The playroom is often equal to chaos. There are toys cluttered everywhere, old art projects, and layers of dust. So where do you begin to fix the chaos? In this week’s Spring Cleaning Guide, we’ll show you how to deep-clean the playroom, purge some toys, and divide the room into stations. We’ll also cover some organizational techniques for their toys and gadgets.
Purge the toys
Begin by getting rid of any old torn drawings or broken toys. Grab a trash bag and purge any toys your child hasn’t played within months. If it’s still in good shape, donate it.
Clean the Room
After you declutter the room, it’s time to clean away the dirt and dust. Begin by sweeping away as much as you can, then vacuum the room. Scrub any tables, chairs or other furniture down to remove dust and debris so you have a clean working surface.
Rotate Toys
Try to keep the 80/20 rule, where you keep around 20 of your child’s favorite toys in the playroom, not counting educational toys like blocks or Legos. Each month, see which toys your child hasn’t played with lately and store them in a bin in the basement. In a few months, you can try rotating those toys in for a different bin of toys, and they’ll seem like new ones. If your child still isn’t interested in them, consider donating those toys to a local thrift shop to free up space.
Create Designated Activity Stations
Create designated activity stations so both you and your child know where things are located. Make a reading nook by building some comfortable bean bags in the corner along with a small bookshelf. Make sure it’s low enough so your child can choose her favorites all by herself. Hang your child’s artwork with twine in another corner and attach a wall chalkboard so they know that’s the arts and crafts area. If they have a play kitchen or playhouse, situate those near the dolls and pretend area.
Invest in the Right Storage Containers
Keep items off the floor. Be creative. Use a hammock to hold some stuffed animals. Invest in some wall-mounted shelves and fill them with clear plastic tubs. Keep the tubs around shoebox size and fill them with Legos, action figures, or Barbies. Label the containers with either a photo or the name of its’ contents.
These are just a few tips for organizing your child’s playroom. Next week we’ll tackle cleaning the bathroom. If you would like more tips, please contact Refresh Organizers & Designers at (510) 570-1292.
