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September places an enormous focus on kids: new backpack, new shoes, stocked pencil case, done. And once the kids go off to school (or even if you live in a kid-free home), September is still arguably the best month to restart their routines. Summer fun has come to an end, and we now gear up for the fall, cooler weather and before we know it – yup – the holidays. So a little extra preparedness is definitely called for this month. Here are 5 resets that will make September (and beyond) feel calm, fresh, and organized.
Run a Tablet Through Every Machine That Cleans Things
Your washing machine, dishwasher and coffee maker all push water through parts you cannot see or reach like the pump, the valve, the hoses and the seal. Residue, hard water minerals and biofilm build up in there, and the first sign is almost always smell: laundry that comes out not quite fresh, or a dishwasher that opens with a sour note.
Yes, you can wipe things down, but what about the parts you can’t see? Take 10 seconds and drop a cleaning tablet into an empty dishwasher or washing machine . Once it’s in, set the cycle and let the machine do the work.
For coffee, use the right descaler for drip and pod machines, or espresso machines. Put it on your calendar for the first Sunday of the month and execute accordingly.
A must-have for keeping your espresso machine fresh and clean, this powder cleaner helps tackle buildup, while the descaler keeps things running smoothly. It can also be used to soak metal filters.
Get the Family Schedule Off Paper
Paper calendars can be great…so long as somebody is standing in front of them with a pen and can keep track of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (etc!) people’s schedules, appointments, special events, and more. Yikes. And really, has someone in your house gladly appointed themselves to be the calendar master and has agreed to data entry for everyone else, forever? Doubtful. Things are bound to be forgotten.
There’s a really cool fix for this and it comes in the form of a digital calendar. It syncs the phone calendars your family already uses onto one screen in the kitchen. Nobody transcribes anything anymore. People absolutely rave about this system and how well it works! Someone books a dentist appointment from the parking lot, and it is on the wall before they get home. It also runs chore charts, which helps get everyone in the house back on track.
Audit the Bag You Carry Every Single Day
We spend weeks fussing over kids and their backpacks while our own gear ages badly. A tangle of cords, three external batteries, a flash drive from 2019. A soggy lunch bag that only works if you remember the ice pack, which you do not.
First, contain the tech with a simple cable organizer bag. Think of it like a toiletries bag for your tech gear.
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Then fix lunch with this super cool freezable lunch bag, which has the cooling gel built into the liner, so you fold the whole bag into the freezer overnight, and there is no ice pack to lose.
Reset the Kitchen Zone That Makes or Breaks a Weeknight
Restarting weeknight dinners is overwhelming, especially if you are cooking out of your pantry again. Two questions: is it stocked, and is it full of loose sugar, flour, and crumbs from a summer of nobody paying attention to it?
This one takes real work but it’s totally worth it. Pull everything out of the dry goods zone and vacuum the bottom with a handheld vacuum and brush attachment.
Then decant anything living in a plastic or paper bag into airtight containers like these ones, which I’ve had for over a year now and am completely in love with.
And if you’re feeling extra fancy, think about using a label maker to label these containers and wow, you’re thriving! Full disclosure: I have a label maker, and when I use it, I really do feel better about my organizing jobs. I can’t explain why; you’ll just have to try and see for yourself. Remember that you aren’t doing this to get a perfect Instagram or Pinterest pantry, you’re doing it so you can see exactly what you have and how much, so you stop buying a fourth bag of rice while running out of oats. As you decant, restock and replace items, note what expired and what is missing and restock your pantry accordingly.
Pack Summer Items Away Before You Need the Space
Beach towels, pool toys, and flip flops are still holding prime real estate in the linen closet will quickly become the space you need for jackets and boots.
Use bags rather than rigid bins. I find them easier to carry around and they collapse to nothing when empty. Plus, these have handles and backpack straps, which is especially handy when storage is down a flight of stairs.
For bulky soft goods, vacuum compression bags come with a hand pump and shrink a stack of beach towels and summer clothes into to something that slides onto a storage shelf.
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