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Keeping your apartment clean and tidy is never an easy task. In this post, we’ll discuss a few tips on how to keep your apartment clean.
Rent a Storage Unit
If you have tons of stuff and you’re running out of storage space in your apartment, it might be a good idea to invest in a storage unit. Doing so will open up your apartment and get rid of the unwanted stress of having too much clutter. However, it’s important to use the storage unit for things you actually want to keep — if you’re throwing stuff in there that you may want to get rid of, keeping it there will just waste money. So before investing in a unit, try to organize your things and keep only what you need. Luckily, storage units are pretty cost-effective nowadays and come in various sizes for your needs.
Don’t Leave Dishes in the Sink
This is a bad habit many of us fall into. While it’s easy to start piling your dirty dishes in the sink, those stacks won’t get any smaller, and it just reinforces poor habits and creates more stress in the long run. So do your best to clean dishes right away or put them into the dishwasher once they're used. Once you start building this practice, you’ll notice a big stress relief and more satisfaction with your apartment.
Go Through that Paperwork
Stacks of paper can make a space look very untidy; not only that, they can build up pretty quickly. In order to remove the mess, it's best to make it a priority to go through these papers and put them in the appropriate places. If you have an abundance of paperwork that you must keep, consider investing in a filing cabinet. Moving needed papers out of sight and into an orderly, designated space helps your apartment look fresher and less cluttered.
Use the Space Efficiently
Another easy way to get rid of the mess and clutter is to use your apartment efficiently. If you have a lot of stuff that you need (but that is cluttering up your living space), try placing these items in cabinets, drawers, under the bed, or in containers or other storage resources. This will help to keep your apartment organized, cleaner and less stressful.
Looking for spacious apartments in Chicago? If so, then head on over to North Harbor Tower and check out their exciting floorplans!
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When it comes to decluttering your Chicago apartment, it can seem like a monumental task. While a well-organized, easy-to-navigate apartment can reduce stress and help clear your mind, figuring out how to get started can seem like a daunting task.
Take It One Section at a Time
Trying to tackle a whole room or closet can make you feel exhausted before you even get started. Section your decluttering efforts into a reasonable area that you can easily get done in an hour or two. Consider starting with an area that you see every day. Seeing this area clean can help you stay motivated to finish the rest of the apartment.
Equip Yourself With the Proper Organizing Tools
Make a list of storage containers or organizers that you will need before you begin so that as you sort through your items, you will be able to give everything its designated home. Make sure to have a file cabinet or trays to store and sort paper, storage bins for items that are seasonal, and drawer separators and organizers to keep your small items contained in drawers.
Separate Into Piles of Keep, Trash, and Donate
Have containers that you can sort out what you plan to keep, what you plan to throw away, and what you plan to donate. If you are organizing your apartment in stages, make sure to take the donation bin into the donation center whenever it gets filled or at least every other week. If you allow it to sit too long, you may end up with another cluttered space that gets out of control.
Remove All Items From the Area Before Organizing
It is always easier to start with a fresh space so that you can see how you can best organize it and don't have to move around items. Once you have sorted your items, you can put the keep items in an organized fashion into the newly cleaned space.
Follow the tips above to help declutter your apartment and simplify your life. Looking for a new apartment in Chicago, Illinois to test out your new-found decluttering skills? Stop by North Harbor Tower to find the perfect floor plan to suit your lifestyle.
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Organizing your kitchen is an important task when you live in an apartment because you need to maximize all of the cabinet space you have. Yet many of the kitchen organization hacks you will find online show massive spaces that look like they came out of a mansion, not an apartment in Chicago. If you’re looking to get just a little more organized in your kitchen, check out these hacks that are definitely apartment-friendly!
1. Make Better Use of Your Cabinet Doors
The inside of your cabinet doors, particularly your pantry, can be a great storage option that you’re overlooking. Hang a spice rack from these, and organize your spices with ease! Add a memo pad, and keep your shopping list close at hand. You can even mount small containers to hold your pens and pencils or other small items that you need regularly.
2. Use a Knife Strip
Everyone needs their knives close at hand, but a knife block takes a lot of counter space and creates unwanted clutter. Instead, mount a magnetic knife strip to your backsplash using mark-free wall hangers. These are affordable, attractive and handy, keeping your cutlery within reach at all times.
3. Use All the Wall Space
Do you have any unused wall space in your kitchen? If so, ask if you can add a shelf or pegboard to it that you can use for storage. Are you utilizing the space above the cabinets? This can be an excellent spot to house your coffee mug selection or larger countertop appliances. Don’t forget about the exposed sides of your cabinets where you could hang your larger spoons and utensils or even your knife strip.
4. Buy an Over-the-Sink Cutting Board
An over-the-sink cutting board will give you more counter space whenever you’re prepping dinner. This can also make it easy to wash your produce and chop it without dripping water all over the kitchen floor. Store the cutting board easily by standing it on its side and sliding it into the pantry.
Remember, with the right kitchen to start with, your organization will be even easier. Check out the gourmet kitchens in our Chicago apartments today, or schedule a tour of North Harbor Tower to see our beautiful kitchens for yourself.
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Cleaning your Chicago apartment should ideally occur on an everyday basis. It only takes a few minutes to wipe down the counters, pick up your dirty clothes and make the bed. These help set the place in order, and believe it or not, they actually make your apartment safer. Disinfecting the counters from last night's chicken dinner means you won't get salmonella from this morning's breakfast.
But deep cleaning is different from regular cleaning. This term refers to a cleaning where you really dive into the nooks and crannies of your apartment, tackling everything from the spaces between your stove burners to the water stains on your shower door. It's a much more intensive job that few people are excited to try, which is why you likely don't want to do it more often than necessary.
Every Few Months for Optimal Upkeep
The general consensus is that you should deep clean once every 3–4 months. This includes every room and space in your apartment, from the closet to the entryway. It means taking all of your dishes out of your cabinets and cleaning the shelves and sides of the cupboards. It means dusting the tops of your ceiling fans. Deep cleaning doesn't have to be done in one day, but it should be completed within the same week.
Additional Tips
If your place tends to be messy from all your hobbies (e.g., cooking, crafting, DIY projects, etc.), then you may want to consider doing a deep cleaning once every other month. It's easy to let certain spaces in the apartment get out of control, so this tip can save you both time and energy. If you wait too long, you may spend more time than you'd like on a single area. This can ultimately be frustrating and can dissuade you from deep cleaning in the future.
If you're looking for a new place to keep clean in the Windy City, consider North Harbor Tower Apartments. We have modern amenities that were built with you in mind, so you'll spend less time getting stains off your countertop and more time doing what you love to do. If you want to learn more about our facilities, give us a call to schedule a tour!
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