Wire Shelving | Broken Window Theory
How to Organize Anything

Trash Talk:
Place a handful of trash bags in the bottom of your kitchen trash can for quick and easy access to a replacement bag
when removing the full one.

Clutter Cutter:
A big part of keeping a home uncluttered is in making sure we do not waste steps. When we leave a room it is important to glance around quickly to see if there are any items that can hitch a ride with us.

Sneaker Keeper:
If you want people to take there shoes off when they come into your home but don’t like the ugly shoe lineup at the front door; find yourself an ornate wicker basket or other attractive container and use it in your entry way to consolidate sneakers, shoes, umbrellas, etc.

Why Does Wire Shelving Get Sticky?

This is a mystery that has confounded home owners since the invention of wire shelving. 
The fact is that almost all wire shelving is coated with rubber or some variant that is has an oil base. This oil slowly seeps out over the years and collects fine household dust.  This dust is mostly made up of tiny flakes of human skin.
But wait… it gets even better.  The part that is not human skin is a cocktail of pet dander, bacteria, mold, dust mites and their excrement, decomposing insects, pollen and other pollutants. Pretty nasty, huh?
Wire shelving is nearly impossible to clean however you can remove it and have a local hardware store cut you new pieces to replace it.

The Broken Windows Theory

            The Broken Windows Theory asserts that crimes are more prevalent in neighborhoods where there are more broken windows; moreover that people are more apt to behave chaotically in environments that seem to condone chaos.
           

This theory was applied during the clean-up of New York City in the 1990’s.  In order to rid the New York subway of violent crime the subway commission first waged war on the graffiti artists and toll jumpers.  Violent subway crimes went down almost immediately.  The concept was next applied as the New York City police delivered the message that pan handling and sleeping in the streets would no longer be tolerated.  Once again violent crimes began to shrink. There was a definite link between violent crimes and the appearance that non-violent crimes were being tolerated.
           

Now I know you are thinking “What the heck does this have to do with organizing my home?”  Well here it is… This concept is important in every aspect of our lives because it demonstrates that we are as much a product of our environment as our environment is a product of us.
           

It is simple human nature to behave slightly more orderly when surrounded by order. 
           

Organizing your environments not only helps you to live a more productive life but also affects the behavior and lives of every individual who enters that environment.
           

This means every environment; your office, your car, your garage, etc. Think of the places you spend the most time and start there. Entry ways into our homes are also vital. These are the portholes into our homes through which friends and family pass.  When we enter into another persons home to find shoes neatly lined up just inside the door we pick up subconscious signals as to appropriate behavior.
           

This means we can effect our children’s study habits by helping them organize their room or their desk.
           

So… organize something today and watch the effect it has on people! 

How to Organize Anything           

A glove box, junk drawer, wallet, purse, closet, golf bag, key ring, recipe file, garage, home office, art studio, cabinet under the sink, you name it; the mechanical process is pretty much the same. No matter what space you are trying to organize there are some simple steps to help and of course I have my own acronym; E.S.C.A.P.E.D. That stands for Evacuate, Separate, Consolidate, and Premeditate, Eliminate, Distribute.

Evacuate:
Empty all of the contents. If you’re organizing a closet you might put the contents on a bed. If it’s a pocketbook or drawer you might empty everything out on a countertop. For a garage you would put everything out in the middle of the floor or on you driveway.

Separate:
This means make piles of like nature. If it’s a closet you might have shoes, purses and sweaters. If it’s a pocketbook or drawer you might have groups of pens, receipts and spare change. If it’s a garage you might have sports equipment, lawn tools, and recreational items.

Consolidate:
Find or buy containers to consolidate items of like nature. For a Garage you may need to invest in heavy duty, stacking; rectangular containers. For a pocketbook you may want to consolidate credit cards or car insurance documents.

Premeditate:
Think about how and how often you use these products. Too often we think of storage as a place to put things rather than a place to get at or access things.      

Now you need to really need to place these groups in order of importance. If it’s a pocketbook you’re organizing you may want to prioritize those credit cards. If it’s a closet you may want those shoes in an organizer off of the floor so you don’t have to bend down to get them. If it’s a garage you may want to consider how often you need to run out to the recycle bin or the overall ergonomics of getting in and out of your car.        

This is the part where you have to consider doing things differently and consider hypothetical solutions like “What if the bicycles were in a place where the kids could get them out without scratching my car?” It’s not unlike me to move the location of a refrigerator or change the swing on a dryer door to facilitate ergonomics and common sense.      

Now you have an empty space and a chance to re-think how you will use and access these items.

Eliminate:
At this point you will be able to identify items that do not belong in the area you are organizing. Throw away, donate or relocate that which does not belong.

Distribute:
Now you can place all of the items into their new homes.

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