Tidy Tips? How are your drawers or shelves or anything?

Louisamay I worked with a similar "doth protest too much" lady whose observed habits were gross, she used to eat raw fish fingers off the staff room draining board, dipping them into a pile of salt similarly placed
She once famously announced as she finished work one lunchtime, "I'm going home to do the spring cleaning" then spoilt the effect by adding "and then I'm going to dig the garden". Strangely enough we didn't believe her!

When I retire perhaps I may have time to organise and colour code as chaos reigns at the mo

What I can't understand is where everyone gets the time to be so tidy etc.

If I spent time tidying as well as housework gardening etc there wouldn't be any time for fun.

I'm with you jingle the times I've walked into the bedroom only wanting to fall into bed and then realised I've forgotten that I'd stripped it !!!

A well known farmer, controversial and columnist friend of ours was once interviewed by a reporter for a broadsheet, she described his living area as a ' Rather unkempt dog basket' I think he was rather proud as it hadn't changed when we visited a few months later.

After reading this thread yesterday I started a sort out of my main wardrobe and chest of drawers, much tidier all t shirts, vests , jumpers rolled and sorted into colours ; cardigans and shirts hanging in colour order and in plastic covers ; trousers sorted into summer and winter, casual and smart in different drawers ;shoes tidied and sorted into summer and winter. Underwear sorted and greying/ baggy stuff chucked. Hoovered round the wardrobe. Haven't tackled the dresses yet ( they are in a different wardrobe) , but filled 2 bin bags of clothes and shoes for the charity shop. Everything looks so much tidier thanks to OP and all those organised posters for giving me the impetus. And I now need to go lingerie shopping.

Ah, but whitewave if you are tidy, it saves time. Not only do you not have to spend time tidying because things are always put back where they belong but you do not spend hours looking for things you cannot find.

I was inspired by the OP too. I decided that one in one out and as I had just bought two skirts and a new dinner suit for DH I would do some chucking out. DH has grown out of his old DJ and the new on could have bought us a holiday so I felt I could start on his wardrobe then move to mine . I couldn't find anything that I'd thought of his suitable to go .no he'd gone fishing and he was wearing it all. I'd love to have outfits all on the same hanger so I could just pick it out and wear it without rummaging . Harrigran should set up a business.

I thought abut tidying up, but the idea was so exhausting that I had to have a lie down instead.

I have just sorted all my socks - and thrown OUT all the ones with holes....lately I have had difficulty in getting socks without elastic round the tops, so have been making the ones I had do as long as possible......

However I did find three pairs out of the odd whole (not holy) ones!
I think I will have to go to Oxford to find out if I can still get the original kind.....

Who knows, I might continue to T-shirts.

Look online at The Sock Shop Alie. They have a lot of non-elasticated socks.

Have a look at these links ladies. Your lives will be changed ;)

buzzfeed.com/peggy/52-totally-feasible-ways-to-organize-your-entire-h#1cj1b00
glamumous.co.uk/2013/03/101-household-tips-for-every-room-in.html

I feel as if I have stepped into Stepford, Connecticut!

Please come and sort me out, one of you!

The towels start off in neatish piles, folded and stacked by size in the airing cupboard with too-high shelves. Then I want one that isn't on the top and all the rest fall out so are shoved back anyhow because I am usually in a rush.
Will try to roll them instead and see if they all fall out when I take out the bottom one.
I have cupboards in the bathroom but not enough room for towels.

Ironed face flannels never heard of that!
I had a friend who used to iron socks.

coolgran you must have very big drawers if you can fit shoe boxes into them!

I roll the hand-towels that live in a basket next to the bathroom sink, ready to be swopped daily. Apart from that....chaos.

Oh no, I'm even more slobby than I thought! Changing hand towels every day???

(Obviously, if you have a houseful, or a particularly dirty job...but if it's just you, or you and DH?)

Must be like living in a hotel. But without the maid service.

rosequartz - those particular drawers are pretty wide. They are two drawers at the bottom of a double wardrobe. Four shoe boxes fit side by side in each drawer and they fit in depth wise by about a half inch to spare. It works very well. The knickers might get messed up but they are untidy through themselves and not mixed through the bras cos the bras have their own box.

Ahh... the ironed face flannels, honestly, it makes them all sit in a pile and not fall all over the place.

Oh dear ..... I'm sounding a bit Stepford even to myself but truly I'm not, actually anything but.

I agree with FlicketyB - i.e. everything is just to hand and is quicker in the long run.

You've only to 'set it up' once.

Now I'm thinking about collecting shoe boxes, but that means buying more shoes, doesn't it?

How many face flannels do you have in that pile, Coolgran ?

I'm not being being facetious or flip, I'm really interested. TBH, we only have them for hospital stays, and don't usually use them even then.

Often people buying in the shoe shops don't take the box. Ask if there are any boxes to spare.
I know that a few unwanted shoe boxes were available from the local shoe shop for the school children to fill to send off as a project.

Ana - about 12 face flannels, many of them are years old. Use one at a time in the bathroom.
I use a scrunchy in the shower and a flannel if it's quickie bird bath wash.

It means there is also always a flannel to be recycled as a cleaning cloth in the bathroom.

Oh yes, I see - they would be good for bird bath washes (great description!), but I just shower using a scrunchie.

Good idea about the recycling.

DH does make fun of me because one of the few things I iron is tea towels.It makes it so much easier to fit them in the drawer and the heat is an extra hygiene measure.

I feel a bit inadequate when I read that suzied has her dresses in an extra wardrobe - how many dresses??? I've got two for summer and two for winter and most years only one of them gets worn. Perhaps I need a life?

I only have two, both summer ones (and another that is now too big! Should throw it out)

Ooh I don't know how many dresses, must count! I am a bit of a dressmaker and love vintage etc so have a bit of a collection. I love liberty prints and have made a fair few summer dresses and skirts, and did a course on using stretch and knits so had a bit of a phase of making jersey tunics and crossover types. I used to have a lot of " occasions" ( now OH has retired not so many) so I would run up a silk evening dress if I wanted something new. I did have a bit of a sort out at the beginning of summer and remade some of my old cotton dresses into skirts or dresses for the GDs. Does need a proper sort out again though as I have to admit to having clothes in at least 3 wardrobes.