Latest news with #Horderly
Epoch Times
6 days ago
- General
- Epoch Times
8 Things to Declutter Before September Hits
As summer sadly draws to a close, it's time to gear up for fall. Fortunately, by focusing on a few key things to declutter before September starts, according to Horderly professional organizer Jamie Hord, you'll be ready to go once the first leaves start to fall—without taking too much time away from enjoying those precious summer days. 1. Summer Clothes Before you break out your sweaters and cozy-season clothes, take stock of what you wore and what you didn't amongst your summer clothes, while it's still fresh in your mind. Give away anything that hasn't seen the light of day this summer. And anything that isn't worth saving—like a pilled and overstretched swimsuit—should be recycled or tossed. And hey, while you're at it, take a quick sort through your fall clothes as you bring them out of storage to see if there's anything that doesn't fit, doesn't suit you, or otherwise shouldn't make it back into your closet. 2. School Supplies If you have kids, August is the time to sort through your school supplies and see what needs refreshing, what isn't being used (that you might be able to donate to a school supply drive), and what's ready to go. Compare it to your child's school supply list, and you'll be able to minimize the back-to-school purchases by 'shopping' from your own house first. 3. Lunch Containers After a little summer vacation, it's time for back to school (and back to work). Go through your lunch container stash and get rid of anything that doesn't have a matching lid, is cracked, or is otherwise unusable. (While you're organizing, go ahead and make sure that your lunchboxes have been dusted off and freshly cleaned.) 4. Water Bottles Odds are, you probably have a drawer or cabinet filled with water bottles—even if you only stick to a few. Go through your water bottle stash and remove anything that's missing a cap, leaks, or isn't one you reach for regularly. Also, consider ditching any plastic water bottles that are not labeled BPA-free to minimize the risk of chemicals leaching into your water. 5. Home Workspaces Make the shift back to school (or your WFH days) easier to bear by sifting through any paperwork and clutter that's accumulated, so you have a perfectly peaceful spot to get the work (or the homework) done. 6. Halloween Stuff The spooky season is right around the corner—and Hord says you should get ready, stat. 'This is a great time to go through and get rid of any Halloween decor or Halloween costumes that no longer serve your family or that you no longer love. Get rid of any old or damaged items and be realistic about what you'll wear or put up this year.' 7. Your Makeup Bag or Drawers Make a seasonal sort through your makeup stash to get rid of expired beauty products, anything that is crumbling or damaged, and of course, anything you don't use. That'll make more room for new colors you want to try as the seasons change. 8. Summer Fun Gear Take stock of all your summer gear—from pool floats to outdoor games to beach chairs. Toss anything that's damaged beyond repair, and give away things you didn't use or won't use after this year.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
12 Things You Should Never Store in an Outdoor Shed
Outdoor sheds lack climate control, and the temperature swings can make them an unsafe place for sensitive items like electronics and food or drinks. Items like clothing, books, and wooden furniture are vulnerable to mold, mildew, insects, and structural damage in an unsealed, unregulated shed environment. Sheds offer poor security for valuable or irreplaceable items, so they're better stored indoors where they're safer from theft and environmental you've run out of space in your house or garage, an outdoor shed may seem like the ideal storage solution. But keep in mind that there are things you shouldn't store in an outdoor shed, whether it's for the safety of the items themselves or your own personal safety. The biggest issue with storing things in an outdoor shed? It's the temperature extremes, says Jamie Hord, professional organizer at Horderly. "Temperature, whether hot or cold, can really be damaging to certain items. If you're looking to preserve items for longer, keep them in temperature controlled spaces." Learn what shouldn't be stored in an outdoor shed—and why. Related: 7 Ways You're Organizing Your Home Wrong, According to the Experts "A lot of people use their garage for pantry overflow, but temperature changes can make food spoil quicker," Hord says. That's especially true of products stored in paper boxes, such as crackers or dry pasta—which can attract moths, mice, and other pests. Related: 10 Things You Should Never Store in the Garage Out-of-season clothes, sleeping bags, and other fabric items may seem like a natural choice to store in a shed, but you may want to think twice. "These items can mold and get pests in them," Hord says. "If you are to store fabrics in the shed, covering them from dust can be good but could still lock in unwanted moisture. We use weathertight bins a lot," she adds. Related: 11 Things You Should Never Store in Plastic Bins Propane tanks definitely don't seem like something you should store close to your home (and you're correct on that!). So why not a shed? A propane tank that leaks or gets damaged could easily set off a fire or explosion if the gas is allowed to build up in a closed area. Your best bet? Keep that tank outdoors. (It was built for it!) Paper is a material that doesn't stand up well to less-than-ideal conditions. And storing important papers in a shed or garage could subject them to pests, dirt, moisture, and other factors that could damage or destroy them. Related: 10 Surprising Things That Shouldn't Be Stored Outdoors Hord says wine and sodas can be impacted by the temperature extremes in a shed or other place without adequate temperature controls. At best, you may notice a difference in the quality or the taste of the drinks—at worst, it can make them spoil faster. Once again, the temperature extremes in an outdoor shed could wreak havoc on the sensitive wiring in electronic equipment or damage the batteries within. Bring your electronics back in the house for safer storage. Many people rely on a fridge or freezer in the garage or shed for extra drinks and food storage, but Hord says that it may not be the best place for them. "The fridge has to work much harder in hot temperatures, which means it will be using up a lot more energy." Just like important papers, books can easily be damaged by moisture, pests, and dirt that's often found in sheds—and the changes in temperature could weaken the adhesives used for the binding. Some valuables, like paintings or fabric items, are more likely to get damaged by temperature extremes, pests, or just the potential dirt that may accumulate in an outdoor shed. But you should also keep in mind that your shed is likely less secure than other spots inside your home, which could lead to your valuables going missing. A better option? A safe or more secure storage area inside your home. Related: 7 Things You Should Never Store in Your Attic—Plus 5 Things You Should Fun fact: batteries stored at temperatures too high or too low will lose some of their power, so storing your batteries in an outdoor shed could shorten their lifespan. As a worst-case scenario, two batteries could create a spark and potentially cause a fire. Temperature extremes can lead to your wooden furniture warping or cracking—and could weaken the glue used in joints. The only furniture suited for storing in an outdoor shed is your outdoor furniture, as it's made to weather temperature fluctuations. Related: These Are the Biggest Outdoor Furniture Mistakes Yep, blame the temperature swings again. Paint is a pretty sensitive chemical mixture—and exposure to freezing temperatures can cause the paint to separate (and perhaps, not be usable afterward). Keep paint that you plan to use again for touchups inside your home in a temperature-controlled area instead. Read the original article on Real Simple
