According to professional cleaners 40% of housework would be eliminated by cutting excess clutter. Many cleaners I have talked to have found this to be true. By getting rid of clutter you can have a much cleaner home. Don’t forget to use green cleaners! Air pollution is more of a concern to most people these days than outdoor air quality.
This is a great green residential cleaner in the Triangle area:
Trying to get organized and declutter and not sure what to do with electronic clutter?
Check out: http://www.buymytronics.com/ and see if you can sell them your electronic gadgets. Shipping is free and they take new, used and broken items!
I was flipping channels yesterday and stopped to watch a bit of a wedding cakes show. The baker was complaining about the cake she was preparing: the couple had changed the design, the venue where it was to be taken and the type of decorative flowers on the cake all at the last minute.
She had just draped the cake with the fondant and was looking for the tool she needed to cut it. She couldn’t find it. I have watched this show a few times and depending on the ingredient time can be an issue i.e. if it doesn’t get done in a certain amount of time you will have to redo it.
The baker yelled for her partner and they searched all over the kitchen. All the tools were disorganized and jumbled about. Finally, her partner found it saying one of them must have put it in a drawer. ” We have to get organized, we have to get organized!” Luckily, the story had a happy ending. On the same show a baker and her team were down to the wire on a very complicated cake. If they hadn’t been organized they might not have been able to finish the job which could have ruined a couple’s wedding day.
Is being disorganized creating drama in your business?
Looking to save space and organize your beauty products? Her are magnetic cosmetic organizers that you can attach to the inside of your medicine cabinet. Check out:
If you want to DIY, see what small plastic containers you have lying around the house and put a magnet on back of them. I had a case from my i pod shuffle which was the perfect size for holding lip gloss.
If you have not been to the McDonald’s on Kildaire Farm Road, check it out THIS Thursday when they celebrate their one year anniversary from 4-7. The owner is a wonderful man dedicated to being green.
I took a tour there last week with architects who helped design the building. They are the first of their kind in N.C. and third in the country. They were awarded Gold LEED certification. It was so wonderful to see how much they have done and how they are educating the public on recycling and being green.
I have been invited to have a booth and hope to see many of you there. More info: http://reuseconex.org/
Reuse Alliance is proud to host ReuseConex – the one and only event that connects all facets of the nation’s reuse sector! We’re bringing together people from far and wide to learn about the triple bottom line benefits (environmental, social and economic) of reuse.
ReuseConex will include:
Expert panelists, motivating speakers, and informative workshops
40+ reuse-related exhibitors,
Tours of local reuse centers,
A reFashion Show andmovie screenings, and much more!
The event will also have 3 distinct attendee tracks, so we can meet everyone’s interests:
1) Reuse 101 – provides the general public and reuse sector novices a better grasp of the sector
2) Best Practices – allows reuse sector members to learn from each other
3) Skills Builders – allows advanced reuse sector staff to refresh and develop key organizational management skills in an interactive workshop format.
Someone asked me if being green in organizing was simply another excuse to hold onto trash and keep clutter. ABSOLUTELY NOT!
There was an article in the N & O this past Saturday on an artist who makes art from stuff people want to throw away. Some people might see it still as junk, but this man has chosen to make something artistic out of it. I am not a big fan of modern art, so I can see how people wouldn’t appreciate what he has created. Alas, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
So many times when I see organizing or cleaning shows on TV I see all of this good stuff just being chucked into a container to be dumped at a landfill later. Eco-organizing is about recycling what you can according to your local laws; reusing items that are in good condition; donating items, such as clothes, that can be used by someone else. There are many alternatives out there (freecyle/Craigs List, etc.) for you to give to someone else instead of simply pitching.
Here are the Code of Ethics I have adopted. As a Green Organizer, I will promote:
* Using recycled and/or biodegradable products where possible and feasible
* Re-using products rather than buying new products
* Limiting the amount of unwanted items going to landfills by donating, free-cycling, selling and recycling as much as possible
* Purchasing organizing products from companies that adhere to environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices
As an eco-organizer I will personally strive to:
* Limit the nature and volume of the products I consume and discard
* Purchase from Green product and service vendors.
* Teaching Green practices to my children.
* Set up effective and efficient recycling centers in my home.
* Find creative ways to store potentially useful items or give them away for future re-use instead of throwing them away.
* Purchase earth-friendly, second-hand, or locally-produced products where feasible.
* Follow Green disposal practices such as:
o Using recycling centers
o Finding individuals or organizations who need unusual items I need to get rid of
o Safely and legally disposing of toxic items.
* Share my knowledge of green organizing with others.
* Encourage vendors to offer more earth-friendly products.
