Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Stair clutter

Today's Tip:

Instead of blogging about how dirty your house is, get off the computer and clean it!

I'll let you know how it works for me!!

Seriously though, this week I need your help! My laundry room is on the second floor with the bedrooms.  Every day I end up with piles of dirty bibs, dish cloths, socks and other clothing (my children love to be half-naked) all over the bottom few steps and clean clothes that need to go back to a bedroom hung over the banister. Like so:


See how I've separated the piles? One is for kitchen laundry and the other is the discarded clothing of the girls. And there's a headband that needs to make it back up to the girls' bathroom. I can't stand this. It is messy and cluttered and there is enough of that around the house. However, I can't see myself running upstairs to the laundry every time I've got a dirty bib to deal with.

I have tried putting a dirty laundry bucket under the sink to collect the kitchen cloths, but inevitably I forget about it until we're out of towels and something smells! I put things on the steps because then I remember to take them up with me. Three children in 5 years has left me with mental impairment, I know. Someday I'll write a devotional to coffee and birth control, but I digress.

I have also tried baskets on the stairs to make it look nicer, but they are never quite the right shape and look out of place. I've also tried a bag (like the reusable grocery ones), which made it easy to carry it all upstairs, but then everything gets all mixed up and the not so dirty things get really dirty (think bibs). I will not be going upstairs every time I have something that needs to up there, so please don't even suggest that! And 90% of the time I do go upstairs I've got a baby in my arms.

So, let me have your tips for this area of mess in my home. I think I'll plot a nice little reward for the best tip!

10 comments:

  1. I have no tips. I make several small piles througout the day and at the end of the day I bring them up and take care of them before bed.

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  2. Thanks for stopping by my dance floor! Following back!
    As far as cleaning....I'm proud to say that I have two men over 6ft tall and in their 20's cleaning my house as I type from my post at Barnes and Nobles right now. Hey, this is my one moment a week without 3 men under 4 ft screaming me down. And I damn sure ain't gonna spend it cleaning!

    I feel I am progressing women's rights my hiring male housecleaners! There is something so S&M about the whole idea, huh? LOL

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  3. Have you seen the little beach baskets or laundry totes? I found this photo http://www.thehomemarketplace.com/HomeMarketPlace/images/p330910b.jpg
    You could get a few in different colors in order to sort... and they look like they would fit nicely on the stairs.

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  4. I don't think there's any easy way. At home we just put all the dirty close in one pile and when it's time for laundry that's when all the separating happens...btw new follower from TTT blog hops

    http://lifewithabigfamily.blogspot.com/

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  5. Thank you for following me. I am now following you too.

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  6. This is a tricky one. The first thing I thought of was a drawer organizer, but it still might look out of place on your stairs. The Container Store sells ones with fairly large compartments that might accommodate your piles. I'm interested to see what others come up with!

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  7. I use the basket technique at the end of the day I separate.

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  8. Oh dear, I wish I have a suggestion but I am guilty of the same thing too!

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  9. Thanks for stopping by my blog from MBC, I am following you back;)

    http://practicalfrugality.blogspot.com/

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  10. Thank you for the suggestions and empathy! I like those totes, but not the price. Maybe I can find something similiar locally.

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Go on, tell me what you think!