Tourist season, especially in Orlando, is a time for residents to practice patience amidst the challenges brought on by an influx of people. Tourist season can affect your day-to-day life, especially if you’re expecting visitors while your kids are out of school, and you’ve committed to a multitude of summer plans. Clutter can build up faster during these active seasons, and you can end up wondering, ‘Where do I even begin?’
A few simple organization hacks and even the help of a handy storage unit can do the trick. Even small changes can make your home feel calmer and easier to manage. Here are a few of our favorite strategies to get you started.
Focus on High-Traffic Areas First
Making sure no one trips over loose items is a great place to start. Decluttering commonly used spaces like entryways, kitchens, living rooms, and guest bedrooms can help create easy travel and less of a headache for you, your family, and guests alike. It’s perfectly natural for items like shoes, backpacks, travel gear, and seasonal decor to pile up during busy months, and keeping an eye out for these items in particular can help prevent buildup before it can start to get out of hand. Even if you only start out clearing visible surfaces, your home can start to feel larger and less stressful.
Rotate Seasonal Belongings Out of the Way
Not everything needs to be stored at home, especially if your closets are starting to get overcrowded and your drawers are getting hard to close. This is where renting a storage unit can come in handy. Belongings like winter/holiday decorations, bulky clothing, sports equipment, or rarely used household items can easily be stored away until you need them. This can create more breathing room indoors. You can also opt to use climate-controlled storage in Orlando to store electronics, seasonal decorations, and furniture during warmer Florida months.
Decluttering Before Hosting Friends and Family
A great way to reduce clutter when family is in town is to prepare for their arrival beforehand. By cleaning out guest room closets, organizing bathrooms, clearing countertops, and creating flexible sleeping areas, your guests won’t have to compete for space with items in your home. If you are already struggling to find places to put everything, this is where a storage unit can come into play again. Even if it’s just a short-term rental, a storage unit can help you avoid stuffing everything into garages or spare rooms.
Create Simple Habits That Prevent Clutter from Returning
Once your home is decluttered, the next step is to make sure it stays that way, which is no easy feat. In order to make it as easy as possible for yourself, create a simple maintenance routine for you and your family. This may mean getting donation bins to clear out unused items, weekly cleanup routines, labeled storage containers or avoiding impulse purchases during the shopping-heavy tourist months. Be extra careful with things like theme park merchandise, beach gear, and extra household supplies that tend to accumulate in Orlando homes. Whatever you plan for yourself, make sure it is something you will hold yourself accountable for without adding extra stress.
If you need ideas on ways to declutter more easily, here are some ideas for supplies to get you started:
- Shelf dividers for closets
- Drawer organizers for small items
- Vacuum storage bags for clothing
- Rolling carts for cleaning supplies
- Stackable containers for garages
- File folders for important paperwork
A More Relaxed, Functional Home
Decluttering is not about having a perfect home, but making everyday life a little easier during Orlando’s busiest seasons. Don’t pressure yourself to make the season busier than it already is, but make the most of your space through simple habits and some outside storage to help you get a little extra room. Even a little organization before peak travel months arrive can reduce stress later.
