. I’m overstuffed in fact, so all closets & cabinets are on the hit list for the summer.

    Since I haven’t done a though job of cleaning out my clothes closet in about 5 years, I am doing that right now. Everything has been pulled out and I’m being brutal in what goes back in. Since I am also losing weight, I am putting the different sizes in different boxes, to be tried on when I get there. Thank goodness I always bought the “classic” styles, so even though it’s the wrong size, it’s really not out of style.

    Some clothes are going in a hamper to be the garden/work clothes, some stuff is being tossed and the donate pile goes into bags and into the car since there are several donation trucks by me.

    Once I’ve pared down the stuff, I’ll look at the organization & storage issues.

  182. Lori Hall

    My whole house needs re-organization. Not long after I got married, we got pregnant….I’m STILL moving things from my old house to this house…trying to put away everything that I had already moved over….and take care of a now 21 month old boy. There’s never enough time….But my goal is to get it done this year so that I don’t have to think about it everytime I walk in the door.

  183. Jerri C.

    This summer the two top organizational goals are my pantry & the garage. I know the garage is suppose to be hubby’s domain, but he needs organizational help & I need a garage back.

  184. Lori Halton

    My goal this summer is to go through baby toys and get the basement a bit more organized! :)

  185. Carolyn Maves

    I want to clean my closets this summer. I had a rough winter with health problems and some of my usual winter projects were put on hold. So I am challenging myself to do that kind of thing this summer!

  186. Sara

    My goal is to clean out under the counter spaces–bathrooms and kitchen!

  187. Amanda J

    This summer I hope to figure out a good system for children’s daily clothes. Easy for them to get to and keep organized.
    My best ti[ for keeping the house tidy- is pair down on the number of item you own. makes cleaning so much easier!

  188. Amanda

    My goal for the summer is to get my recipes organized into a binder!

  189. Jennifer

    #4, our last baby is 3 1/2 yrs old. So we are going to tackle the last two unorganized spaces in our home, the basement and home office. Home office is moving to the basement to join a new hang out space for the kid and the home office will become a new bedroom for her. Goal to get it done by mid summer to participate in city wide yard sales and sell all the baby stuff.

  190. Tiffany Bush

    I’ve made a list of mini cleaning/organizational projects so that I can choose one a day to knock out. Each project should take 15- 60 minutes, and I can pick what to do depending on our fun plans for the day. I’m excited knowing that taking these baby steps will get me a cleaner house and a better state of mind by fall. Plus, it will show my kids that cleaning and organizing does not have to be a beating.

  191. carrie

    Best tip: ALWAYS keep a large (recycled) bag handy to store donations in, making it easy and accessible to grab and take to our local thrift shop to reuse-recycle. I find this tip really helps to help “purge” un-needed items each week I do a really good clean sweep cleaning of our home!

    AND I’d love to win this contest more than ever moving into a new home, that will first need a really good deep cleaning, and needs to find storage containers a “new home”!

  192. Clara

    My goal is to clean out the boxes in the garage – for good! I want to sort, keep and put away or donate everything that is currently in boxes in the garage. I’m just hoping my hubby will drag the boxes inside for me so I don’t have to go through everything in the heat!

  193. Kelli G

    My biggest goal this summer is to get my laundry room under control once and for all! Coming in a close second are the linen and coat closets … they’re awful!

  194. LJ

    I have two friends expecting babies and this is my motivation to go through all of the kids’ outgrown (closet hording) clothes and toys – pass down the favorites and donate as much as possible!

    > I am drooling over that completely clutter free “cleaning closet” in your post!

  195. Amanda Raney

    My summer organization goal: clear out paper work. Throw away/shred what I no longer need, put the rest into folders/files by catergory.

  196. Julie

    My goal is to get our spare bedroom decluttered, cleaned up and ready for lots of company this summer. Tackled a dresser I wanted to get painted this last weekend…yay!

  197. Robin Walston

    Cleaning out my guest/craft room is tops on my summer list of things to do.

  198. Tina Rheinford

    My summer goal is to get finally figure out a good system for organizing our garage.

  199. kate h

    I want to tackle the garage clean all the spider webs away and maybe paint it.

  200. nancye6

    My summer goal is to lighten up my home by reducing the heavy country look of yesteryear. Keeping the home contents organized and stored gives that open look I’m after.

  201. Kenlynn

    Well it’s a toss up between office and basement. I think I’ll start with the smaller area first to get me motivated for the bigger one…so office it is!! Love some of the ideas I’ve already seen on here!

  202. GinaE

    My clothes closet, the garage, and some more of the kitchen (half is done there). Many thanks to win these great gift cards. Boy, could I use them!!!

  203. Pam

    Having just emptied out most of my furniture and closets to replace the wall-to-wall carpeting with tile in my house, my goal is to replace things slowly. The furniture is done, of course, but the contents of the closet floors and the knick-knacks are still in the garage. Everything looks so clean and clutter-free, I’m only going to put back the essentials. Some of that stuff hasn’t been touched or appreciated for a long time, so I’m sorting it into donate, toss, or store until fall piles. I’ve given myself another week before the garage itself must return to a clutter-free state :)

  204. Cynthia Smith

    Great post. I am working my way through every closet, shelf and drawer this summer. Purging as I go. I am aiming for 75% occupancy and the occasional empty shelf or drawer. It feels great.

  205. Analisa Salinas

    My goals this summer are:
    1. Get my son involved in cleaning and organizing! He’s 8, time to mold him into the perfect husband for his future wife! Haha! :-)
    2. Find a more efficient way to tackle the laundry. Hanging right away has always been a struggle… I WILL DO IT!

    Thanks for your help! Happy Summer Everyone!

  206. Sandy B

    I tend to do my cleaning like you do. And yes, I thoroughly agree about the PJ comment

  207. Rory W

    I’m hoping to get everything unpacked and organized in my new house. It might take the whole summer! Thanks for the chance to win!

  208. Karen

    I am going room by room and sorting, purging, organizing, labeling, and cleaning. We have a smallish house, so hopefully I can finish before I go back to school in early August. Thanks for the good tips, and the giveaway.

  209. Janice

    Closet clearing out of clothes that don’t fit, don’t look right, are out of style, or that I don’t wear — same for shoes!

  210. Sam

    We’re moving into our first house in one week, so we’ll have project after project to deal with this summer. First on our list is ripping up some old carpet & wallpaper, cloroxing EVERYTHING, and painting up a storm!

  211. clenna

    My goal is to clean closests and get rid of clothes that don’t fit, don’t wear or just don’t like. I want to either donate or take them to the thrift shop in town. I have 4 closests that desperately need cleaning.

  212. Julie Gonsalves

    I have four young kids so having a cleaning routine is necessary around here…. hmm, maybe i should get one!

  213. Jessica F

    My goal is to clean out all of our closets this summer!

  214. Jennifer K

    My goal is to tackle my laundry room, installing new storage and getting it organized! Plus “prettying” it up of course!

  215. Danielle

    We are moving in the fall so I need to purge, purge, purge!

  216. Larissa

    I’ve been meaning to do this since we moved in 3 years ago…but this year it WILL happen. I am going to organize the workshop area in our basement. I use it rather often and can never find anything. There is no logic to the current organization so this summer, I’ll be emptying all the drawers and pulling out the labels!

  217. Laura

    I can’t wait to organize the kids playroom this summer!

  218. Crystal M

    My goal for this summer is to get rid of all the outgrown, don’t wear clothes and organize what is left! That would get rid of so much clutter in my house!

  219. Barb - The Empty Nest Mom

    We’re spending this summer in our RV so my cleaning is easy. 400 sq feet vs 4000 sq feet. But my goal is to keep the windows clean – there are so many big windows in this beast. And I like cleaning windows – so the goal will be easy to keep.

  220. Susan

    having the right music on makes cleaning so much easier!

  221. Patti McGinnis

    I plan on reorganizing and painting my pantry this summer.

  222. The Respectable Redneck

    I have two rooms that still need to be overhauled . . . maybe three. Our master bedroom, playroom and the kitchen could use some sprucing as well.

  223. Kristen

    we’re moving into our new home in 2.5 weeks, so this summer will be all about unpacking and organizing! a big goal is to get my craft room/office set up and keep it organized. i see a lot of baskets in my future.

  224. Teresa S.

    My goal is to clean out my sons closet. He has way too many toys! It is time to spread the wealth!

  225. Cathy Norrie

    The rough storage room in the basement… the Ikea shelving unit was so overloaded with “stuff” that it collapsed!! I’d call that a divine hint :)

  226. VickyL

    My goals are to clean out the shed and keep it that way! And clean out one closet every weekend! I can do it , right!>@!@!

  227. Carrie C

    I am looking to totally organize our master bedroom. It seems to be the catch-all room, and really need it back to our bedroom!

  228. Susan Damaschke

    I think my best tip is to pick rooms in your house where you’re okay with more clutter and designate other places “clutter free zones.” Knowing that my living room is going to stay clear of junk and that I’m okay keeping odds and ends in our office space which rarely gets used keeps me sane.

  229. nicole

    I hope to sort and organize my kids toys and junk!

  230. Tanya Phillips

    My summer cleaning goal is my craft supplies,they are waaaayyyy out of control, lol! I am totally a distracted cleaner too, I see something and just sit down and mess with it totally forgetting that I am suppose to be cleaning :)

  231. Krissy

    My garage needs to be purged! It is easier to pull things out of that space when it is sunny and warm.

  232. michele m fry

    I totally agree with these, do most of them on a daily basis and find that the BIG clean goes much better as I have kept up with things in smaller increments. Summer is too fun to be wasted in cleaning!!!! Hoping to teach my family this this summer, if we all chip in in the little things it goes better all the way around!!

  233. Jill

    Where do I start?? I need to clean our pantry and purge things we don’t use and get rid of the needless boxes!

  234. Rebekah

    My goal is to clean out my closet and have a yard sale!!

  235. Kelly

    My goal is to clean out our office and garage…both of which have become a dumping ground for our clutter!

  236. Erin

    Ahhhhh….the basement! YUK! But it will feel SOOOOOO good when it is done. Step 1 accomplished this past weekend…get my husband to get rid of his ATARI (yes, that’s right…we’ve had ATARI in our basement for our entire marriage)

  237. Kimberley

    Love your ideas Melissa! I divide my cleaning tasks up. On Tuesdays I dust the woodwork in my house, on Wednesdays I dust my furniture, on Thursdays I vacuum and on Fridays I clean my bathrooms. I never need to spend more than about 30 minutes on any day cleaning. I never find it overwhelming and my house always looks clean.

  238. JD

    My goal is to purge and clean out two closets during the summer. They are desperate!

  239. Cyndy

    One goal I have this summer is to organize all of my teaching materials that I have at home – I’ve already started, but I have a long way to go! Another project, that I’ve already started, is to set up a “goodwill donation” tub on one of the landings on my stairs – it’s already beginning to get full. It’s the perfect place for it!

  240. Megan S

    What a great giveaway! My cleaning goal is to clean out my husband’s closet.

  241. brooke

    My goal is to build my own closet organizer for my son’s room to tame the clutter!

  242. Breanna

    Cleaning out the shower while you are in it is genius. That’s the one job I hate most! Can’t wait to try it

  243. Teresa K

    My craft AREAS are way out of line! I have to get myself cleaned up and more organized! I have 1 main area where I work, and the second area (which used to be my PRIMARY area…is just getting to be a storage dungeon! I need to get some organizational tools and a gift card will SURE help!!!
    Thanks!
    Teresa K

  244. Nichole

    Wait I can only list one room, does my entire house count as one room? LOL My goal is to really organize the entire house! I keep saying it over and over but this summer I am going to make it happen!

    Love all of your tips, keep them comming!

    Thanks!

  245. Alyson

    I am hoping to tackle my kitchen pantry this summer and make mush more usable.

  246. Jennifer C.

    My goal is to help my son clean out his bedroom and closet.

  247. Lisa

    All of our closets need to be reorganized. I worked on my master closet this weekend, but we have two bedrooms to go that need some sort of organizing system, so this giveaway is perfect!

  248. Rosemary C.

    We are getting ready to remodel our kitchen (for many reasons) but a big one being that our cabinets are from the 1940’s and offer NO storage for a family of 5. I can’t wait until the new ones go in so I can get organized!!!

  249. mary

    my goal for the summer. . . . streamline so there’s less to keep clean :-)

  250. Michelle H.

    We don’t have a basement so our oil tank is in its own closet….there’s some empty wall space above and around it that I would like to take advantage of by putting up shelving, so I can organize seasonal gear and arts/crafts supplies.

  251. Angela

    One of my projects is wiping down all of our blinds on the windows. So not fun but, someone has to do it!

  252. Marie

    I really want to get a handle on cleaning/organizing the area where the kids keep a lot of their toys down in our basement!

  253. annie

    I have two! We are putting put bunk beds in my kids’ room, so I’m excited to get in there and rearrange, organize, and de-clutter to make it all spiffy for them. And my sewing room has been long neglected, so that will hopefully be tackled this summer with some good deep cleaning and practical organizing. Thanks!

  254. Sally Gee

    Clearing stuff out of the guest room that shouldn’t be in there. Putting them in their rightful place or getting rid of them. Would love to go to the Container Store, I have never been.

  255. Kaye

    I have been working to make my craft room functional now my goal is to make it CUTE!!

  256. Christa

    We definitely have to get the garage cleaned out and organized this summer! This will allow us to also clean out out “small appliance cabinet” and pantry. We’re so ready to be organized!

  257. Jana

    Just got the TV room thoroughly cleaned up (in preparation for new furniture!), and that has inspired my to keep going. Next up: office and bedroom.

  258. TBreck

    The basement!!! Finally time to donate all of the baby toys….4 children later!!

  259. Sherri M

    I would like to have a garage sale this summer…never have tried it before. I hope it motivates me to get rid of stuff!

  260. Karen Chisum

    My summer goal is the garage! We have started the purge, and now we are ready to organize!!! I can’t tell you how excited I am.
    Yay! Happy Summer.

  261. Angie

    We are cleaning out and organizing the basement right now. At the moment, everything has been organized in piles. Now the task of going through each pile to weed out items to be thrown away, garage saled, or kept. Cannot WAIT for this to be done. We have a very large basement, and it’s not being used to its potential because of the chaos down there!! Soon it will be though!!

  262. Erin Young

    one thing i want to finish this summer is cleaning up/organizing the office/craft room. I just rearranged and added some furniture and it all needs to be cleaned really well and organized – big task that I keep putting off. :))

  263. Alice

    Since we are expecting our second baby in about a month, we have been in the process of figuring out a room for both our kids to occupy, while re-organizing the other rooms, purging old stuff and trying to keep all of our spaces funcitonal… it is slowly coming together and posts like this really give us good ideas for organizing our things and figuring out neat ways to “put things away”… !!

  264. Diann

    Thanks for the tips. I often get distracted and spend way too much time on one thing. :)

  265. Kim

    I want to “downsize” our stuff so that it isn’t so overwhelming.

  266. Heather

    I want to clean up and organize my craft area. My craft area is actually in 5 places and really needs to be in one……

  267. Jera

    The kids rooms’!
    The basement – where all the toys are!

  268. Jeanne

    I am working on a little kitchen decluttering, eco-friendly style; out with the plastic, in with the glass. The big decluttering project will be the basement. *sigh* It’s terrible, but then the reward should be so great, right?

  269. Sara

    To create an inspiring craft/work space in the basement. We have a lovely work table ready to use but need to clear out and organize the stuff down there.

  270. Beverly Nobrega

    I have a ton of clutter and toys that need to be donated and passed along. We are getting the house ready to put on the market and we must purge, purge, purge! Thanks for the tips on quick cleaning. I am so easily distracted. I start one project and end up with a bigger mess and more projects. I will start setting a timer to keep me on task!

  271. Karyl

    We’re getting the house ready to put on the market, so the “to do” list is endless…tidy up the landscaping, new carpets, new paint, and of course empty a very packed and totally unorganized garage–the thought of which makes me want to hide in a closet!

  272. Debra Bashaw

    As I move my summer clothes to the closet, I go through the spring clothes and divide them into piles for the resale shop and the Women’s shelter. I do this every season and it keeps the closet from getting out of hand!

  273. Cathy

    Need to get the storage unit cleaned out! Finish unpacking boxes, free-cycle no longer needed stuff!

  274. Tenia

    My big project is to paint two rooms, and I’m half way done! I wanted to enjoy this summer so I really wanted my project “to do” list finished ASAP!! As for cleaning, I gave each of my daughters one weekly chore that they must do twice a day ….. once before they leave the house and once right before they go to bed …. and after only two weeks it has made a huge difference in the time I spend “picking up.” And for organizing, I am always organizing something in boxes, bins, baskets….. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a gift card to the container store. I am a school librarian so I LOVE TO ORGANIZE!

  275. gretchen

    One thing I really want to do is set up tote bags for daytrips….pools, beach, picnic, fishing, etc. I want to have all the basics packed and ready to go so we can just jump in the car and leave on the spur of the moment!

  276. Katie

    We are moving into a new house. My plan is to make a designated place for all of my cleaning supplies and pantry items on the front end. Then it will be organized from the start!

  277. heidi

    The attic stairs…seems everything that is no longer of use, no longer fits, or no longer played with goes on the attic stairs. Twice a year I schedule a charity pick-up and have the kids help me put everything in big black bags-this not only helps with de-clutter, organization, and keeping things tidy, but with teaching them the art of giving to those in need.

  278. Stacy

    I really need to set up daily routines that will work around my work schedule so that I will be able to keep up with them.

  279. Aili

    My Summer goal is to have a “destination” for all shoes, packs and jackets in place before school starts up again. Three kids + no mudroom = very frustrated mommy

  280. Robyn

    Organize my closets and cabinets again! It’s been a couple of years and they need a good overhaul!!!!!

  281. Kristi

    I plan to clean out closets this summer.

  282. janet

    Timely post as I am doing a good clean through the entire house before the kids are home for the summer.

  283. Hilary

    I am fairly good about keeping the house neat and tidy throughout the week, so when it comes time to clean, all I have to do is clean and not waste time putting things in their proper place first!

  284. Brenda

    This summer I am organizing my kids’ room so that they can share it effectively. Organizing their closet and organizing the room so that they each have their own space. It’s a tiny room – but I can do it!

  285. Brandy E.

    My big cleaning/organizing project this summer is moving my son’s room. He wants to move to the attic room which involves a lot of shuffling of all of the other rooms. It will be great in the end, but lots of work.

  286. Morgan

    My summer organization goal is my kitchen/pantry. I want to get all new containers and label everything in my pantry and organize my dishes and pots/pans to fit in the small kitchen space I have.

  287. Teri

    We re-did our spare room a year ago but it became the dumping ground for stuff…..Christmas decorations that didn’t make it to the attic, inflatable mattresses that don’t have a designated “home”. Stuff like that. My goal is to organize the room so it can function as we had wanted, a home office.

  288. mands

    i so want to get organized! we are having a baby girl in 6 weeks and i am trying to get as organized as possible before her arrival!

  289. Allison Sandoval

    We don’t have a garage, so storage is a little limited. Our largest storage closet is completely filled with garage sale stuff. Hoping to have a large, successful garage sale this summer and clear it out!!

  290. Lois

    We moved into a new house last year and I am still trying to get it organized to my satisfaction. I love all the tips in this article

  291. Lisa

    I have to clean and organize my entire house. We are moving in September!

  292. Carrie

    My big summer job is to clean and organize my basement. Currently, it is where we put stuff when we don’t know what else to do with it. Too many toys? Basement. But it would be a fantastic place to play on really hot days or the boring days of winter so I’m working on getting rid of cobwebs and creating “zones” for different types of play.

  293. Beverly

    De-junking our closets asap is the #1 goal!… Hope to get to the garage too before the summer is over…

  294. Sharon Fumia

    Here I am, 55 years old, and I finally have my first home! We moved last month, so my organizing and cleaning goals are endless. But this summer my biggest goal is to find some way to use what I already have in a brand new way and buy very little. I’m going for quaint cottage style, even though I live in the suburbs of New Jersey! I want to repaint, recover, redo, and if I can’t do any of those, remove and have a huge yard sale. And then with the profits I want to buy an old “cottagy” wardrobe coat closet with one drawer at the bottom for winter gloves, scarves and hats. Thay’s my goal,and I’m sticking to it!!

  295. Kristi

    Two big projects here….storage room in basement to make room for a new bathroom. And the garage…..needs lots of reorganizing and purging!!

  296. Erin

    This summer we are planning to move so I have quite a bit of cleaning ahead of me. One of my biggest goals is to clean out the old basement of the house we are moving into and make the laundry room nicer down there. We don’t have a washer and dryer at our current home so I am really excited to have a space for doing laundry!

  297. Carol Adams

    Need to organize and purge in my bedroom!!

  298. Lauren

    We are purging this summer! We are expecting a little boy this August and cleaning out the spare room closet to get ready for him. Thanks for the giveaway!

  299. DebE

    One of my summer goals is to add pantry-type open storage to my laundry/sewing room without spending lots of money. Another is to organize and properly store family photos, both physically and digitally.

  300. Ann Dempsey

    I am in the middle of trying to organize my pantry and my closet where I keep lunch boxes and storage containers!!

  301. Michele Marcellus

    I take the pool/beach bags when we come home to the laundry room with the suits and towels to be washed. When they come out of the dryer I repack them into their bags so that they are ready to go out the door again. Saves on storage space in dressers and linen closet and makes the beach towels last longer when they are only used for pool/beach and not for daily bathing. Also cuts down on the “where is my swimsuit” search as it is always in the bag.

  302. Donna McBroom-Theriot

    I am determined to get my office under control.

  303. Kim Cowden

    Cleaning our white wooden blinds would be my summer cleaning goal. I take one look at them and walk away in fear. Big job.

  304. Rachel

    I have recently started giving away a lot of my children’s toys that they no longer play with. A co-worker just had his first baby and he’s a very happy recipient of all of my hand-me-downs. The other thing I am trying to do is organize all of our outdoor activities – using the walls/ceiling of the garage to hang thing. Love your ideas too!!

  305. linda (burlap+blue)

    would love to get our garage organized this summer! thanks for the tips!

  306. Staci

    My summer projects include cleaning out and organizing all closets in my home and making one closet into an office. I also hope to clean up & make a guest room out of my daughters bedroom who will be getting married this summer.

  307. Shary

    I need to get rid of all the extras in our house this summer because we are facing a move. Need to do this before the packing begins.

  308. Penelope

    I want to figure out a mail system this sumer. Just something where I can put my mail and my husband’s and keep it from piling up on the bar. Okay, to really cure the bar problem I also need a place to put artwork from school too. :) Easy Peasy!

  309. Lisa

    I actually have a burning desire to organize & deep clean pretty much the whole house this summer {but don’t tell my brain, because it will get overwhelmed}. I am just looking at it one cabinet/closet/side of a room at a time!

  310. Lindsey

    My husband and I recently decided against moving into a bigger house and are working on making our small house more efficient for our growing family. This means major organization overhaul of every room, starting with toy storage and craft storage!

  311. Jae

    what a beautiful kitchen in the first picture. we recently cleaned and organized alot of problem areas (closets, garage, etc) so my goal is just to keep it maintained and make tweaks to the system when i see something not working (and getting cluttered again).

  312. kristin

    I would like to go through all my husband’s boxes of books. We packed them up quickly when he moved into my house after we got married last year and I have a feeling that he will never re-read most of them.

  313. Denise Cosgrove

    The attic space above the garage is calling my name! I would love to get it cleaned out and organized so that eventually it can become much-needed space in my small home.

  314. christal c

    I need to clean and organize my garage. it has not been done in 5 years. There is cobwebs and dust everywhere….may be some leaves also

  315. Jennifer R

    My organizational goals are to organize the basement! Go through years of accumulation! Also, to organize the garage. Both are dumping grounds for all the “stuff” no one wants to put away properly.
    Thank you!

  316. britwash

    I do a quick wipe down of all surfaces in my bathroom every or every other day to ensure I don’t have a big mess to clean by the end of the week!

  317. M.Simonsen

    I would love to organize the small freezer that is above our fridge. I need a shelf and some containers so the otter pops don’t pop me on the face every time I open the freezer door.

  318. Maralena R.M.

    With working full-time, and being away from home 2-4 nights a week caring for my Mother, I have a wonderful husband who does his best to keep the house picked up while I’m away. We both love a clean kitchen, and to tell you the truth, he does a better job than I do. My Mother taught me to try to clean as-you-go. Well, since I’m not home during the day, I take a few minutes every night before bedtime, and pick up. That way, I wake up with everything in it’s place.
    My summer project is to organize our master bedroom closets, and the garage. Love you blog!

  319. karen

    I agree with all these. I only recently discovered how aprons help me. It keeps me in the mode to clean at any given moment, instead of thinking I will just do something later, which is code for next year!

  320. Vicky

    I plan is to donate a lot of books that are collecting dust. And to declutter as much as possible. Thanks for your great tips!

  321. amy

    will be moving into a new house in a few weeks…TONS of organizing to do!!! want to tackle the closets first…get them organized and pretty…hopefully they’ll stay that way. i also have about 25 boxes of garage sale items to go through and price…didn’t have time to have a sale before moving…hopefully a late-summer sale will happen. THEN, we’ll be able to get our garage in working order and actually park a car in it…that would be amazing!

  322. Jamie

    Love ALL your tips! I am dying to tackle my two attics – they are out of control. Thanks for a chance to win.

  323. Mel

    We just moved into a new home, and I found that while the rest of the house is rather lacking in furnishings, my home office is a MESS! It desperately needs organization, it’s overwhelming even to look at. Just so… much… stuff!

  324. Tammy

    I start laundry first, work my way from top to bottom of the house and always save the kitchen for last, it seems to be the dumping ground for the mess in the rest of the house :)

  325. Karen

    I love all your tips and use most of them already! Now if only I could get my family on board!! :) We actually downsized from a larger house and property in recent years, so I had to get very creative and hold on to what I really want to keep. Not keeping everything (except sentimental objects and well needed items) helps tremendously.

  326. April

    declutter!!! we are expecting our first baby in the fall and I need to get rid of lots of accumulated stuff to make space for this new buddy!

  327. Anna

    I’m helping my mother-in-law organize her kitchen (we are actually having fun and enjoying the process!) Thanks for the great tips, I will be using them.

  328. sheri

    We wanted to recaulk our bathtub-shower before a house guest comes to stay this summer (very soon)! It was our first project of the summer and we just finished it yesterday! Caulk is drying as I type!

  329. Katie

    I would love to get our craft closet reorganized!

  330. Elaine

    Great ideas! I will clean out and organize my pantry. And make a couple of runs to the food shelter.

  331. Lynette

    My husband and I are downsizing into a smaller home and when we begin packing we will be purging a lot of unnecessary “stuff” and organizing things in a more efficient manner for our new house!

  332. Kathie

    My goal is to organize my spare bedroom/office!! Hopefully we can have guests this summer without me having to clean the paperwork off the bed and floor so they can go to bed at night!!

  333. Marilyn Wons

    My cleaning project for the summer is to reorganize my closets and get rid of old clothing!

  334. Jean A

    Biggest summer plan is to clean out the garage and all bedroom closets. Purge all the junk!

  335. Staci Devine Hill

    I amtrying to think of a new way to organize my recyclables. I have a small family and it takes a while to accumulate enough to warrent a trip to the center. My husband hates HIS garage to be cluttered with seperate containers for everything!

  336. Erin S

    Great giveaway!! Our summer cleaning/organization project is getting the house in order to move! We need to donate the items we no longer use or need and organize the rest!

  337. Keri

    I’m getting my finances and paper clutter under control this summer. I’ve created my household binder and began keeping detailed financial records for the first time ever. It feels SO MUCH BETTER than I thought it would!

  338. Abigail

    I need to get the house straightened up for company on Friday – it’s a wreck!

  339. Erica

    My goal is to tackle my attic space and remake it into a kids play area…as soon as I finish up my 1st year of grad school!

  340. Pat White

    I want to organize my/ my husbands clothes closet and give away things we no longer wear. It is migrant worker time in our area and the charities all need clothes.

  341. Jill

    Declutter and take items to Goodwill. Save the receipt for a tax write off.

  342. Leigh

    I do one load of laundry a day so it doesn’t pile up and I can get it put away! I am cleaning out all closets… Ugh!

  343. Tara M.

    I have big plans to organize our “office” – it has become more of a storage space than a room for productivity, unfortunately.

  344. Abby

    With the arrival of our third child two months ago, our cleaning routines all went out the Window! My goal for summer is to establish new cleaning and organization routines to fit the new needs of our family.

  345. Shea

    I plan to convert an unused bedroom that collects a lot of junk, into a home office. I’ll sell a sofa and coffee talbe and donate a lot of other items that we no longer use. I’m collecting organizational ideas as well as decorating inspiration and think I’m ready to pounce!

  346. Tammy

    My family has just moved into our dream home that we built and I am going through everything that came from the old house and organizing every room!!..hopefully this makes my life a little easier with two very energetic boys!!..and let me tell you we gonna have one big garage sale very soon!!!!

  347. KO

    the garage!!

  348. Kristina F

    Our garage has never been fully cleaned out and organized, so I am hoping we can tackle it sometime this Summer.

  349. Tamra Krohn

    This was good timing. I am currently reading a parenting book about how to “raise healthier, happier kids with less.” My summer consists of going through each room and claiming it back from the clutter and finding the peace. My son’s room was the first to be “reclaimed” and it is amazing the difference it has made in his mood, and mine! Thank you for sharing. God Bless!

  350. Zoe H,

    For several years I have had all my fabric, ribbons, bow, art supplies, etc in pretty burlap bags in my cupbard, it looked so sweet! But, I could never find anything.
    last week I broke down and bought clear plastic bins, organized everything and labeled the bins. It may not be so great looking but it has made my life easier already!
    Function or form, especially behind closed doors!

  351. renata

    I have BIG plans for this summer. Will start from tearing down a wall between kitchen and living room then painting living room! Excited!

  352. missy june

    I’m on a mission to PURGE – we will likely move to a smaller home in the fall, so I’ve started taking a load to our local charity each weekend. Will it ever end?

  353. Jennifer

    Closets! I did pretty good last summer and hope to do an even better job this year of purging our closets just in time for new school clothes in the fall. It’s a process!

  354. Jen

    We are moving into a new house this month, so my summer cleaning/organization goal is to get completely settled in our new home and designate a spot for everything…all in time for a Labor Day housewarming bbq! Too much? We’ll see!

  355. Meredith

    I am moving cross-country into a new house and my organizational goal is to have everything unpacked and in its place within 1 month (trying to give myself some leeway since we plan on doing some DIY renovations immediately after our move).

  356. delloraine

    Declutter my craftroom, workshop and classroom.

  357. Danielle

    I have a teeny apartment in New York City with way too much clothing. I plan to organize and sort through everything so it is all easier to find and looks less packed. I will then donate all my unwanted clothing to charity.

  358. Shirley

    I clean as I go through a room always have been taught to scan a room before you leave it to see if something needs to go with you. *(7 kids in my family growing up) When I deep clean I start from top to bottom so everything is on the lower portion of the room and then vacuum. My vacuum stirs up no dust so everything is clean as it can be.

  359. Lisa S.

    My college age daughter is leaving to study abroad for over a year. I intend to get into her room and organize closets, under the bed, and drawers. Then I plan on cleaning from top to bottom and painting. It will be ready for company during the year and fresh, organized, and clean for her when she returns.

  360. Marchelle

    I intend to reorganize our master bedroom closet and do a sweep of clothes not worn in ages. Living in an apartment lends itself to the creatively-minded when utilizing small spaces with as little nails, screws, or anything else which would put another hole in drywall. I feel I have my work cut out for me, but as you stated, lightening the load will make summer cleaning much less daunting. :)

  361. Blake

    This is a really great outline for cleaning quickly.

  362. Jazmine A

    My summer cleaning goal is to clear the balcony of my apartment, add some cute, small outdoor furniture and planter boxes with flowers!

  363. Kirstin

    Hmmmm…I would say actually to clean up my computer and photos…to organize my printed photos as well, and organize my file drawer

  364. Tracy Napper

    We’ve already accomplished one big goal – repainting my son’s room, bulding him a new bed, repainting his bookcase and clearing out tons of old papers, books, etc. Feels great!

  365. Wendy Edwards

    I’m hoping to clean and organize the shed to create more floor space. Right now most things are just thrown in there taking up space. Hopefully we’ll be able to fit the wheelbarrow in there when it’s finished.

  366. April was in CT now CA

    We’re focused on getting our garage in order! We’ve got a few large furniture items that we’re waiting for someone to snag up on Craig’s List (we’ve sold a couple of large items already, half way there!). After those are gone we’re doing a major sort and purge then plan on painting the gross walls and reorganizing. I am so excited about it and either of these gift cards would help with the organizing process!!

  367. Sarah

    I’m working on my backyard… a little organizing, but mostly weeding :-)

  368. Jane

    I am devoting one day per week to work on my 20 years of photographs. You would think this would be easy because my children are off on their own and I have more free time, but the task is overwhelming. I have blocked off every Thursday and vow to make no appointments that day. It will be such a relief to have this done and not have it weighing me down!

  369. Betsy

    Getting ready for a wedding at my home in a month . . . I know people will be too busy to microscope my home, but still working hard to white glove everything!

  370. Kim of Sakura Sundries

    My goal before the Fall Semester starts is to clean and organize my closet. Then I have to tackle my storage unit, which I’m hoping to downsize… time to get rid of some stuff I’ve been needlessly holding onto!

  371. Jennifer Hayes

    I’m adding a pantry in the kitchen and hope to get all the extra storage organized!

  372. Carol Ann

    My attic! Of course, it is typical of me to plan this task in the heat of summer.

  373. JennW

    I need to go through my clothes and donate what I do not wear anymore…

  374. Tiffany Miller

    The bedroom closet. Definitely!!!

  375. Meredith W.

    I need to purge! Children’s things accumulate so quickly…and when you don’t know if you’ll have more kids, it’s hard to know what to keep and what to donate. Regardless, this is the summer of the PURGE.

  376. Christine

    This summer I plan on tackling our closets. Going through everything and paring down to what we really need, then installing closet organizers.

  377. Katie

    I’m a huge clean as I go person, especially in the kitchen. I can’t enjoy anything I eat until everything that got used to cook it is put away/in the dishwasher. It’s so much faster and then you don’t have to look at a gross pile of dishes.

  378. Joyce

    I want to once and for all go through all my clothes and discard what I don’t wear or need. Why oh why is it so hard? It would be nice if I had someone to hold up every single piece while I sat on the sofa drinking tea. Dreaming!!!

  379. Keri Dunivan

    We are cleaning off the porch and updating the pillows/ decor. Sweeping/ Powerwashing makes such a difference!

  380. Liza

    We are selling our house and did a major de-cluttering. I found that I really liked how my kitchen counter looks without 2 coffee makers, a toaster oven, a seltzer maker, baskets, paper towels, etc. I am trying to maintain this minimalist counter look because it does make the kitchen look bigger and cleaner.

  381. Charla

    My challenge is to purge all of the teaching materials I brought home 4 years ago! When I retired I just could not throw them away. I THINK I am ready now.

  382. Debbie McFarland

    We moved into this house almost a year ago and I really want to get my garage organized, which includes building a sports stuff area, a crafts area, an art supplies area, cleaning products area, etc….. I am excited to have it all done, but am overwhelmed by the job ahead :)

  383. {darlene}

    cleaning out my jewelry and getting pieces ready for vintage etsy sales. :) Thanks for the motivation, Melissa!

  384. Barb

    Going to get all organized for homeschool in the fall!

  385. Courtney

    I am planning on getting my basement storage area and laundry room organized this summer. This way I will have the space to fold and hang my laundry straight from the dryer. It will also be nice to make a few bucks by selling the items that I have been storing and not using for years!

  386. Rachel C

    This summer I plan to clean out the drawers and hall closet…kitchen, desk, nightstands, etc. My drawers seem like black holes…it always amazes me how much stuff can accumulate.

  387. Marcia

    We are in the process of buying a lake house. My summer plans are to furnish and supply two houses by using what I have in the house we are living in now. I know by cleaning out closets and cupboards and by doing some rearranging of furniture, this can be done. Of course, the attic will need to be cleaned out, too. Lots up treasures up there!

    • Krys72599

      Oh, be careful! We have a lake house and did the same thing – we have MORE than enough stuff for two houses! In fact I still have stuff I want to get rid of! It feels as if more space = more stuff, even though we didn’t buy a single piece of new anything for the lake house!

  388. NanaDoll

    We are opening up the wall between the living room and kitchen to create a more open floor plan. This will require me to purge quite a bit out of the kitchen to accommodate the new layout. It ALSO allows me to simplify my organization in what always has been the hardest room of the house. You know, necessity (open view to the kitchen) is the mother of invention (method to keep it clean)! :)

  389. Lisa

    I am going to organize our closets and storage areas to be more efficient, and so we don’t hang on to unnecessary items.

  390. Jenna

    We need to desperately clean/organize our home office space – it has currently become our junk room – and I would love to reclaim this space for a more useful function!

  391. Nicole

    I have so many spots that need a good deep clean!! Our main goal is the back bedroom, which has turned into storage. As soon as that’s done, my husband will have his very own home music studio :) These gift cards would help make that room fabulous!!

  392. Alexa Brown

    my project for this summer is packing, unpacking, and organizing my new apartment.

  393. VHiggins

    My goal is just to have our house neat and wiped down for this weekend, it’s our anniversary and having a clean house will help me to relax and focus on my husband and celebrating the last 4 years together! ^_^

  394. Cheryl Willem

    One of my pet projects will be to organize our tiny “junk room” into a functional (but small) home office (desk, 2 filing cabinets) and pantry for canned goods. It’s a challenge not only because of it’s small size and remote (to the kitchen) location, but because it also has a door opening directly into the back yard. We tend to pile things up in there, pay almost no attention to them, and when we do, we find things a bit dusty. It’s my bane!

  395. Linda Van

    I do one thing on my to do list everyday. Sometimes I fit in more, but as long as I can check off one thing on the list, I feel like I’ve accomplished something. It is amazing how this inspires my husband and son to take care of some of the things they have been putting off.

  396. Krys72599

    I find it difficult to keep my house as clean as I’d like: we leave for work before 7am, and get home around 6:30pm. We’re blessed enough to have a lake house only 45 minutes away so we leave either Friday nights or Saturday mornings most weekends. So I’m truly never in either home long enough to deep clean! This weekend though, I started – I cleaned our bedroom from top to bottom, side to side. I started on the office and so far have only gotten as far as sorting through the paper. My summer goal is to do the same for each and every room, including decluttering and cleaning, even if it means staying home 1 weekend a month! BOY, would the Container Store help me tremendously in finding a place for everything… Thanks for the chance to win!

  397. Adrienne gordon

    i want to organize our storage shed.

  398. Samantha

    My summer organizational goal is to rid my house of all wedding related materials. Our wedding count-down is at 11 days (getting married on June 15th!!!!) and the supplies have taken over our living spaces. I mean, they are EVERYWHERE. After the wedding I cannot wait to get rid of it all!! (Most will be donated to future brides!) I want to reclaim our home again and finally organize everything properly.

  399. laurie chiodo

    We live near the beach and bathing suits and towels can overwhelm me. I throw bathing suits into the bath tub when we are done wearing them. When I’m in the shower I wash them out and hang them on suction hooks that I put on the shower wall. They are cleaned and then dry in there and the water drips into the tub and sand goes down the drain. :)

  400. Jessica H.

    Moving into our first home in 10 days, so hoping to start off life in the new place super organized!

    Thanks.

  401. Shannon P.

    I just told the kids that we need to sort our books this summer into keep, donate, sell and trash piles. Awesome giveaway, thank you!

  402. Melanie

    For the next year (due to my husband’s job) I am living in a furnished apartment thousands of miles away from our home and all of our stuff. Prior to our move, I shipped a box of spiral notebooks containing stories, poems and essays that I had written. One of my goals while here is to transfer all of those writings to my laptop -organizing by topic, deleting those I no longer want to keep and developing the unfinished work.

  403. Darlene R.

    My summer goal is to purge and organize my closet. The gift cards would go great for this project because both stores have awesome products to make my closet transform into an organized and functional space.

  404. Stephanie N

    I plan on getting my daughters shared bedroom in order and ready for them to both start back to school in the fall.

  405. Molly

    Love these – great ideas for me to make into habits in my new house…

  406. Dana Breeden

    Just one cleaning project or organizational goal? Cause I have like a bajillion. Ok, lemme choose the pantry. We’re lucky in that it is huge but that also means it has become the dumping ground for backpacks, it’s the recycling center, large kitchen gadget storage and the janitorial closet. With all that in there, I don’t have room for the food. What’s a pantry without food?! So yeah, that room needs some help. Here’s to hoping I win!

  407. Alyssa

    I’m moving across the country this summer, so that’s my HUGE project! Part of that is weeding out my stuff so that I’m not carrying more than I need, then setting up my new home on the other end. I’ll be living in my own apartment, sans roommates, for the first time, so the prospect of setting up all my spaces and organizational systems exactly how I want them is very exciting!

  408. Stella R.S.

    Purchasing our first home my husband and I are slowly working on projects. Everything gets thrown into the “office”. My goal is to organize, paint, and creat a craft/office with not so much clutter!

  409. Karen

    We are on the end of gutting two bathrooms and closets as well as adding a laundry room and master closet. I am hoping to put every thing back away before the summer is over. I could really use a boost from Target and the Container store!

  410. Laura

    My two main cleaning/organizational goals this summer are to clean out and get our front closet super organized. Right now, it’s a complete disaster. I also still need to spring clean our house. I’ll admit I’ve been putting it off!

  411. Jesseca

    We have been reorganizing rooms since having a new baby in February. The goal is to go through each room of our house by the start of school in the fall and purge and reorganize each and every room. Everything has a place and everything in it’s place before the crazies of school hits again! Ready, set, GO!

  412. Nellie

    We’re moving this summer. So I’m hoping to get all the old papers and bills shredded and organized before moving to the new place.

  413. Nancy

    Thanks for the cleaning tips, just the inspiration I need to start working on my goal, which is CLEARING CLUTTER.

  414. Sarah S.

    I make a small binder of the kids school projects that they bring home. Each kid comes home with 2-3, 3-inch binders full of papers. We narrow down to our top 25, put them in page protectors and trash the rest. I put a cute piece of scrapbook paper in the front of the file along with their school pic and it makes a great trip down memory lane for the kids to see all their old school stuff.

  415. Arlene Selser

    Like Jessica H., I am moving. (19 days) Not only do I have to stay organized and pack, but I will have to clean the old then keep organizing and cleaning the new. Organized, short cleaning routines everyday will be what I HAVE to do.

  416. Leslie

    Really need to get my closet in order. Need to switch around summer and winter clothes.

  417. Gerry McArthur

    Our laundry room is also the stoarge spot for tools,lawn and garden items,ice chests, paint and craft products. Everything it just shoved onto the shelves and it is time to bring order to this chaos. My plan is to completely empty the room, clean every inch of it, paint, containerize and organize. It would be fantastic to win this giveaway!!!!!

  418. Katherine

    Going thru my childrens childhood toys, clothes and books and getting rid of or passing on~

  419. Christine M

    I just began a new phase in my education/career that is a huge time demand. I am gone 10+ h/day and need to study on top of that. My goal for the summer is to develop a time-efficient cleaning routine that I can do throughout the week so I don’t spend half the day cleaning on my one day off a week.

  420. Gina F

    We just moved into our first house. A 1950’s rambler. I think we need to clean and organize the entire thing and it will probably take much longer than just the summer. Thanks for the giveaway!

  421. Jennifer S

    My summer cleaning project is our school room. It took a beating this year since we were in it almost every day. I’d love to start our next school year with a sparkling space. I think one little project a day will get it in tip-top shape for fall. Although some new organization tools from The Container Store would certainly help. :) Great give-away. Thanks for hosting!

  422. Betty

    I’m planning on reorganizing my pantry – paint, new shelving, storage… the whole nine yards!

  423. HollowSquirrel

    My summer goal is to organize my craft/sewing room (which means I have to tame/de-clutter/shred items from our home office beforehand)! Lots to do!

  424. Rhonda

    OK, those are my two favorite stores!!!

    I am working on getting my downstairs laundry and craft space organized – paint new flooring and all. And I hope to get my boys’ closet organized as well – could use a system from the Container Store!!!!!

  425. Jennifer

    I need to organize our basement storage room.

  426. kate

    We have a barn/garage/man cave that is in sore need of organization…but maybe that’s not as important as the pantry room? They both need a deadline!

  427. Kara

    With a newborn and grad school, our house has been put on the back burner! My summer goals include some major closet organization, donations to Good Will, a yard sale, and a kitchen makeover! Guess we had better get started!

  428. Carrie

    My goal is to get all of my closets under control. Hopefully, by the end of summer everything will be folded, sorted, and neatly packed away!!!

  429. Amy

    I want to get my kitchen better organized. That includes all of the cabinets and the pantry. Right now our pantry is full of food and health care items with a few shelves full of my husband’s tools (which desperately need to find a new home in our garage). Having everything organized will help make cooking and grocery shopping so much easier.

  430. Paula Culver

    I am in the process of cleaning out all of my closets so that I might be more organized in each room. I want to throw away, give away, and send older children their stuff! Winning this prize would certainly help.

  431. Teresa Giddens

    This year I MUST clean out my closet. I’ve put this off for years, but now I’m determined. And thanks for entering me in the giveaway!

  432. Martha

    Our two older girls have moved out and,emotionally, I hadn’t wanted to change the room. Well, now I’m ready. I need to organize and turn it into a fun and peaceful craft room and guest room combination.

  433. Hallie

    I need to clean my office – at work! Purge and reorganize!

  434. Heather Turner

    I really learned a lot from flylady.com

  435. Ellen

    There are so many projects to tackle this summer… our five-month-old took over our guest room, so the guest bed is now in the basement. What I’d really love is to get our basement into tip top shape–clean, inviting, and a place I won’t mind sending guests!

  436. Carolyn S

    We need to clean out our master bedroom to make room for our new nursery!

  437. Kate G

    I hope to finally clean out my garage!

  438. Alyssa Alexander

    I really need to get my craft/sewing area under control. Lots of stuff with no storage space makes for craziness.

  439. Tiffany Heffernan

    I have decided to splurge and buy bathroom cleaning supplies for all of my bathrooms (4 of them). This includes a microfiber cloth, toilet brush, toilet cleaner, mirror spray, paper towels, etc. It is a hassle to carry all those supplies with you all over the house and sometimes that is enough to prevent me from actually cleaning them.:) It’s not that much more money, and I will have to replace my cleaning items less often since I will only be using them for their designated bathrooms.

  440. Mary-Beth

    My toddler’s closet has been a mess for ages. Last night I sat down and finally sorted everything. My goal is to keep up with his clothes so that we only have clothes that currently FIT in his dresser and closet. Everything else gets moved into the new baby’s closet, ready for when he needs it!

  441. Ann

    We have a huge workshop – it’s basically an extra 2 car garage – that needs a major overhaul. Kids’ bikes, furniture projects, gardening stuff, old junk…it all gets thrown in there. My goal this summer to get the thing cleaned out, organized, and hopefully even a little pretty. :)

  442. Jenna

    What a GREAT giveaway! I’m a pretty clean and organized person (I really don’t see how people can just stack dishes in a sink and then walk by them multiple times instead of just PUTTING THEM IN THE DISHWASHER. Mindboggling.), but my two pantries have always been a source of frustration. I just can’t keep them organized! I need some bins and shelves to corral all of the stuff!

  443. Caroline

    I want to clean out and organize all our storage closets so that we use the space better and can actually find the items we keep in there!

  444. Abby

    I plan to clean out and organize our garage. We moved into our new house the day before Christmas so everything just got kind of shoved in there until it was warm enough to organize it or move it to the outdoor shed. Now we are too far into warm weather and it is still a mess! One of these days…

  445. Karli Bird

    I love this post! Mainly because I am a clean freak, and I love to be efficient when I am cleaning down our house! I love your tip about cleaning as you go, I have learned that is the easiest way to keep the housework down. Thanks for the chance to win the giveaway, I love target and I especially love the container store! I would buy everything from that store if I could!

  446. Emily

    My summer cleaning project is the one I dread the most – organizing the garage. There are boxes of who knows what from 3 moves ago that have never been unpacked. Just waiting for motivation to strike.

  447. Lindy

    We are working on a playroom for our boys (ages 3 and 4) so we can actually see the floors in their rooms! :)

  448. Castle Swanson

    I would LOVE, Love, LOVE to clean out the garage and get it organized. After 25 years of marriage and 3 kids growing up and moving out (and occasionally back in), the garage has accumulated so much Stuff. It would make everything seem more organized if looking out the garage door window revealed an organized area.

  449. Barbara

    I need to go thru all my sweaters and put them in new storage containers.

  450. Patti H.

    My main organizing/cleaning goal for this summer is to get our hallway linen closet in order. It is a disorganized mess right now! Thank you for the wonderful contest!

  451. Heidi

    My main organizational goal is to set up the office in our home. We only moved in a year ago!

  452. Nancy Sloop

    We just moved into a 1982 ranch fixer, with 2nd living quarters where my parents will live once we finish renovations. We are living in the lower level while we renovate the upper level, and then will move upstairs to renovate the lower level. I have to keep almost everything we moved from our old house in boxes to make it easier to move everything upstairs, and because our belongings were packed by a moving company, box labeling was sketchy at best as to contents.

    My goal? I plan on looking through each box, resorting contents if necessary, and grouping them together by room: LR, DR, KI, FR, OFC, MBR, MBT, GR, GBT so when we do finally get to move upstairs, the boxes will (hopefully) be delivered to their correct new home.

  453. Laurie

    Our unfinished basement has many unpacked boxes from our recent move into our new house, so I am ready to tackle going through these boxes; sorting, donating, and organizing any boxes that have items to be stored. After that, it is off to do the same in the garage!

  454. Jennifer

    Our office/craft room is also our storage room. I’d like to get it all organized so I can actually start crafting on my craft table!

  455. Danielle M.

    My goal is to do purging of drawers in each room of my tiny house so that the things in them are actually used!

  456. Christine

    I live with my son and his fiance and my granddaughter. I’m the one who does all the cleaning, except for my son’s bedroom. He can do that himself! I do keep separate cleaning supplies upstairs and downstairs because it makes it easier than having to lug everything up the stairs, except for the vacuum and rug shampooer. I have my son lug the shampooer upstairs because it’s heavy. The carpet is light so I shampoo it once a month because a lot of dirt gets tracked into the house and it doesn’t matter that I bought two mats for them to wipe their feet on! One is outside the front door and another is in the garage by the connecting door into the house. My son doesn’t take his boots off when he comes in, but everyone else does. Still…this is Arizona and a very dusty state!

  457. Julie

    My summer goal is to clean out and then decorate my son’s bedroom. He’s been living in a “transition” room for 2 years – it’s time he gets something that looks finished!

  458. Colleen in Dallas

    I’m planning on organizing and cleaning my garage turned craft room.

  459. Carmen

    My goal this summer is to organize my craft room. Everything got piled in there when we had to change my original craft room into a nursery, and it’s just gotten worse. I can’t make any crafts because I can’t find the table. I’m hoping to get some shelves and cupboards installed – but I’m going to start with a plan where to put each craft item first!

  460. Teresa

    On my way to Target now to get pant hangers to hang all pants from the waist in my closet and reorganize short tops where the pants once hung folded over.

  461. Marisa

    My summer goal: purge & reorganize the kids’ playroom, and decorate the walls with a few quotes and their own artwork. Can’t wait to see what a difference it will make in helping them keep their toys and projects in order!

  462. Valerie J.

    This summer we’re cleaning the other half of our basement, making a multipurpose room: laundry, out of season clothes storage and cellar.

  463. Vidya Sudarsan

    My catalogs!! I have been collecting catalogs.. hope to clean that pile up and cut the pages I want and put them in a file.

  464. Linda

    I want to get my sewing room organized so ican enjoy sewing and making things again!

  465. Karamie

    Just 1 project…that is hard to narrow down! I would have to say organizing our garage so that we can find stuff easily and actually park both our cars in it:)

  466. Joanne

    Great tips! Keeping up on the dishwasher has been a huge help. This summer: Everything in storage has to go. Why are we keeping all this stuff anyway?

  467. Axon

    This is all particularly pertinent to me as we are moving, and hoping to leave our current house clean and enter our next house organized!

  468. Nancy K

    My main organizing and purge/cleaning goal for this summer is my office/craft room!

  469. BETHANY UHL

    I’m moving into a new and SMALLER home this summer and hope to “do it right” from the very beginning….finding a place for everything, and even throwing things out as I unpack and realize that I don’t need it…or two of them.

  470. Monica

    One of my cleaning goals for this summer is to go through all of the baby/toddler clothes bins in my attic to cut them down to one container for each child.

  471. Doris Graham

    We have a big vegetable garden and lots of flowers in the yard, so I plan to go out first thing in the mornings in my garden clothes to work while it’s cool, do an hour or more of work out there, and then come in to shower and get ready for the rest of the day! Keeping the vegetables, flowers, and watering in order is the goal of my summer.

  472. Beth

    We just moved in December, so I would like to get our basement completely organized & purged of the items we will not be needing in our new home. Love the feeling of being decluttered & organized!

  473. Mary

    Organizing/cleaning the craft room area is on the must-do list!

  474. Cathie

    My goal this summer is to teach my 3 oldest kids, 12, 9 & 5 a little more about cleaning. The idea is that by the end of the summer, when I say “clean your bathroom” they know exactally what is expected of them! They each know some, and obviously some more than others, but by September I want to at least be able to say they know how to complete certian deep cleaning tasks!
    PS I LOVE Clorox wipes!! They are my kids favorite cleaning tool, even my 4 yr old loves to wipe everything in his path with them!@

  475. Shari

    We are having a huge family reunion at my house this summer when my brother gets married. So needless to say I have a long list of closet and drawer organizing that needs to be done before Aug. My 1st goal is to go through our game closet. We have too many games that are broken, missing parts, or that my kids have just outgrown. Hopefully getting that accomplished will help me get motivated to get all the rest done!

  476. Sarah Campillo

    I love clorox wipes and papertowels. Also Tilex daily shower spray is nice as well!

    Doing a massive clean and declutter this weekend!

    Can’t wait!

  477. Holly S.

    I want to set up a summer cleaning project for my kids so that they can earn some money in their free time. If they finish 1 extra chore a day (different from their daily chores), they will earn some money. I like it b/c the house is clean; they like it b/c they earn some money. A win-win!

  478. Shannon Macklam

    I need to clean my whole house so I can have a yard sale!

  479. Wendy Webb

    I have LOTS of organizing to do! Life is moving at the speed of light and the kids are getting older; it’s time to regroup. As far as cleaning, We need to clean all of the blinds in our house – over 20 of them – and all of the fans. Time to put those big kids to work! ;-)

  480. lindsey hardoin

    I recently moved into my house and I have been delaying organizing the basement into a playroom for the kids, I hope to accomplish that this summer along with clearing and cleaning the yard.

  481. Katie

    We just moved in March, so there is still QUITE a lot of organizing to do! My most immediate organizing job is for the yard sale we’re having this weekend. I can’t wait to free up the room that has been serving as a staging area for this dang yard sale! I love the purging, it’s so cathartic :)

  482. Crystal

    My summer cleaning goal is to get rid of the clutter! With a 6 month old, it’s just crazy a) how many things we NEED but b) how many things we have that we certainly do NOT need. Mama needs some breathing room so my brain can feel peaceful again :)

  483. Caitlin McClure

    I’m trying to clean and organize the whole house to get ready for baby!

  484. Andrea

    One word–GARAGE. Looks like Sanford & Son live out there!

  485. Marianne

    Now that I’m a grandma, living with a grandpa, our house stays amazingly clean and tidy. I recently did a massive closet, cupboard, and drawer overhaul. It took weeks. I moved pictures, got new sheets, tossed an old desk and chairs. I forced myself to go through everything we own. I managed to get rid of lots of goodies, either at Goodwill, trash or our kids. I still have to tackle the basement and the attic. But I have made progress!

  486. Livivua Chandler

    My summer goal is to make my own DIY stepping stones for my garden and patio area.

  487. Ro

    My project this summer is to reclaim closet space by donating unused clothes, shoes, and coats!

  488. Suzi

    This summer I’m going to continue to focus on developing good habits and routines. I’ve never been one to pick up habits easily so focusing on a few at a time really helps. FlyLady has been amazing at teaching me how to get myself, and my home, in order.

  489. Amanda Martin

    My cleaning project is to just work on the new house my fiancee and I just purchased, and we’re working on making it our home, and well you’ve helped me realize where and how to keep some of my cleaning things so I can be sure to keep the house tidy.

  490. Emily

    I definitely want to reorganize our basement.

  491. Julie C

    Our summer organization project is the storage and laundry area of the lower level; we are over half-way done and it feels to great to have all this extra room to use down there now! I love keep Clorox wipes in our bathrooms for quick clean ups! Thank you, Target!

  492. Alice Adams

    I will be organizing my closets! They are overflowing and I am to the point I hate to open the closet doors!! Thanks for your cleaning tips! I am gonna put them to good use! Have a great day!! Alice

  493. Michelle

    Clean out and organize my craft closet!

  494. Bri

    I need to clean up the garage a bit and get our bikes up and running for the summer. One of the best tips my dad taught me about keeping clean/getting things done is to never walk anywhere without picking up something that needs to be put elsewhere. It’s an insignificant amount of time added to your trip and eventually everything is cleared up and maintaining it is easy! He was always doing this in the yard. He’d be headed to or from the shop and would stoop to pull a weed and deposit it in the bin. Took no time, and he never had to spend 8 hours in a day pulling weeds in gravel. Genius!

  495. Kelly Palmer

    Organize and paint my guest/craft room :)

  496. Katie

    Wow…I would love to win this giveaway. My clothes are totally out of control and need organizing desperately.

  497. Suzan

    My closet is busting at the seams. I’ve been slowly deleting things as the season changed, but now it’s time for the big clean!

  498. Betsy Gilberti

    Our summer cleaning project will be the laundry/child toy room which is a nightmare. It must change into a tween storage space to interestingly house/display a gazillion legos, and books and games.
    This will need a plan…

  499. Brandi Baldwin

    My summer cleaning project is my office space. I have piles everywhere, and it needs an update with new furniture and fresh coat of paint.

  500. Kristen

    Our garage! There are two nice big boxes in there full of the odds and ends we didn’t know what to do with when we moved in (a year ago!). Once we get rid of those boxes and hang bikes and such, we might actually be able to move around when we park the cars!

  501. Kim

    I am changing the girl’s bonus room bedroom as they are both leaving for college into a home office/family room. The girl’s bedroom will be the current home office. I have a lot of stuff to organize and purge and I can’t wait till it’s all done.

  502. Terri Bertrand

    Cleaning out the kid’s downstairs toy closet. Way too much stuff in this closet and a bunch of it needs to be gone through and gotten rid of/donated. My youngest is 12 now and doubt she will play much with Mr. Potato head anymore! Ha! Guess I am a little behind… but thanks for the motivation and the great cleaning tips. Makes so much sense. How come I didn’t think of it? Love your blog!

  503. Ritalou

    My summer plans include tackling our storage area in our shop and greatly reducing the ‘load’ there!

  504. Connie Harper

    I plan on replacing all my cabinet liners. I haven’t done it in a long time! It’s not a job I enjoy doing, but look forward to having it done. Instead of a bucket of warm water, I plan on using Clorox wipes to clean out my cabinets and drawers!

  505. Joanne Schultz

    I’d like to clear out all the cardboard boxes I have sitting around – they sure take up a lot of room!
    Thanks for the giveaway!

  506. addrienne mertens

    i need to clean out the garage! amazing what accumulates in a years time!

  507. Jessie Bevel

    My husband and I just got married the beginning of May and we are still receiving wedding presents. The three of us (my husband, his five year old son, and myself) live in a small two bedroom apartment where there never seems to be enough storage space. My summer project is to completely re-organize our apartment, clean out the things we no longer need or want and find room for all of the wonderful gifts we received from our family and friends.

  508. Heidi

    My goal is to get rid of things that have been sitting around that we KNOW need to go to Goodwill or be put up for sale via Craigslist or eBay. And to finally unpack that one. last. suitcase. (His – not mine.) :-)

  509. Lori

    I’m going to start by decluttering my office!

  510. Kathy

    I am moving, and cannot wait to de-clutter and organize all of the stuff I have gathered over the years! Storage bins, baskets, cleaning supplies… need so many of these!

  511. Rachel

    My goal for the summer is get all our baby stuff organized. She arrives in 8 weeks and I don’t even have the crib yet. I think it’s time to get cracking!

  512. Addy

    My main objective this summer is to declutter and once that is finished begin organizing what is left. We are thinking of moving so having the house ready for next year would be amazing!!

  513. Melissa

    Wow! Awesome Giveaway!!! This summer I really want to get my three boy’s rooms organized so it will be easier for them to keep clean.

  514. Andi

    We are leaving for furlough, so I need to pack stuff away so someone else can use our house while we’re away. Yuck!

  515. the farmer's wife

    I’d tackled most of the heavy organizing in the spring, but I’d like to get my boys into two separate rooms. So…that will be the “chore”. Although you know how fun it is to create special places for one’s children.

  516. Wendi

    This summer I want to organize my pictures and memorabilia. I have the containers, I just need to complete the project. (Well, I could always use more cute containers. ;) ) Lately I have bounded with an amazing group of women who support each other like the best of sisters, and they love to get together to scrapbook. Because I am so unorganized and have stuff all over the place it is hard for me to grab and go. So my summer plan/goal is to be ready to go when the girls call.

  517. Samantha

    Definitely to organize and clean up my pantry. I can’t wait to do this project and even spruce it up w/some fresh paint. I already started with adding some chalkboard paint to my pantry door to use as a weekly menu list and grocery list.

  518. kristen m

    My summer cleaning projects are the guest room closet (which is just a dumping ground for anything I want to hide) and the garage, oh my goodness I need to dive in there at some point!
    blue65829 at aol dot com

  519. Becky W.

    I need to organize my home office and my storage room in the basement. Definitely need to purge and then put what’s left in usable containers that allow me to move in the room! :)

  520. Nicole Clark

    The craftroom needs love!!! You’d think if a person was truly crafty, they may know how to “create” a crafting oasis…..clean, organized, and maybe even eye appealing.?.? Well, I plan to try to do just that! Just need a few more pintrest pins and I’m there!!!! Wish me luck!

  521. Caitlin

    Those are some really great tips on cleaning and organizing! I love a clean house and I love to organize. Right now I’m trying to balance and embrace what I like to call order and (delightful) chaos. With a baby and a two year old, I’ve had to loosen my grips on a shiny, clean home. I really liked the tips on keeping a routine and staying on top of things. It’s so true! If I let the house go for one day, it takes about three to get it back in order!

  522. Kerry Murphy

    I would definitely love to organize my new craft/desk space area. We just got new cabinets for this area and my husband’s summer goal is to have our basement finished; I’m assuming this is included in his plans! Thanks!

  523. Lauren

    I NEED to clean out and organize our spare bedroom closet. It’s been a mess since we moved in a year-and-a-half ago because it became the space where we throw everything “extra” – boxes, luggage, wrapping supplies, unused pictures frames, old CD’s, and lots more.

  524. Jessica C

    the BIG thing on my summer organization list was to clean out our basement storage and get rid of excess stuff. So glad it is done this weekend. Next up is YARD WORK!

  525. Margaret Smith

    One BIG project that we plan on doing is organizing our basement. Our basement is used as a family/playroom, workshop and office. Over the years, items just seem to have collected there and organizing all these areas are on our to do list.
    Thanks so much.

  526. Jessie

    The summer project I have would be to finally paint the second bathroom and to finally decorate the family room in a beach theme. I also of course want to go through everything and reorganize! We have only lived in this house for 10 months and it already feels chaotic. :)

  527. Shelley

    This summer I plan to organize my pantry once again. Although I have done it several times in the past, this time I am getting more containers and coming up with a better system so it doesnt’ end up a mess again! Thanks for the awesome contest!
    -Shelley

  528. Betty

    I am going to clean out our closets. I will purge things that we haven’t worn in two years.

  529. Linda Hobbs

    Yes, the garage is on my/our list to clean out this summer. yuck…

  530. Laura

    I am planning on moving soon and need to deep clean my ENTIRE house! Also downsizing all of my collected items in the garage is on my list.

  531. Tara Wermuth

    Great tips and a great giveaway! Thanks!

  532. Aimee

    I have an empty water heater cabinet that will become storage for pots, pans, and bulky kitchen appliances, I really need to organize my pantry, and I need to do a full makeover on my closet– it’s just sitting there full of awesome potential!

  533. Leannej

    oh I have SO many summer cleaning/organizing to do’s on my list, but the garage is probably the first and most important!!

  534. Amanda C.

    I love to get rid of stuff that I don’t use. I agree with what you mentioned above. Less stuff means less stuff to clean.

  535. anne-craig

    Tackling the guest room PRONTO! It tends to become a storage unit once the holidays hit. I really want to get it reorganized well before summer guests arrive so that I am not stressed out when they arrive. Thanks for your great tips and for this great contest!

  536. Wendy

    We are re-doing my daughter’s closet while she is away for camp! Can’t wait to organize and clean that space!

  537. Gina

    My basement is in desperate need of a clean out! I plan to get rid of anything that hasn’t been used in the last year or so. I still have boxes from 10 or more years ago that haven’t even been opened. Not a hoarder, but I do keep a lot of my kids old stuff that I just don’t need to have.

  538. Karen

    The basement storage area. It will be a nice cool place to organize on a hot humid day.

  539. Karen Mary

    My shed, my basement, my filing cabinets, and my garage!

  540. Tammy

    My summer goal is to organize the basement where we just drop and go so many things we want to keep. It’s not super bad but it definitely needs to be organized!

  541. Michelle D

    Clean my basement! We still have unpacked boxes from when we moved 1 1/2 years ago . Talk about embarrassed lol

  542. Tammy Skipper

    I haven’t finalized my summer goals list but I do think reorganizing my daughter’s room is going to be on it. We need to rearrange some furniture to make her room for functional.

  543. MomHomeGuide.com

    I’d love to be able to keep my house neat, even though the kids will be home all day! I also hope to get a basement playroom organized over the summer, so the toys can stay downstairs!

  544. Kathy

    We do all outside projects in the summer and then relax before moving to inside projects!

  545. Brini Isaacs

    My number one goal for this summer is to get moved into our new house and organize all of our stuff in it’s new place, getting rid of as much stuff as possible!

  546. Jennie

    My closet! I just had our third child…so I need to figure out what fits and pack up and get rid of those maternity clothes!

  547. Lori Karstetter

    I’m planning on redecorating one of my closest into a private getaway book nook! With shelves, seating, and good lighting — my little escape to read books. :) I’m excited about the project!

  548. Lani

    I am going to tackle an attached storage shed that is full of mismatched everything and make into either a craft room or a workshop for tools and projects.

  549. Kristi

    I’m working on putting things together and organizing in preparation for a wedding and married life beginning next May…I got engaged three weeks ago so now all the planning begins!! :)

  550. lisa p

    Would love to have the guest room truly be a guest room…not a catch-all…again. Lovely!

  551. Judy

    My big summer organization goal is purge, purge, purge before moving.

  552. Jessica

    Id love to finish organizing the garage!

  553. Tricia

    I need to organize years & years of pictures!!!

  554. Kim Schadrack

    My garage is the biggest summer chore. I’m a preschool teacher, so throughout the year stuff comes and goes, but doesn’t usually get put away.

  555. Nichole Boyd

    I finally have my catch all room transformed into my beautiful craft room. I have the hardest time leaving this room :).

  556. Suzie

    I plan to put up more shelving in my laundry room for additional storage.

  557. Teresa

    I have two big organizational goals this summer:
    to get all my photos from the hard drive onto Shutterfly (I’m about halfway there!) and
    to get my kitchen and pantry stocked and ready for a transition to a plant-based, whole foods way of eating – so excited to begin that journey!
    Thank you and your sponsors for this fantastic giveaway!!

  558. Toni

    I love an organized pantry! Clear containers and Longaberger baskets help to keep my pantry organized and clutter free. Plus, my food looks more appealing, and I’m less likely to eat out!

  559. Amy

    We moved in December and I think that a lot of miscellaneous items were placed in closets here there and everywhere. My plan is to go through closets this summer- clean, organize and give items away!

  560. sarah

    i heart all things target and container store. goal of the summer is to find a place for all the clutter piling up in the living room.

  561. Brynn

    My summer goal is to get the house clean and ready for our first baby…due in early July! Time to nest :)

  562. Katie Kildal

    I’m in the process of making the living room come together. I’ve had furniture that needs to be reupholstered taking up half of the garage. The fabric has been chosen and pretty soon I will have a 2 car garage again!

  563. Em

    We’re hoping to buy a house – how’s that for an organizing project??? :)

  564. Toni

    Clean out all the kitchen cabinets and pare it down to just what I use!

  565. Jill M D

    My goal is to organize my photos and get them on discs! They are such a mess and hindering my scrapbooking!

  566. Abbie

    My goal is to implement a daily cleaning schedule that works for me as the mom of two little kiddos.

  567. Patti

    My goal is to go room to room and then onto the garage to reduce, reuse and repurpose. It will feel great to lighten our load – finally!

  568. Kelly

    I’m moving this summer, so my goal is to organize the whole house! Hopefully with some serious purging before the move.

  569. maria

    I just started to do my declutter plan this weekend so this post was a perfect timing! I am planning to do just as you suggested – go thru one or two drawers or hotspots a day for a few minutes and clear out what I don’t use or don’t love!! I have a nice pile already but plan to keep going ’til I have covered all areas needed!! I feel better for just starting!! Excited!!

  570. Jill P

    My entire house is in need of organizing, but I need to prioritize the schoolroom/playroom, garage, and the kids’ closets!

  571. Susan Smith

    My goal this Summer is to clean out the basement. I need to take the childrens clothes and toys that don’t use any more and give them to Goodwill. I also need to put the holiday decorations into tubs so they are east to get to.

  572. tara

    Perfect timing, we have lots of kid birthdays in June and the toys are overtaking the house already!

  573. Laura

    My summer project is to organize our apartment’s hallway storage space, which doubles as a linen cabinet and school supply stash. I want to stop the towel overflow and logically organize the school supplies so that it will be intuitive for a 13 year-old boy!

  574. Betty Baez

    My one cleaning goal is my outdoor area it’s a mess leaves every where patio furtinure that needs cleaning and I’m in dire need of flowers it’s looking a bit bare outside

  575. Meredith

    I would like to get our office stuff – papers, etc. — organized. Our “office” is in our bedroom, and it’s a mess!

  576. Annie

    Clean the basement!

  577. Robin

    I would like to heed your advice and make daily routines a top priority, starting the day school is out.

  578. Lisa

    This summer it is my hope to finally clean and organize my 3 kids’ closets! Much of the clutter is old baby items that need to find a good home!

  579. Ann Fantom

    We need to clean and organize our garage. It is a disaster

  580. Ann

    I’m hoping to re-organize everything! We should be moving this summer, so it’s all about a good, all over cleansing of extra items we don’t need anymore!

  581. Natasha S

    I love cleaning, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Though I do find it hard to keep my pantry organized. My goal this coming weekend is to clean it out.

  582. ileana

    First, organize my piles of papers!! Arrrgh – why is it so difficult? Second, the garage needs to be purged in a big way! Winning gift cards to my favorite stores would be very helpful! Thanks.

  583. Katie

    I really need to deep clean/organize my kitchen cupboards, including the tops, but I love your quick cleaning tips!

  584. Siouxzy

    One of my goals is to get my digital life in order and then get it backed up!

  585. Elizabeth G.

    I really need to organize all the closets in my house.

  586. Michelle E.

    My plan is to tackle the pantry this summer! Was on my list to do last summer and I’ve been putting it off because I just don’t know where to begin.

  587. Kim

    I need to reorganize my craft supplies!

  588. senath mossallam

    I love target and love to organize! Always finding different ways for organizing

  589. Elizabeth

    Where to start? Garage, basement and my closet are the top 3

  590. Ashley

    I’d like to start routines, like yours, to keep my home clean enough for people to stop by anytime (which they do!).

  591. Sandi M

    Since my husband left our family and moved to another state without taking most of his belongings I think a garage sale is definitely on the summer to do list. Whatever doesn’t sell is going to GoodWill or the trash. Perhaps the purging will help me and our daughter to begin to heal.

  592. jovanna

    My goal this summer is to declutter by organizing my papers, photos & various items I have held onto these past several years. If I pick something up, I will put it in it’s proper place to avoid having to do it later. And if I haven’t used /worn something in a year, in the donation bin it goes!

  593. Lauren

    My goal this summer is to clean out and de-junk our fourth bedroom. We’ve been in our home a year and there is still a lot of stuff that needs a designated place.

  594. Kathy

    The Spring cleaning is done in my house, yet I have big plans to clean out the pantry and organize all my canned goods. A gift card to the Container Store would be wonderful!

  595. Megan G

    This is the year that I will finally get the DVDs, CDs, and photo CDs organized!

  596. Brenda

    Clean and organize my sewing room

  597. kait

    my goal… clean as i go! i’m terrible about being in too much of a hurry to pick up before the mess grows!

  598. T.

    i want to go thru all my sweaters in my overhead storage & have been eyeballing some clear storage boxes at The Container Store as a matter of fact. my theory is that if i can see them in the clear boxes i’m more likely to wear them, and if i don’t wear them very often they need to find a new home.

    thanks for the tips, some of them will be incorporated into my routines

  599. Nikki

    We cleaned out my daughter’s outgrown clothes as we packed her trunk for camp. My son leaves next week so his dresser will be cleaned out then, too.

  600. Mandy E

    We just moved into our first home… My goal this summer is to get literally everything organized, starting with my office, right down to overhauling the laundry room in the basement. I have closets to neaten up and 2200 sq ft of house to clean! Love the opportunity you’re promoting as wells as your tips! Thanks for sharing with us!

  601. Victoria

    I clean every Saturday morning. I start at 7 and end at 11. I work up a sweat, but then it is DONE and I can relax all weekend.

  602. Basha

    To keep my desk neat and organized (including the shelves and drawer)!

  603. Debra C

    Clean out the kitchen cabinets and reorganize.

  604. Laeh J

    I’m trying to get rid of or organize extra paper by digitizing what I can, binding somethings and purging the rest.

  605. Camille Noonan

    My goal for this summer is to establish a good cleaning routine so that the house is consistantly cleaner leaving me more time to spend with my family!

  606. Barbara (WA)

    Well, where do I start, ha! But mainly I hope to go through my collection of china and dishes. I have a china hutch full but will pack it up when we demo for hardwood floors.

  607. Sara

    Since I’m currently in the process of moving, I have many an organizational project at hand. The one I’m most excited about is creating a calendar, message center, command central near my laundry room.

  608. Jessie C.

    I’ d like to get new shelves installed for our garage and also re-organize all kitchen cabinets.

  609. Karen B

    Help! My garage is a mess. Fishing rods, sports gear, tools, gardening supplies and junk, junk, junk.

  610. Paula

    I have MUCH to do, but my two most immediate organizational goals are: get my craft room REALLY organized, not haphazardly organized as it is now…..(I am kind of a messy crafter) and to completely re-do our guest room! (LOVE your blog by the way)

  611. Melissa C

    This summer we’re moving! My goal is to oraganize all of our family photos, memorabilia, past kid’s art projects, etc so that in the new house they aren’t piled in unused (but needed) drawers and piled in shoeboxes in the closets.

  612. Leslie M

    The big summer project is to clean and organize the attic, and also need to organize the linen closet.

  613. Jess

    I’m moving into my boyfriend’s house after being in my apartment for three years. My goal is to condense all of our junk and to clean EVERYTHING. I’m making one of the rooms as my “art studio” so I hope to organize that as well and make everything have a place!

  614. Debra Lopez

    Love all the tips!

  615. Cindy L

    Going through the entire house this summer. Have already emptied 5 30-gallon trash bags of stuff out of the kids’ rooms, plus a huge stash of things to put in a garage sale. Will spend the next couple weeks going through the master bedroom, kitchen, laundry room, and all the closets. We do this every summer, but this is the year we’re truly getting rid of all the little kid stuff, since my youngest is going into middle school this fall. The house already has a different feel to it. I love it! The gift cards would help me organize what’s left in the closets and do some decorating.

  616. Jess

    I’m moving into my boyfriend’s house after being in my apartment for three years. My goal is to condense all of our junk and to clean EVERYTHING. I’m making one of the rooms as my “art studio” so I hope to organize that as well and make everything have a place!

  617. Gloria

    My daughter is moving out of state … time to clean out leftover high school and college stuff and make it a new, organized guest room!

  618. Libby Patton

    I’m hoping to organize myself into a professional organizer! During the summer, I hand off some duties to the kids. They are super busy during the year, but in the summer, they take over menu planning, grocery shopping, making dinner, washing clothes, etc. I’m going to use my extra time to organize my new business!

  619. Jenn

    I have been dying to reorganize my pantry and laundry. I want everything to have its own container and/or storage. I hate seeing everything just crammed onto the shelves. I want everything to be uniform and nice and neat. Thanks for the opportunity to win such an awesome giveaway, this would help tremendously!

  620. Rachel

    My summer goal is to clean out the room that will hopefully be our future nursery!

  621. Kathryn

    I am a homeschool mom and last year we schooled in our dining room. This summer I am redoing the dining room to be a culinary sanctuary and moving the school gear to the larger family room. So far I have refinished the table and bought new bistro chairs and a new sisal carpet from Ikea. I’ve sewn new curtains. Currently on the to-do list: handmade art for the walls, refinish a console table and build 3 storage armoires (ana-white.com) for the end of the dining room to store dishes, pantry items and excess kitchen stuff.

  622. Leslie

    I need to organize the boxes of photos and memorabilia I have stashed in the guest room.

  623. Becky

    We just completed our big summer project which was turning our never used office into a small guest bedroom. Much needed! My new big task is to clean out our pantry and my clothes closets. I’d like to say the garage is a summer project, but I’m not that brave. :)

  624. Susan Brown

    I want to re-organize my kitchen cabinets.

  625. megan mecham

    so excited for this giveaway! my big goal for the summer is to clean out the messy room in the basement where i just throw things that don’t have a spot! then maybe my guests can actually sleep on the bed that was originally meant for them – not my junk!

  626. Emily Simpson

    My goal is to take 15 minutes a day to keep my apartment clean and organized.

  627. Kim

    I would love to reorganize the playroom!

  628. stephanie

    I need more containers!!

  629. Tara P.

    My summer cleaning goal is to implement a schedule for my daughter and I to follow. I’ll be working and going back to school in the fall and we need to get in the habit of cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, dusting, etc. on a regular basis!

    Thank you for the giveaway! :)

  630. Christy

    Pick a spot – any spot! :) Just kidding – I am a pretty organized person and already do most of your tips, and you are so right – the timer is your BFF! I need to do some closet organizing, especially the kiddies’ outgrown clothes. Just not ready to admit they’re growing up so quickly! Thanks for the inspiring blog! :)

  631. Hedy King

    I must purge and organize my pantry. I’m afraid there may be another family living in there. If I win this give-aay, I can do a bang up job of it! Thanks

  632. Kristen

    I would love to organize my den/kitchen!!

  633. Linda

    I really need to clean, organize and have a garage sale…IN the garage! Great giveaway!

  634. Gina

    One of the many is to truly clean out and organize the den/craft room. It’s been the mess room for a few years now

  635. Lisa

    I plan to organize all of my photos into boxes in chronological order, and transfer all of my videos of my two children onto DVD’s, then give a copy of each to them as a keepsake for the start of their freshman and senior years in college.

  636. Michele Muscianesi

    I plan on organizing my basement storage area and make a giant pile of ‘get rid of stuff’ for the garage sale my town has in Oct.

  637. heather dundore

    I plan to clean the cabinet right over my kitchen desk- it’s a disaster and I don’t even know where to begin!

  638. Jill B.

    I’m tackling our homeschool “library” and selling off old, used curriculum before we enroll in private school in the fall. Feels good! : )

  639. Sharmin

    My summer project will be to declutter and paint the guest room and make it an inviting, inspiring space to be creative. My desk is there, and I want to be able to write without the distraction of feeling like I need to clean up!

  640. Rebecca

    I need to clean out my sunroom, and get it organized so we can actually use it!

  641. Caroline Nagy

    My whole house needs cleaned. I have 2 kids under 2 so my house is always a mess!!

  642. Janet

    I’m a teacher so I have lots of cleaning & organizing projects lined up for the summer. My biggest is to go through my HUGE book collection and organize by genre, setting aside books I haven’t yet read. (NERD ALERT!)

    I also want to come up with a more accessible way of organizing craft supplies. I’m tired of using all my energy up on just finding the stuff I need…

  643. abigail

    My summer project is to clean out the garage so the kids can have room to play on rainy days. I’m pretty sure it will take all summer since there are boxes unopened from our move 4 years ago.

  644. Kim B

    I would like to clean out my laundry room and create a more efficient pantry.

  645. Carla

    To sort through clothes and organize closets!

  646. Pam

    Where to start? Closets, twice a year at least and it’s June so here I go again…

  647. Jeanne

    I am working on using what I have and NOT buying more to clutter up the house. I have so much of this and that…however it’s not as easy as it sounds…ugh!! I need to stay out of the store and shop in the garage, as I am sure I will find just what I need there :D

  648. veronica

    This summers big organization fun will be going back to my mom’s house and helping to gather, donate, and organize all of my children’s old toys and clothing. Yahoo… fun!!

  649. Angela

    My summer project is to unpack all of the boxes in our NEW house. If it doesn’t need to be unpacked then we don’t need it in our home.

  650. Mel

    To organize my craft closet!

  651. Leah Rixmann

    Working on organizing the master closet!!

  652. michele

    I plan to organize the kitchen cabinets…purge, purge, purge! Then comes the bathroom, yuck!

  653. Tracy

    My summer project is clean out the master closet. The clothes are starting to take over!!

  654. Amber

    I need to start working on cleaning up as I go! With a baby who is now crawling I feel like I’m putting her down with some toys, then moving us to another room and before I can even clean up lunch she is screaming for something else and I can’t keep up! P.S. I use Clorox wipes like CRAZZYY!!! They are the best!!!

  655. Danya

    This summer’s project is to organize my office. It’s a mess!
    -Danya from PinkPeonyStyle.com

  656. Linda

    Summer-time cleaning is the best; open windows to let the fresh air in and clean, clean, clean.

  657. LeAnn

    I am going to organize my sewing/craft room! This means getting rid of stuff!

  658. Allison

    My summer project is to get organized and ready to move into my first (purchased) house!

  659. Andrea

    This summer, I’m getting our closets cleaned-out and organized!

  660. Elisheba Carter

    Organize my room! It’s small and I get lots of food and interior design magazines so I need lots of room to store all my mags and my finds that I just have to have! ;)

  661. Kimberly

    My goal for the summer is to declutter my garage. I have an image of just what I want to accomplish.

  662. Hilary

    My husband and I just made a big move from Arkansas to Georgia and we are living with another couple that we are partnering with in a non-profit organization. I have come to realize in the short time that we have lived here so far that it is no small feat combining 4 people’s stuff ~ and in a small space, no less! Being the neat freak and organizational freak (and Pinterest addict) that I am, my project will likely take the entire summer ~ cleaning the entire condo from top to bottom and ORGANIZING everything so that there is a system to everything (which our home is currently LACKING)! It is quite a daunting task…and call me crazy, but I am actually excited about it!

  663. Laura

    I am going to conquer the office/school room/craft room! I have already started reorganizing it and decluttering things in there this week. It HAS to function better in a few months. :)

  664. Jessica F

    I would love to create a way to organize my shoes that is totally practical but still looks classy! Right now they are all sitting in in a plastic storage container….

  665. Peg

    Present organizational project is my husband’s home office…work has begun…purging of closet area is underway! Accomplishment of this one is a joint-effort and will bring a DOUBLE sigh of relief when completed! ;) :)

  666. Sharon

    Working on organizing my laundry room.

  667. Catherine Burton

    I love your “clean as you go” tips- that will be great in the kitchen! My sewing room and spare bedroom closet are my 2 “clean out and organize” projects. I tackeled my file cabinets and shredded 4 bags of old paperwork and filled 5 bags with trash! Amazing how much better it feels!

  668. Stephanie

    I’ve been tackling one space per week – so far I have conquered the pantry, the laundry room, the refrigerator & entry closet. With each clean out, I am installing new updated “systems” that give me something I can maintain easily – it has made a major difference in keeping me sane!

  669. Rachel

    Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

  670. Kimberly

    I want to declutter my garage so that I can park my car inside.

  671. Sherri

    Great giveaway – two of my favorite stores! We have just started cleaning out and organizing our garage. It’s much better than it was, but we still have work to do…

  672. Marty Boyd

    I’m organizing my pantry in sections labeling each section as I go along. This way my family can help put items in the right place and at a glance I know what needs to be restocked.

  673. Rita

    I have moved recently and the new home has different sized cabinets and drawers. I am in the process of finding ways to better organize the drawers and cabinets of my built-in desk, the laundry room is a second project to tackle.

  674. Bev P

    Carpet cleaning (and upholstered furniture)!!! Many cleaning companies won’t travel this far out in the country for one cleaning job, and I’m not looking forward to the furniture moving, but it’s long overdue.

  675. Susan

    I will be organizing my guest suite/ art room. I can think of LOTS of things I need from Target and The Container Store!

  676. Terry

    I WILL go through the last unpacked box (photos, keepsakes) form our move into our new home 6 years ago!

  677. Sue M.

    I’m done with the closets…now to tackle my pantry/laundry room which is also our side entry and catch all area. I need to take your advice and “Clean As I Go”.

  678. Marilyn

    My organizational goal for the summer is to clean out our storage trailer.

  679. Kathy

    My summer project is cleaning out the baby gear and years of clothing we have saved hoping for a new niece or nephew to pass it down to! I believe time’s up already!

  680. REBECCA

    I just had my son swap rooms with my craft room and my *new* craft room is smaller and right now just a pit of all my craft supplies. I need to paint, put curtains up, shelving for the walls, art, new storage/organization containers now that my space is smaller . . . it’s a huge project that WILL get done this summer. :-)

  681. Shauna

    I am going to organize my food storage room so it is easier to rotate my stored food before it expires.

  682. ka

    My goal is to organize my entire house by going room by room, closet by closet, clutter pile by clutter pile….

  683. Colleen

    Clean and organize the garage. Then have a garage sale :)

  684. Karen Lindsey

    I need to do a little everyday and get the kids to help.

  685. amber

    Well, in 2 months we are moving to a brand new house and within a week’s time of that happening we are renting our now home to a lovely woman and we have several little projects to finish up before that happens. One thing being cleaning carpets, painting front door, deep cleaning the entire house, painting small bedroom and new fixtures and locks for front door. Oh and did I mention we have a baby due in 3 weeks!! So much going on and we couldn’t be more excited/blessed/happy to be doing this all in the next 2 months!

  686. angie

    Mine is to clean out the garage.

  687. Vicky Dowland

    My summer project is to clean out and reorganize the contents of my kitchen cabinets.

  688. Melodie Placencia

    I am organizing my kitchen and laundry room. I have already started in laundry room with containers for my soaps and baskets for odds and ends, not only to organize it but make it pretty.

  689. Mary Anne

    My project for this summer is to organize my kitchen, specifically the pantry. Winning this would help the process for sure!

  690. Kristi

    My goal this summer is pack every part of the house I begin to clean so we are ready to move, Before unpacking anything, my goal is to clean everything before getting it out of boxes.

  691. Sarah

    My organizational goal is to make a “place” for all my kids’ toys & books. Then it’ll hopefully be easier to keep them put away.

  692. Angela

    Two things. 1. Clean out the kids’ closets. 2. Get back to a daily routine now that the baby is on a schedule.

  693. Jenna

    Clean my neighbors apartment that looks like a hoarder has lived there for 10 years. He’ll thank me for it!

  694. Caitlyn

    Hopefully I can get the “guest” bedroom from a “let’s just toss that in here” room to some place you’d actually have a guest stay in!

  695. Ashley Addison

    I am going to try my best to get all three of my bedroom’s closets cleaned out and organized. They are terrible. 2 years worth of clothing, toys, shoes, luggage, purses etc. Need them done desperately!!! Can’t wait to get it all done.

  696. Jean

    I plan to clean and organize my office space. My kids need a place to do homework and I need a spot to scrapbook.

  697. Sarah O.

    We just moved and a new baby due in 4 weeks, I’de say speed cleaning will be my best friend!

  698. Tracey S

    My goal is to clean out 2 bedrooms and the office, so we can paint and put new flooring in.

  699. Bree Price

    We just moved from a tiny 2 bedroom apartment to a huge 4 bedroom townhouse, so I have lots of organizing to do plus learning how to keep all this space CLEAN! One of my biggest goals for this summer is having each and every cabinet and closet organized and knowing what is in there rather than having them stuffed full of junk. I want to donate everything we don’t use on a regular basis and use containers and labels for darn near everything that way there’s no question as to where things belong! :) Would LOVE to win this giveaway!!

  700. Missy Kim

    My goal for the summer is to organize my sewing/exercise room. Thanks for the giveaway.

  701. Erica W

    I want to organize and clean out kitchen cupboards!!

  702. Misty K

    My daughter is leaving for college early to work over the summer so my project will be to organize what is left behind of her bedroom and convert it into a space she can use during visits and as a craft area. Sure could use some containers and supplies….hint, hint ;)

  703. Kim

    We’re moving to a new house in a week. It has a huge pantry. My goal is to make it a beautifully organized one!

  704. Stephanie V.

    Need to go through our closet and rid of clothes that don’t fit — big time!

  705. Kristal g

    cleaning and organizing the kids closet.

  706. Lynda V

    I would LOVE to win this drawing…these products would help me with my project!! I am cleaning/re-doing our laundry room. We have lots of storage in there, but it is filled up with who knows what! The other day I found an iced tea bottle on the top shelf?? Huh?? Anyway, I want to clear everything out, repaint the cabinets, change the carpeting to tile (with a throw rug…this will be MUCH easier to clean!). Then I plan to go throughout the house choosing things that really should go in the laundry room instead of taking up space where they are. It is a perfect space for putting those things that are hardly used but still need to be accessible.

  707. Shawna

    I plan on organizing our office/craft room/guest room this summer along with several other projects.

  708. RubySongbird

    My goal for the summer is to clean out underneath the bed and find more storage space (and get all the dust under there while I’m at it!) AND to clean out the bedroom closet, donate what I am not using and rearrange the rest so it’s easier to get to things when we need them. I hope I win!

  709. Melissa D

    My goal for this summer is to organize all my craft supplies. I have stock piled empty shoe boxes and Folgers coffee cans (which I will cover with pretty paper) – and I am hoping it will all fit on my empty book case. :)

  710. Annie

    I want to get all our shoes and clothes organized to be just what we love and wear

  711. Cindy

    I have one bedroom that needs to be decluttered and cleaned from top to bottom!

  712. Charlie benedick

    Once and for all! I wil organize the basement with the right tools necessary to create an environment which will allow me to a) know where things really are instead of tearing each room apart; b) give my hubby some room for his things; c) relax and enjoy the summer ;)

  713. Mary

    I am going to get my pantry organized and labeled!

  714. stacy watson

    i need to clean and reorganize my kitchen cupboards and craft stuff

  715. Jennifer

    just one goal? *giggle* this summer is mission organization, so I LOVED this post. number one thing? we are turning our spare bedroom off of our laundry room into the “Family Closet”…so I can take the clothes out of the dryer and put them right up, just steps away. I’m hoping it will help clear the clothes-clutter from our bedrooms!

  716. Julee

    my goal(s) this summer is to clean out the garage and set up a food storage system. Master closet needs a super purge and I’m dying to figure out a good way to clean our wood blinds

  717. Tari Lawson

    I am hoping to clean out my closets this summer.

  718. Jessica B

    My summer organization goal is to tackle one of our upstairs closets that has lots of bins that need to be sorted (hello container store). One of the bins specifically has photos that need to be sorted into albums (hello target). Hopefully by summers’ end I’ll be able to open the door and not be overwhelmed!

  719. Jessica

    I WILL clean the master bedroom this week! It is always the room that is left for last and I never get it after all the kids rooms.

  720. Edie

    I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to clutter. But as a single Mom it can be difficult. I’m looking forward to a few project getting finished this summer. My garage is a bit of a disaster and needs organizing, which ties into my basement supply closet. I have paints, tools, crafts and summer dishware and cookout items that need to be organized. I also need to organize my closet ( again). It’s color coded, but not very user friendly. Oh-and don’t forget the shed! It tends to attack me when I open the door. :)

  721. Christen

    My summer goal is to get the kids rooms cleaned out – we have soooo many old toys that they don’t play with anymore that need to go. I also want to get my garage cleaned out because our next “Big” project is turning our garage into a living space – hoping to start on the walls and floor late July : )

  722. stephanie

    I just had twins so I’d love to get a more efficient organizational thing going with their clothes, supplies, etc. With a toddler, I have to get something more efficient going with laundry and clothes and organizing their things! Thanks for the chance.

  723. The Tiny Homestead

    my summer project is to clean and organize the basement. A huge task since right now it’s not easy to get to and from the washer and dryer. I need to get to work and I really need bins to put things in and cleaning to get the basement smell out.

  724. Sonya

    To clean out and organize our closets and the kids rooms.

  725. Jackie

    This summer I plan to organize our outdoor areas. The storage room, pool bath, and shop. Pool floats, towels, bathing suits, sunscreen, patio furniture and cushions, bbq items, gardening, tools, etc…lots of large and small items. I can think of several things I could use from The Container Store and Target. Oh, I can see it now….neat, organized, and CLEAN! Ah, I hope I’m picked! Thanks for the chance to win!

  726. Jana

    I keep a squeeeie and a bottle of spray cleaner in my shower. Every day after a shower squeegee the glass door and wipe down the chrome with your towel. Every few days spray the shower down and squeegee the walls before you step out. Makes shower cleaning simple and keeps hard water deposits off chrome.

  727. Beth

    My three daughters are all now out on their own but have left behind their childhood stuff and tons of it! Especially Three closets full I could really use to organize
    My things. So I set out two laundry baskets and a pile of boxes in each of their rooms.
    I have been taking photos of their things with my cell phone camera and texting the photos to them. They then tell me send or donate. I keep sorting per their wishes and when I have a decent amount I pack a bOx and send it out. Or, take the laundry baskets to goodwill. I hope to have this project done by fall when I am planning on painting and “re-doing” their rooms. One is to be a sewing room for me!

  728. Katherine S.

    My basement needs to be cleaned and organized. I have never been good at organization and have relied on my husband who is much better at it. My basement is dark and dingy, the typical farmhouse basement of the 1920’s! It is hard to get motivated to do it. Thanks for the chance to enter this giveaway!

  729. Cathy

    I have GOT to clean and declutter my study/office. There is way too much stuff in there to enjoy the room. I need to move a lot of things out and organize what is left in the room. Organizing tools from The Container Store and Target would be a huge help in this process.

  730. Carol S

    My summer goal is to tackle the ever-growing stacks of paper by sorting, shredding / filing, then I will get to move on to the fun stuff: organizing craft materials!

    Thanks for the generous giveaway being offered!

  731. Katherine S.

    My dingy, 1920’s style basement needs to be cleaned and organized. Thanks for the opportunity to enter this geveaway.

  732. Ang

    I try to clean out all the closets at the beginning of every summer – its a great relief to start out organized and to get rid of stuff!

  733. Alison English

    My boyfriend and I just bought our first home. His “man-cave” has become the dumping ground for all of the boxes and random things that we don’t know what to do with. In addition to that clutter, he has a myriad of musical instruments, clothes and books strewn about the space. Our summer goal is the clean out this room, paint, and install shelving so that he can have a proper “man-cave” and I can have the lovely house of my dreams.

  734. jane

    I have been slowly organizing closets, kitchen cabinets, etc. but I have put off organizing my laundry room. I really have to tackle that one soon…..

  735. Sallie Baker

    Organiize my paper clutter!!

  736. Allie

    This summer I plan to reduce the amount of “stuff” I have by half! Yes, I know. I did say half. I am going to have a huge yard sale and use the proceeds for new organizational tools!

  737. Autumn Rose

    This summer I plan to put some shelving into our basement storage closets and get all the boxes in there unpacked and put away from the move last October! Oh, and find my scrap-booking stuff!

  738. Cindy H.

    I want to clean my kitchen top to bottom, inside and out!

  739. Cynthia C

    I need to organize the pantry and throw out expired food.

  740. Deidra

    One of the things my kids and I did this summer is to get rid of old toys that are being played with and to get rid of clothes that they have out grown.

  741. Deidra

    One of the things my kids and I did this summer is to get rid of old toys that are not being played with and to get rid of clothes that they have out grown.

  742. Pam Rhodes

    We have a lot of the same ideas when it comes to cleaning! You know what they say,great minds think alike! lol! We just moved in to a new house, so my (old) house was an entire cleaning project!!! I guess my best advice during this huge undertaking would be:Get rid of it,if you haven’t used it in the last 6 months! This is hard for me,because I am a sentimental soul. But it made our move sooo much easier! :-) Our next project will be cleaning out our storage buildings and organizing seasonal decorations and moving them to our new home! Thanks for entering me in the give-away! Have a blessed day!
    Pam

  743. Yvonne

    My goal for the summer is to get through the boxes of stuff packed up during last summer’s remodeling!

  744. Kyle Johnson

    OMG- I know it sounds lofty… but I want to organize my entire house in the next few weeks!! I already did the garage!

  745. Sherry Morris

    I plan to clean out my bathroom closet and vanity very soon hopefully! It is very cluttered with products and stuff that I must go through. I know it will make life much better!

  746. twelve30

    My goal is to organize our pantry – it is out of control most days. Thanks for the giveaway.
    twelve30(at)gmail(dot)com

  747. Andrea

    My goal for the summer is to organize the basement. Thank you for the giveaway!

  748. Shelley

    My goal is to organize our tiny coat closet and entry
    to accommodate shoes and backpacks before
    school begins. Perhaps you could do a blog post about that :)

  749. Terri

    My goal is clean out and organize allllll closets and cabinets…. while I am well on my way already…. I still have much to do….. I actually emptied out all of my kitchen cabinets… WOW…. I had so much stuff!!! WAY TOO MUCH STUFF…. so off I went to charitable organization that has a thrift store….. and DONATED THE “TOO MUCH” !!!! :) ….

  750. Sasha B.

    My goal this summer is to tackle the back room. To make it a functional use of space, instead of a black hole, where my stuff goes to die. Thanks for the giveaway!

  751. Lorna

    I plan to reorganize my kitchen.

  752. Susan Morello

    I wish I only had one (1) project this summer for organizing! I have the basement, attic for the two main, big projects. All the bedrooms need organizing as well. I will let myself off the hook withe rest of the house… I’ll leave those for the Fall. Thank you for all the tips! I need all the help I can get! :)

  753. Tamara

    WE just moved our family of six into a new, smaller home and boy, oh, boy do I have tons of organizing and cleaning to do!

  754. Anne Bethea

    I’m going to get the garage and the barn organized so we know what is there and they are happy to walk in to!

  755. Dawn Farias

    Thank you for this opportunity. My goal is to declutter my kids’ clothes and our garage.

  756. Zita

    I am going to paint the office.

  757. Maren

    Oh what a great giveaway!

    My hearts desire is to declutter, clean out, and organize my kitchen cabinets. I’m currently in the process of painting my cabinet doors and face frames. I’m on full day seven of prep, and still haven’t broken out the hvlp! (Prep has included some demolition, so it’s taking me a while.)

    Once the outsides are bright and shiny, I want the insides to be clean and functional.

    Love your blog!

  758. Shelby

    My summer project is our closets!

  759. Nicole

    I plan to organize my bedrOom closet (yikes) and follow that up (if I live to complete the task) with decluttering my kitchen cabinets. Behind the closed doors my house is a hot mess!

  760. Raney

    My goal for the summer is to keep the house tidy all thw time. With 2 children and 2 dogs, thats a project in itself.

  761. Gina Taylor

    My goal this summer is to organize my workroom!

  762. Sarah K

    we’re having our first baby at the end of July so we are trying to get the whole house organized and clean!

  763. Rebecca

    We’re about to have our baby at the beginning of July, and that means I’ve been busy uncluttering and organizing our tiny two bedroom house like a mad woman! A gift card can go a long way to helping us take care of our new little one.

  764. Sarah Hirsch

    My goal is to go through all the kids’ old toys and attempt to convince them to donate and get rid of some of them. Then to clean up to the playroom and get it organized.

  765. Patricia

    I work out of a home office and my hubby just starting DJing. He has TONS of equipment so our spare bedroom closet is bursting and we’re definitely going to have to do some organizing, shelving, storage! Exciting though. :)

  766. Alisa

    My goal is to have an organized and functional office, as well as beautifully organized closets!

  767. Juli

    My goal is to clean and reorganize our master closet and pantry!

  768. Kate P

    My summer goal is to get our guest room organized!!

  769. Cynthia

    My goal is to take a bag of donations each week to my local thrift shop!

  770. Jennifer

    My summer goal is to make my sewing room a more functional and attractive space. Right now it is just the catch-all, dumping room. I need to start by clearing out the extra stuff. Then I can have fun organizing and decorating! Thanks for the great giveaway!

  771. cindu b

    Organize the laundry room. It’s become a frazzled mess.

  772. Kristen

    My summer goal is to go through our storage room…donate what we no longer need, organize what we do.

  773. Sue Lambrix

    I need to get my closet better organized. I am planning on going to the Container Store and having them design a custom closet for me.

  774. Melanie

    My summer goal is to keep my relaxation area completely organized. As of now, it is sloppy and cluttered.

  775. Christen

    My 2 year old is almost ready to transition out of his crib….his bedroom, however is not ready. The summer project is to get his room organized and bedtime friendly for a little boy who will be able to get out of the bed by himself!

  776. Emily

    Great tips! I definitely need to get going on my space now and continue to implement these techniques as I move into my new apt.

  777. Diane

    Thanks for the great tips! I will put them to use right away! And to win the gift cards would be the cherry on top!

  778. Jenna

    I like the tip about cleaning as you go. My goal is to try and implement that into my routine! Cleaning is my least favorite thing to do so hopefully some of your tips will make it more bearable!

  779. Josie

    My goal is to clean up the mess I made while decluttering my kitchen and large armour (that was full of things from my old house that didn’t work in my new one….) It seems I have more of mess on my hands than before I started decluttering! I could use some pretty containers :) Thanks for the inspiration you blog gives me!

  780. Teresa Fialkowski

    My goal is to clean out the closet in our den & extra bedroom. Time purge unused items and organize these closets to be more efficiently find things.

  781. Kristen nehrig

    My summer project is to clean out the garage and make it a more usable space.

  782. Lisa P.

    My goal is to finish organizing/decluttering our garage. We started it 2 weeks ago and managed to get halfway through….time to get it finished!

  783. Tiffany

    My plan is to organize my closets to the point where they’re brilliant and sparkling! I’m hoping to purchase a new home in December, and having less to pack when I make that move would be fantastic.

  784. Tarah

    Our goal is to finish putting together the nursery before #2 joins the family in September!

  785. Alma

    Oh, I so wish to maximize our family’s tiny living space! First, I will transfer all our hand-me-down kiddie video treasures to DVRs so that I can justify ridding our tiny living space of the lovely but bulky TV armoire, cassettes and all! See, then the exposed TV would soon be an iSORE :) that would indicate our necessity to replace it with something sleek and flat. We are a family of four grateful for our sweet little two-bedroom condo, but I just must maximize our 900 square feet! Thanks Clorox. You’re in my wash, you’re in my wipes, you’re in my heart!

  786. Amanda

    I want to get rid of as much clutter as possible so we can transition from a family of 2 to a family of 3 without moving.

  787. Michelle

    Plan to reorganize the garage and plant potting area. Thanks!

  788. ashley

    My goal is to finish organizing and paint my bedroom and furniture.

  789. Gina

    My goal is to organize the garage, creating a Lego play area, a more functional laundry area, and keeping it clear enough to pull the car into! Also working on the back patio to create a nice little outdoor getaway.

  790. steph

    I just repainted the office and want to put a bunch of shelves in it because I want to turn it into a office/sewing room/project room.I have quite a few things that go with sewing and supplies left over from projects I have done and what I want to do and they are every where so I want to get it all organized in one place.

  791. Nancy Pudlo

    I plan to go through all the closets in the house and purge and organize. If I am feeling really ambitious, I might try to tackle the garage too!

  792. Claire

    I’m moving in August so my project is packing a whole house and hopefully getting it all organized more efficiently in the new place!

  793. Katy Miles

    I’m redoing both of our bathrooms this summer, so having this gift card would really help!!

  794. Megan L

    I plan to organize our pantry!

  795. Tansey

    I just found this blog and I’m so excited! I’m very much a perfectionist turned content homemaker in the making! I recently started a small home based business that is rapidly growing, and as it does it is expanding in my home! I need to spend this summer getting the primary work space organized because its not only my work space, but is is also the homeschool space as well. The flooring in this room has to be redone, so we’re taking this opportunity to start from scratch and utilize every square inch of the room!

  796. Karen

    My summer goal is cleaning out all of the clutter in the house, room by room, doing as much as possible each long week-end and then a whole week (my vacation) later in June!

  797. Emily

    I am organizing my desk that is entirely full of junk… halfway there!!!

  798. Heather Byrd

    My goal is to get all of my children’s artwork/school work scanned into the computer. Then I can finally get rid of the excess paper sitting on my ledge!

  799. Dbucka

    We just moved into a new house and my goal is to finish unpacking all those boxes still in the garage by the end of summer and have a nice organized house!

  800. Heather C

    We moved last month and I’m still trying to find homes for everything. Right now our office has become the catchall room and it is in desperate need of organizing.

  801. Melissa

    I plan to completely reorganize my pantry and clean out each of my kitchen cupboards.

  802. Tanya Jones

    My goal this summer is to get our whole house de-cluttered, and mostly the media/toy room.

  803. Claygirlsings

    Summer cleaning goal is organization and cleaning out of the clothes – both closets and dressers! We started talking about it in January, so it’s definitely time to tackle this project! :)

  804. Melinda

    Hoping to declutter and organize everyone’s closets!!

  805. melle e

    When I moved in with my husband in 2008, I came with 1 1/2 houses worth of furniture. (MY mom gave me a bunch of stuff I simply *must have* –read she didn’t want anymore!–and I already had all my own stuff. Hubbs had a house full of *junk* already. We finally have the inside of the house decluttered. But the garage and basement? There are literally probably 30-40 boxes in the basement that haven’t ever been unsealed….

    and it’s 2012.

    so this summer, we are going through each and every one. decluttered, donating, freecycling, whatever it takes. And we WILL be able to walk through both the garage and the basement.

    my motivation? hubbs said as soon as he can get to the garage again (we use ours as his workshop) he’ll get started on all my little building projects. including custom handmade cabinets and open shelving for my kitchen!

  806. Lauren Richau

    My cleaning/organization project for the summer is the toy room…packing away toys that my son has outgrown and organizing all the toys we leave out into containers/bins/shelves!

  807. Jill C

    My summer goal is to get our garage organized!

  808. erica r

    my cleaning goal this summer is to clean out my closet and the hubby’s! tons of clothes we don’t wear anymore that need to be donated!

  809. Candice Hull

    We are setting up a home office in our house for our new business. We move a lot so we rent and can’t do any construction type stuff. It will be my job to get all that stuff in a tiny space without building or putting up anything. Fingers crossed.
    Thanks

  810. Maria copeland

    My goal this is summer is to declutter! I have a craft cabinet that has literally exploded into every area of my house. It should not be this hard to find a pencil or brush……

  811. midwestgirly

    I will be moving my parents from KY to IN this summer. We will be cleaning out, donating, selling, packing and organizing a home they have lived in 45 years! As well as helping them purchase and decorate a new home. Whew.. I’m tired just writing this sentence. We are getting started tomorrow!

  812. Nicole

    My organizational goal is to get things out of boxes from our move last month and help everything “find” and permanent, organized home.

  813. Karyn

    My goal this summer is to turn a seldom used bedroom into a honeschool room.

  814. Mel

    I would love to get to work on my craft closet!!

  815. Cindy

    We have a lot in common! I find that the easiest way to keep a house clean is to remove the clutter, clean as you go and never, ever, ever keep dirty dishes in the sink! My daughter and I cleaned out her drawers the other day and both felt a load lifted as we sorted into a donations and hand-me-down pile.
    Thanks for your hints!

  816. Denise

    I keep my cleaning bucket fully stocked and rotate days. Upstairs one day downstairs the next. I also have a donation box strategically placed and if it isn’t used it goes in the box. My kids know that anything that goes in the donation box does not come out, so they are very cautious to not leave anything in disarray for fear of it getting dropped in the box! I keep them involved that way.

  817. cindy

    I’m definately in the dejunking mood! I’m cleaning my house and my classroom at the same time. I love the feeling at the end of the day when I have a car full of stuff to drop off at good will and a sparkly clean drawer or closet.

  818. Amber

    I have plans to get our garage organized this summer. It is full of remodeling supplies that either need used up or given away.

  819. Marisa

    My goal is to organize our home office. The paper demon is running wild in here!

  820. Pamela Fisher

    Truthfully my whole house needs organizing. But I am trying to break things down into baby steps. I want to have an organized master bedroom. It seems that room above all others is the dumping ground for the whole house. Just started working on it today!

  821. Brooke

    Love the ideas you shared here! My goal this summer is to organize all of those hidden spots things tend to collect in: pantries, garage shelves, basement cupboards, bathroom cabinets, etc.

  822. Lizzie

    There are always too many summer projects to do! Cleaning and organizing the pantry is the top summer chore on my list.

  823. Jenn

    My goal this summer is to organize our shed

  824. Kimberly Renee

    we’re moving in a month, so my goal is to organize as we pack and stay organized as we unpack in the new apartment! :)

  825. Brittney Mullins

    We are moving to our first house in the middle of June and I can’t wait to get out of this cluttered tiny condo and get our family organized! Just the thought of it makes me giddy ;)

  826. Kimberly

    This summer I’m organizing my linen closet and cleaning the basement out so that it can be remodeled.

  827. Julie

    my goal is to get the basement organized!

  828. Katie

    Summer cleaning goal: organize recipes and come up with a good filing system.

  829. Suzanne K

    My summer goal is to clean out my daughter’s bedroom since she’s off to college!

  830. Evelyn

    Got to tackle the basement and the family room! Yikes!

  831. barbara wright

    My goal is to get the attic organized

  832. Laurie

    We’re expecting another baby in the fall, so my goal is to master some of those daily routines so my house stays manageable = life stays manageable!

  833. Heather

    We have a donation center down the street so once a month I bring a bag or two. This helps immensely on keeping the clutter to a minimum. My goal this summer is to organize an arts and crafts space for myself and my kids.

  834. Lyndsay

    My project for the summer is to clean out and organize the toy room. My boys are 5 and 3, and we have too many toys and not enough organization. I find that they play with their toys more when they are organized, but I don’t have an effective system.

  835. Erin m

    My goal is to get unpacked in a way that everything has a place. Bye bye clutter

  836. Lori McCurdy

    I am working on cleaning out my attic-yes my attic-after 8 years in our home as we anticipate moving this summer. My attic has been full of out-dated files, old memorabilia that is no longer memorable, and just junk. Changing out cardboard boxes of stuff for organized clearly labeled bins, taking stuff to a donation center, and selling the rest on Craig’s List. It will be a great feeling when it’s all done!

  837. Hollie

    My goal is to work on my kids’ rooms – they are messy and it is hard to clean when stuff is everywhere.

  838. Steph G.

    My big cleaning project this summer–keeping up after two kids, two cats, a dog, and a husband and all the outdoor fun that gets dragged indoors.

  839. Debbie

    My goal is to tackle the basement. We don’t have an attic, so everything ends up down there. During the heat of the summer, it is the “coolest” place to hang out! :) Happy organizing everyone!

  840. Mary C

    If our contractor ever finishes our basement, I will be organizing all of the stuff that we have had to store away.

  841. Glenda Childers

    I have been putting it off … but I need to clean our storage
    in the basement.

  842. martha

    We are working on the attic and plan to have a yard sale. 46 years of stuff !

  843. martha

    We are working on the attic and plan to have a yard sale.

  844. Rachel

    We are moving in a month too so I need a little help with cleaning and organizing for a smooth transition!

  845. Susan

    My goal is to keep my room clean. It becomes a catch all for everyone’s laundry and random things. I want my room to have a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

  846. Angie

    I really need a closet organizer right now and hope to have things in there organized soon!! :)

  847. Stephanie Schilling

    My cleaning/ organizing goal this summer is to get kids toys sorted through and organized.
    Also one cleaning tip I use everyday all day is when leaving a room take something with you that doesn’t belong and drop it off on the way to your next stop. I.e. carry an empty glass from the bedroom to the kitchen or on your way upstairs instead of being over whelmed by the pile of junk you keep walking by grab a thing or two on the way up.. Before you know it the pile will be gone!

  848. Rachel

    I’m planning to declutter and organize closets and cupboards, do some belated spring cleaning and set up for baby arriving in early Sept!

  849. MarySue

    My goal for this summer is to go through all the stuff that’s been stuck in our walk-in closet – in hopes that we’ll be able to once again, well, walk in to it! :-) Some containers for organizing everything in there would really help!

  850. Debra D

    I borrowed my sister’s Rainbow vac and have been spring cleaning for two weeks!

  851. Amy J

    Our summer goal is to clean out and organize the garage and storage room. I think we are always organizing and cleaning out the girls’ clothes, shoes and toys!! :)

  852. Kathryn

    I am cleaning out all of old papers, magazines, and notes from college and graduate school before I start my new job!

  853. Minnesotamom

    It’s been almost a year since we moved in, and we still are unable to park one of our cars in the garage because it’s filled with things from the move. Clearly I have greatly missed those items that haven’t been touched in a year, right? ;) So my goal is to get the garage clean enough that my hubby can park in it by autumn!

  854. Lauren Davison

    My organizational goal? To make my bed every morning. When my bed is made, I am more likely to keep everything else tidy, too. :)

  855. Michelle

    Organize every closet in the house!

  856. Mary

    My goal this summer is already on its way to being met. I cleaned out my desk ( a 7 foot tall antique secretary) sanded, painted, distressed and glazed it a tranquil blue, and now I am moving back into it as little as I possibly can. My goal is to lighten the load in my desk and many other spots in my house this summer.

  857. Rene McColl

    I really really try to do 1 load of laundry everyday so the laundry doesn’t surprise me :)

  858. Hallie Sawyer

    We are cleaning the kids’ craft cupboard and the storage area in the basement! They both have become a catch-all and need to be organized! Thanks for the great cleaning tips!

  859. Sandi W

    We are trying to get our house ready to sell. This would be sooo helpful.

  860. Liz O

    The dreaded… GARAGE! Eeeeek!!

  861. Renski

    We have a HUGE outdoor plan. We need to move our exisisting deck to make it usable – too much sun. Anyhow, it’ll be nice when it’s done

  862. Shannon

    I plan to re-organize my pantry and garage this summer. I just moved into my new home 2 months ago and after moving things in, I still feel a little disheveled in those areas.

  863. Nicole C.

    Gearing up for a yard sale this weekend…we like to have one every couple of years to try and keep the clutter down. The kids don’t mind cleaning out stuff I they think they might earn some money!!

  864. Spring

    My summer cleaning goal is to get my master bedroom under control. We use it for storage. All furniture we don’t know what to do with is in there. My husband refuses to purge. So, I have put my husband on notice that I will purge for him. I will have to be creative about how and when to move the furniture, that’s easier said than done. Once that’s done, I think it will be simple to keep the room fresh and lovely in the summer. I may even buy a new duvet cover, now that I think about it. Yes, I am going to organize, clean and breathe new life into my master bedroom.

  865. Holly

    Great cleaning tips. Thank you! I am so easily distracted and I also do the spend-too-much-time-on-one-thing thing. I’ve found that my timer really helps.

    As for my summer cleaning project or organizational goal …

    My teenage son and I just moved a couple of months ago and My God, this house is a wreck filled with I-can’t-decide-where-to-put-you’s and I-know-where-to-put-you-but-I-need-to-clean-this-and-move-that-before-I-can-put-you-there’s. And it doesn’t help that I’m constantly starting projects and bringing stuff home from Craigslist that I just know will be fabulous if only I will sand, prime, paint or otherwise “fix” it. It’s ridiculous. So I’d like to say that my goal for the summer is to get this house in impeccable order, but I’ve got the sense that might be setting myself up for failure. But I’m confident I can organize the garage. And by “organize the garage” I mean get stuff off the floor and on shelves, arranged and grouped in logical ways that don’t require me to remember where everything is.

    Yes, that I can do.

  866. michele

    I just moved into a new place and my summer project is to get my bedroom into something RESEMBLING a bedroom! and in the least amount of money possible since I am unemployed….
    refab found objects is my speciality, so I’ll be investing in a new staple gun…

  867. Lora W.

    My project for this summer is a redo of my laundry room. I have seen some beautiful, inviting laundry rooms on the web and mine looks like a cyclone went through.

  868. Lisa

    We are moving in 3 weeks..I am deleteing and editing all that we do not need to bring with us. I want to live with less “stuff”. Goal is to be organized and live with only the things we LOVE by the end of the summer!

  869. Karen

    I must, must, must dust and wipe off all my baseboards, and wash my windows this summer!!! MUST!!!

  870. Carolynn Sherwood

    Ready to tame all the paper in this house. I still have papers from the beginning of the school year jammed in my desk-lol! I need to get on top of things and quit losing important documents.

  871. Bonni

    Each summer, all 10 of us in the family go through our things and each of us gets rid of at least 50 things!!!! It is great!

  872. Kim

    Thanks for the giveaway! I am constantly purging and only keep things in the house if we use it or if it is sentimental. I just don’t want “stuff” in my house!!

  873. Marilyn

    I’m cleaning a drawer a day. Summer is too short to spend a lot of time inside, but by the end of the summer all my drawers will be clean and organized!

  874. Teresa

    My entire house needs organizing! I guess that is what happens when you have a half-done kitchen, limited storage space, and two small kiddos making a mess daily. It’s life, right? :)

  875. Rhonda Stelow

    I plan to finally figure out the madness of laundry. I have tried three different ideas and with six kids I always feel overwhelmed so this summer is it I will figure this out… I hope.

  876. Donna

    Cleaning out the closets and organizing them better. They really need it!

  877. Molly grosbauer

    My goal for the summer is to clean the gararge. We have a two car garage and right now we can’t fit any cars in it. Our basement is getting ready to be finished, so we cant move anything in there until it is finished. It’s time to throw out things we dont need and organize our garage.

  878. Rachel

    This summer my goal is to find a way to keep my kitchen island clear every day. I think the mess usually boils down to us not having any other place to put things that are coming and going, but it hard to cook without that extra counter space. So finding a better way to manage the in and out stuff of life is on the agenda.

  879. Stephanie L

    I’ve finally decided I’m not allowed to start any new projects until I finish the ones I’ve already started. The craft clutter is going down and the cute-quotient of the house is going up!

  880. Jackie S

    Since we moved in December, I have lots of summer cleaning/organizing goals! 1.) Clean out the office closet – that’s where stuff I didn’t know where to put has sadly ended up. Who knows what is still in there? 2.) Basement/garage! The previous owners left some weird random stuff down there that is taking up precious space, including a loveseat, lamp oil (huh?) and hideous cabinets. Can’t wait to have an organized basement for storage.

  881. Nancy M.

    I plan to declutter and organize my house this summer, beginning with my kitchen and pantry.

  882. judy sullivan

    As I am loading vacation photos every night I realize I still haven’t organized last year’s vacation photos! This will be my summer project. I might even go through some other folders that could be better organized! It’s pretty much just the computer that gets away from me. The tips were things I pretty much do already and they really do work

  883. Mary

    My dining room is the catchall at my house. My summer goal is to clear it out and repaint and clean out the closet!

  884. Jen Jones

    I used to have a home for everything, but I have let this go since we’ve been so busy. I need to make time to find homes for all my daughter’s stuff!

  885. jenifer

    One of my many organizational goals for this summer is to teach my 3 lovely children how to keep their bedrooms neat, clean and organized enough that they can find what they need when they need it. So many toys and games are forgotten about because they are buried in boxes and covered with stuffed animals. I’d also like to instill in my kids a sense of compassion and empathy for children who don’t have books to read in their homes – we will be sorting through our hundreds of children’s books and donating a lot of them to Bernie’s Book Bank, a local charity that will distribute the books to at-risk children.

  886. Amy B

    I’m going to organize our school room (we home school) and the master bedroom closet!

  887. Tara

    Our biggest goal is the garage….while the rest of the house is fairly organized, the garage is a mess! Would love to get it in order.

  888. Leslie

    PURGING!! My husband, 15 yr old and I moved from a 1400 sq ft apartment to a 900 sq ft house 2 years ago and never got rid of the excess stuff we had. Now we’ve added another bouncing baby boy to our brood along with all the stuff a new baby comes with. I’ve had enough! We’ll be spending the summer purging and organizing every room in the house. Wish me luck!

  889. Alia

    Our goal is to organize our closets and to stay on top of cleaning all summer :)

  890. Mary Hall

    Great giveaway!

    My organizing goal this summer is to do something (FINALLY) with my storage shed! Everything is just stuffed in there–most of the stuff we haven’t used in years (floaties anyone–we don’t have a pool!), and it’s about time to do something about it.

  891. Betsy

    I need to tackle the cleaning of my ‘catch-all’ drawer. You know that one drawer in your kitchen that catches-all kinds of things (appliance manuals, coupons, notepads, spare keys etc.) It always amazes me what ends up in there!

  892. Leigh Thorne

    My goal is to clean out an old jewelry case full of both grandmothers old jewelry, like pins and earrings and bracelets. I’m looking for an idea to display some of my favorite pieces. Any help would be appreciated.

  893. Angela

    My organization goal is my wardrobe. I have clothes stuffed here, clothes stuffed there and the drawers are only mildly organized by type. I really only need a good weekend and about $50 bucks, but I keep finding ways to postpone the project!

  894. Sue

    Cleaning out all of my homeschooling books and materials.

  895. Kina

    My summer project is to have a place for everything so that everything can be in its place *sigh*

  896. Saundra M

    My biggest summer goal is my kitchen. It is tiny, and I have not got enough storage. I can’t go out, so I’m going up. More shelves, jars, and pretty containers. And clean! My kitchen is just a mess because I hate it so much. But I am staying here, so positively looking for solutions.

  897. Peggy

    Clean house with headphones on to stay motivated and focused. Jam out to keep up the energy!

  898. Christi

    The garage!!! Oh my goodness, the garage:) It needs to be cleaned and organized more than any other part of my home.

  899. Rebecca Roden

    We have to organize our attic and my daughters closet! Hopefully get rid of several things as well!

  900. Brad

    I need to clean out the garage. Everything just gets piled up out there.

  901. monica

    I need to clean my laundry room.As in take everything out,clean it,and get everything organized.
    monk5 at charter dot net

  902. Theresa

    My biggest cleaning goal for the summer, or should I say “challenge”.. is to clean/organize my daughter’s bedroom. She’s not little anymore, so it’s time for a more grown up room. She’ll be vacationing with her grandparents all summer, so it will be a BIG surprise when she returns.

  903. gmac

    Got to get the extra bedroom and den declutterred and organized. I could go wild in both stores.

  904. Robin Rouch

    My goal in the next month is to get my home craft center/office back under control. I feel so much more proud of my house when I can leave that door open for the world to see, instead of hiding it behind the closed door every time someone walks in my door!!

  905. Kristen Cuthbert

    I need to tackle my filing system. I want to create a one-stop-shop where all of our mail is opened and either tossed or filed in its correct spot right then and there.

  906. Tam

    We’re working on getting the clutter out of the way so we can take down popcorn ceilings :^)

  907. Laura Williams

    I am getting married and moving to Houston with my future hubby, so my organizational goal is to set up our new home to make it easy for future speed cleaning :) #4 and #7 were my favorite tips – I hope to keep all cleaning supplies in their proper storage to make cleaning easy!

  908. Sylvia

    My goal this summer is to get my home office cleaned and organized and then to keep it that way.

  909. Nicole

    My goal for the summer is to lighten my load. I am planning on donating all of my family’s unused belongings. I would also like to re-organize all the closets.

  910. shaina

    My summer cleaning goal is to organize the master suite. With the addition of a child and the elimination of an office/desk all the odds and ends have ended up in the bedroom. Yikes!

  911. Sylvia

    This summer I want to tackle my paperwork and finally get it organized. From old magazines to receipts, I’ve been keeping about everything! Now that we’ve moved, I want to make sure I get everything organized as soon as they are out of the boxes, since it will be much easier to keep it organized than try to do that later.

  912. Diane Y

    My goal this summer is to just get back to basic clean. We’re having hardwood floors put in next week and we’ve spent the last month doing a bunch of projects to prepare. Our house is a complete wreck and I can’t wait to have all the furniture back in the appropriate room so that I can actually get to the area to clean!

  913. Lori

    My summer goal is to completely redo my filing system in my study/office. I think I have stuff in there from the early 70’s. Time to purge!

  914. Stacey

    To keep myself and kids motivated I turn on high energy music, it keeps us working! I really struggle with getting ready before I clean, but I am going to try your apron idea.
    Thanks!

  915. Mandy Rae

    I’ld really like to get my Christmas decorations organized and put away. Yes, they are just all sitting in my spare bedroom. Eek!

  916. rachel

    The Pantry! I need to go through and re-organize the pantry! Especially with the kids at home during summer, they are constantly in there and things are getting lost, messy and frustrating! Any great tips?

  917. Brittanie Fabila

    I definitely need to go through all of my and my fiance’s clothes and take what we no longer fit in or wear down to goodwill! It’ll make organizing our closets so much easier for me :P

  918. Kristen

    Tackle the paper clutter, sort thru everything and donate it or trash it. I want a house with just the essentials

  919. Kathy

    My middle child will be leaving for college in the fall. I plan to clean out his room and help him get organized for this new start!

  920. Elizabeth

    I love your blog and having been “flying” for years now. I stumbled on both sites by chance. I agree a with Stacy music helps me get stuff done easier too!

  921. ashby

    I plan to make my shoe collection the highlight of my wardrobe, I need proper organizing equipment to get that done! Thanks for the offer!

  922. beth

    My goal is to empty out all of the boxes in our basement that have been there since we moved last year!

  923. The Chatty Housewife

    My cleaning goal for the summer is to purge and organize our garage. I already know there is a lot of stuff in there that can go in the trash or be donated and I am looking forward to the end result! Thanks for the chance to win!

  924. Barbara

    ALL the closets in my house need major cleaning/decluttering/organizing!! I’m going to focus on the master bedroom closet first and move through the bedrooms, one by one. Must.focus. Must.persevere. Onward!

  925. Lori R.

    My biggest challenge is to finish a piece of furniture I’m working on in order to completely re-organize all the many items I have in 3 areas of our house for tablescaping. With the re-organizing will come some major cleaning in one area.

  926. Helen

    My biggest challenge is to organize my kitchen cabinets and label all the glass jars where we keep our spices and dry goods! Not looking forward to cleaning the cabinet under the sink, it’s kinda scary in there.

  927. Erika

    My goal is to get my son’s toys organized. There are way too many cars and legos all over my house! We need to find some creative ways to store his things!!

  928. Emily

    We just moved into a new home, so I am determined to get organized and find a place for everything as we unpack.

  929. birdsandsoap

    My huge goal for the summer is to get our craft/office/homeschool room organized for the fall. My oldest is officially starting kindergarten and I desperately need to get things built, painted, decluttered, and organized for a fresh start!

  930. Mel

    My goal is actually to get a cleaning checklist together for the new house. Having relied on inconsistent housecleaners since we moved in, the boyfriend and I are ready to tackle the load of 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms ourselves. Pray for us. lol

  931. Holly

    I want to get my office organized, it’s such a mess. I want to paint and get new furniture too!

  932. Kyl Neusch

    organize the garage

  933. Callie

    We’re building a house so I’ll be constantly cleaning up after contractors all summer long.

  934. Carmen Goddard

    My goal is to organize mine and my boys closet’s- awesome giveaway

  935. Kathy

    My goal is to use my time wisely so I have plenty of quality and quantity time with my kids. One will be leaving for college this fall so this is very important to me.

  936. kristen shields

    I want to really organize my patterns and crafts. I started this project in the winter and petered out. I’d like to get everything labeled and cataloged.

  937. Helena

    I want to clean and organize my garage!

  938. Heather

    I’m going to photograph all of my boys’ artwork from this past school year & make photo books for them. That way I don’t have to hang onto everything they made year after year, but we get to keep the memories of their masterpieces.

  939. Sarah Murray

    If only I could keep the “rooms people see” to a more manageable tidy, I could tackle the big tasks…like my bedroom!

  940. Shelby Gathje

    I am going to tackle my laundry room! It is the place where we all enter the house and everything is dumped….especially sports equipment:) First step, get rid of everything that doesn’t fit or isn’t used, I keep way to much stuff.

  941. Lesley

    My goal is to get our basement organized – right now it’s a mess!

  942. Marilyn

    With twin 7 year olds and two active pit bulls, my house requires daily chores. Its the only way to keep everything in its place.

  943. Crystal S.

    I plan on tackling the kitchen this year in making it a more organized and efficient. I need to declutter and have easier access to my cooking supplies!
    sellcrystal2 (at) yahoo dot com

  944. Jessica Williams

    Wow!! I can’t believe I even have a chance to win this!! We really need to organize our laundry room and storage room! Also, I am getting married in September . This could really help with my finances as well as organizing my wedding things. Thank you so much for this opportunity!!! I’ll be crossing my fingers!!

  945. Judith B.

    My project is to shred all old files

  946. Nadine L

    I really need to reorganize my kitchen, not enough counter or cabinet space, I need to find a way to organize it so everything fits in a neat way

  947. Meg S

    I’m about to move so my goal will just be getting everything in its place and out of boxes!

  948. MelissaT

    I would like to organize my master closet. It’s a bit tricky because that’s where my infant daughter sleeps right now! I would really like to clear the clutter and thin out my work clothes so it’s easier to find things I ACTUALLY wear.

  949. Pauline M

    My husband and I are in the process of moving into our first home! I cant wait to organize our soon-to-be office. The endless tangle of cords ( cords to what? idk), the random collection of pens and pencils, paper clutter of bills, magazines.. oh the list goes on! The giftcards will definitely help us get this office looking great and clutter free! :)

  950. dawn

    My biggest cleaning hotspot for the summer is the laundry room. I HAVE to get it cleaned up!!! I’m going to paint the room, install a cabinet, and add shelving.

  951. Kelly

    I really want to get the toy room organized. My daughters’ toys are taking over the entire house!

  952. laurie lee

    My summer project is to see if I can keep my routines going with the kids at home. That is a bigenough challenge for me!

  953. Chris

    My goal is to getting the home office corner in our living room organised, there are piles of paper work and other random stuff that has to be put away.

  954. Juliet

    I am in the process of trying to get my six year old to love cleaning and tidying as she goes. We are both not doing so well right now. I’ve got to get back on track. Thank you for this reminder.

  955. Amy Erlich

    I need to make my post grad life for fit into an over priced and very small first apartment! I just moved in and there is no storage; no linen closet, no where to store the vacuum! HELP!

  956. Morgan H

    my big plan for this summer is to maximize all our limited storage space. We did a face lift in the kitchen, and I learned alot about how to arrange things according to my work flow. I think I can apply that to our linen closest and what not. $500 gift cards would be a big help!

  957. Shaunda

    This summer, I plan on organizing my craft closet! It is so unorganized, that I cannot find anything wheni want to do a new project!!

  958. Beth P

    Great tips, Melissa. I wish I could learn that a light cleaning is great! I need to work on it. Thanks!

  959. Erin

    My goal for this summer is to lighten my load by going through cluttered areas and getting rid of stuff. I find this to be the most helpful tip as we always seem to accumulate too much!

  960. Emily Miller

    Thanks for the tips!!! I just finished cleaning and orgainizing my office, next is my basement and kitchen.

  961. frances

    As a way to motivate a big clean out, the children and I may clean our garage as a Father’s Day present!

  962. Jan

    My son’s room needs cleaning. Good thing he’s going to college.

  963. Jen K

    I really need to get our spare bedroom organized so it’s more of a bedroom and less of a catch-all.

  964. Jill T

    Thanks!

  965. Kenia

    My summer project is going to switch my girls room. My twins are getting twin beds and two of them with tv stand and all won’t fit in their current room, so I will switch it with older daughters room. I will give each of them makeovers. My oldest has chosen zebra with different colors and Justin Bieber and my twins red with pink Minnie Mouse. Thanks for the opportunity.

  966. Apryl Singleton

    The room I have decided to reorganize this summer is my bedroom so far so good :)

  967. Apryl Singleton

    My kitchen is my project. It’s tiny and in serious need of a good cleaning day.

  968. Chris

    Love you tips! I think I’ll start at decluttering.

  969. Carmel

    My goal is to purge/pack and clean my current house, then to clean, unpack and organize my new house… And KEEP it clean and organized!!!

  970. Alissa A

    My goal is to clean out my garage. I always stare at the disorganization and walk away! captainliss40(at)gmail(dot)com

  971. Kayte CookWatts

    We need to go through all our linens & towels and toss the ones that are worn out.

  972. JoAnn F.

    going through storage and donating alot of clothes
    jofo120 at yahoo dot com

  973. Geri

    I have a heart for organization… I really want to be that person… but it is a struggle. Thank you, I will print these tips for speeding my cleaning… now where did I put that printer paper? :)

  974. jessica w

    I would love to organize our patio and clear it off so we can eat dinner out there at least 3 times!

  975. Dawn

    Life (and Pinterest) have inspired MANY goals for 2012, but the major one for this summer is to declutter our closets of unwanted and unneeded clothes, toys, stuff, etc. And then I’ll have more room to reorganize what’s left and not feel so overwhelmed! Great cleaning tips in this post, btw!

  976. That house we bought

    I like to dust mop every morning and wipe down all the kitchen and bathroom counters before I begin my work day… only a few steps away from my job – my walkout basement where I run a in home daycare. Lots of cleaning going on down there, I clean up after snacks and lunch and general cleaning as the day goes on. Have to keep those germs at bay…

  977. Kate

    One of my goals is to find a more practical desk so that I can finally have an organized and clear workspace.

  978. Heidi

    We are moving this summer and, due to some particular circumstances, we have a very strict, very low weight-limit on the amount of stuff we are able to move. Nothing inspires purging and organization like a move, but that weight-limit adds a whole new challenge to the process!

  979. joni

    Scrubbing the vinyl siding on the house—major yucko!!

  980. carrie

    This Summer I’m hitting up the toy room. Major dejunking is about to ensue!!

  981. Martie

    Hoping to clean out all the “stuff” throughout the house that is not needed/used. Garage sale??

  982. Jymi

    My goal for the summer is to purge and organize the whole house but especially my livingroom.

  983. Jen

    Good tips! I have a hard time keeping my house clean. I’ll definitely be trying some these ideas.

  984. D J Elder

    My garage! I live in dusty Arizona and even though I just moved in this home in December, the floor and shelves already need a good thorough cleaning.

  985. Lisa

    I need to clean my basement storage area – I feel like I am housing things in all the wrong places, and I think that if I can get that area cleaned out and organized first, then I will have a place to put away the things that are bogging down the other areas of my house. It is a starting point for me.

  986. fitzwoman

    Painting and re-decorating my dining room

  987. Brenda

    I really want to organize the spare bedroom to be an organized functional space. Ideally, the craft/sewing room I’ve always wanted.

  988. brittany k

    I just got a larger filing cabinet to organize my papers, but it needs a new paint job so that’s on my summer list!

    littleassemblyrequired at gmail dot com

  989. N from Va

    Lighten Your Load. I am already on a roll as I had a yard sale and car load trip to Goodwill this weekend (Sat June (). I plan on continuing to purge and then do a thorough summer cleaning (so much easier with no clutter and clean drawers and closets). Thanks!

  990. kathy from ct

    If you wipe down the shower with one of those magic erasers after you finish showering – you will NEVER have to scrub it. Honest.

  991. Shanda

    My biggest summer organizing goal is to clean up my boxes of old receipts!

  992. Laura

    Oh my garage is always in need of cleaning and organization!

  993. Kristin

    Great tips! I’m hoping to reorganize my kitchen cabinets this summer and purge what we’re not using so things aren’t so precarious!

  994. Yohandy

    I’m going to tackle my kids’ game room & my sewing space.

  995. WendyK

    My summer organization project is the laundry room and the bathroom drawers. Thanks for the giveaway.

  996. Teresa

    The thought of it makes me shiver, but I’d love to clean out the basement!

  997. Sherry Cummings

    I’m going to declutter and paint my pantry! Blue chalk paint for the doors, with fun cubbies and glass jars for the inside.

  998. Abbey

    My big organization / cleaning project will be to pack up all of my family’s belongings for our upcoming move. A lot of work, but I’m SOO excited!

  999. Sallie

    Like you, I am working on my home office. Okay, I’ve been doing that for about two years, but it IS getting closer; I’m just still in need of a few significant components–like furniture. But AFTER I get the furniture pieces, I want to keep the room CLEAN and IN ORDER, so these tips are a GREAT help, and a little visit to my two favorite stores wouldn’t hurt either!

  1000. Chris

    Tackle the garage and the office….

  1001. Kathleen

    organize all of my closets!

    kport207 at gmail dot com

  1002. Michelle

    We hope to organize and clean out our garage this summer. :)

  1003. melissa n

    We’re wanting to do organize our whole home – our son is 18 months, and so all his baby stuff we aren’t using we need to put somewhere, donate some, sell some, etc. Lots to do!

  1004. Samantha

    I just moved into a new house, so I hope to organize and downsize while unpacking this summer and finish in time for my upcoming fall wedding!

  1005. Jaime

    I need to clean out my closet. It is getting out of control!

  1006. Christine

    cleaning the gargage

  1007. Carol

    Just bought organizers to declutter my closet.

  1008. Elizabeth

    I really need to clean out my hall closet because it’s full of seasonal items! And my car. :)

  1009. Melissa

    I have a growing pile of things that need to go into the attic, so my next project is to sort these items and get them into the attic before the pile takes over my bedroom!

  1010. Pam

    As I declutter, I have a tall trashcan (new) that I use. I stick it in my hall bathtub and therefore I HAVE to get rid of the contents if I want to use that shower! At the end of the day I put all of the items to be donated in a crate in the back of my car. It feels so good to get those items out that are just not needed!

  1011. kerrie

    Purge any excess toys!

  1012. Rebeka

    I am moving into my first apartment so I want it to be organized and neat but also with a lot of style. Thanks for all your tips!

  1013. Cathy

    I have 3 closets in the master bedroom. Why this house has 3 closets, I don’t know. Anyway. I need to get them cleaned out and organized.

  1014. Laura

    We have now lived in our house for 7 1/2 yrs. We still have 3 boxes of papers to be filed:(. THOSE are on the list!!! It will feel so nice to go down to our basement & NOT see those boxes!

  1015. gmac

    My brother has moved in while he empties his house, cleans it up , and puts it on the market. We are working to find every bit of space in our house to temporarily store the things he intends to keep when he moves to a new place, Lots of cleaning and TONS of organizing/storage projects!!!!!!

  1016. Shellee

    I want to organize my back porch. It collects all the summer clutter and pool stuff! That stuff definitely needs a home.

  1017. Amy Tulley

    I want to get rid of stuff, and organize my kitchen and closet.

  1018. Michele O.

    One room at a time!

  1019. Angie

    I love all of the tips! 2 years ago I went through the house, not because I am so incredibly ambitious but more because we have done some remodeling. I went through and organized and have things in their designated spaces, as long as the teenagers and hubby don’t move them (like they would move cleaning supplies! Right?). This has made my life so much simpler than before! Reading your tips helps me to remember to keep this organization up and not get lax! I appreciate your blog and all of your tips…thank you!

  1020. Bonnie

    Thanks for the tips. Fingers crossed~!!

  1021. Ravzie

    I really need to get the basement in order. Stuff needs to go to the garbage or to the thrift store.

  1022. C R Williams

    One project I have is to start on my newborn’s room.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient Housekeeping {$500 Gift … - [...] the original article here: Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient Housekeeping {$500 Gift … This entry was posted…

 

Decor Finds:

browse categories:

browse archives:

let’s stay connected!

Follow for daily
Home Inspiration:

get my free decorating guide

home decor inspiration, free downloads,
and more, straight to your inbox

css.php