Clutter Busters: Kitchen Tea towel Storage

Here is a tutorial with photographs, sharing a method that can be used to fold and compact kitchen tea towels. This has proven to be a great means of compacting each individual tea towel in our home, so they are easily stored and organized in a clutter-free manner in their designated kitchen drawer. Plus it enables for each towel to be very quickly and neatly hung out on a towel rail when required.

Each photograph depicts a step in the process of folding a tea towel. Plus, I have included additional written instructions, which I hope will help to explain each step also.

Hopefully this method of folding kitchen tea towels, and other similar household linens, may prove to be a useful clutter busting storage method for your household as well.

Here are the instructions, step-by-step:

STEP ONE: Lay the clean tea towel right side facing down on a flat surface.

STEP TWO: Fold a 1/3 of the tea towel over onto the rest of the tea towel.

STEP THREE: Continue by folding the next 1/3 portion
(from the top) onto the previous portion,
all the while keeping the tea towel flat on the work surface.

Once you have completed folding the tea towel onto itself,

it will appear as one long strip, as shown in the below photograph.

STEP FOUR: Fold the tea towel again in half, on to itself, 

this time working from right to left.

Take care to keep the folded tea towel as tidy and flat as you can.

Ta da! You now have a neat compact kitchen tea towel, 

easily able to be stored alongside others in a drawer.

To hang the tea towel when required, you have the choice to
simply unfold ONE fold or TWO folds, whichever is your preference,
in order to lay it neatly across a towel rail.

You can also apply this method to fold other linens, such as bath towels, hand towels, face cloths for instance. It is a great method in that regardless of the size of your linen items, they can all look neat and tidy as well as be kept more compact within their designated cupboard, drawer or catch-all. 

Keeping linens folded compactly, is another clutter buster technique we have found effective. You might like to trial this method of folding your home linens, and see if it proves to be an effective clutter buster for your household also!

Clutter Buster: Laundry Bins

One of the most effective clutter buster strategies I recently implemented was the use of laundry bins.

Each child has their own designated bin. I knew I wanted greater independence and responsibility to be encouraged. I knew I wanted to put in place something that would be age and developmental stage friendly. Whatever strategy was embraced needed to help resolve at a day to day level, any possibility that it was acceptable to leave dirty clothing on the floor, draped over chairs, furniture, etc.

It is an ongoing process. Encouraging the adoption of a particular strategy and habit does take time (and a considerable amount of parental patience also!). As the 'teacher' of the new habit and process, I am having to every so often remind, follow up and follow through.

The reality is that children do need reminders. They do need adult supervision to keep to a strategy. They do need encouragement and positive recognition when the strategy IS carried out correctly.

The big long term aim is that each individual child will eventually one day take complete and full responsibility for the whole laundry process. Implementing the catch-all, the use of a laundry bin, is the first step towards this big picture objective.

To date, with a few hiccups along the way occasionally, the individual laundry bin system is proving to be efficient as a laundry clutter buster.

What system do you use for laundry? Share your story via a comment.

Clutter Buster: Plastic Bags Continued....

As promised here is a tutorial with photographs, about the method now being used in our household to store plastic bags.

As stated in the previous blog post, this is a great means of compacting each individual bag, so they are easily stored and organized in a clutter-free manner.

Each photograph depicts a step in the process of folding the plastic bag. Plus, additional instructions for each step involved are included also.

Hopefully this method of folding and storing plastic bags will prove to be a useful storage and organization method for your household also.

Here are the instructions, step-by-step:

   Lay the clean plastic bag right side out on a flat surface.

  Flatten the plastic bag out using your hands, with the sides tucked in 

and the handles extended out, as shown in the above photograph.

Fold a portion of the bag over onto the rest of the bag,

you could fold 1/4 or 1/3 at a time it is completely up to you, 

taking care to keep the plastic bag lying flat as you work.

Continue folding a portion of the bag over onto itself at a time, 

all the while keeping each portion similar in size, 

and the plastic bag flat on the work surface.

Once you have completed folding the plastic bag up and onto itself, 

it will appear as one long compacted strip, 

as shown in the above photograph.

Starting at the end furtherest from the actual bag handles, 

again fold the plastic bag up and onto itself,

in order to form a shape resembling a triangle.

Continue folding the compacted plastic bag up and on to itself. 

With each fold endeavour to form a neat 'triangle'. 

Take care to keep the compacted bag as tidy and flat as you can.

Working carefully will ensure your overall 'triangles' 

will be well formed and also remain compact.

With each compacted fold of the plastic bag, 

you will find you get closer to the actual bag handles. 

Remember to keep the folded 'triangle' you have created

neat and compact as you work along.

Work up as close as you can up next to the actual bag handles.

Leave approximately about 1 1/2 inches - 2 inches in length free, 

ready for the next step.

  Tuck the handles into the central pocket that was created 

within the compacted 'triangle.'

  Folding them over together at the same time,

 while gently pushing them down will achieve this.

Congratulations!

You have folded your first plastic bag,

which is now compact and ready to be stored away.