Week #51 Organized Home Challenge
Organize Pet Supplies
In this week's challenge we'll organize pet supplies, including pet food, treats, toys, paperwork and information and more.
If you own a pet (or multiple pets) you know how quickly they each become a part of the family.
Of course, like any member of the family they seem to accumulate lots of stuff, which can quickly overtake your home if you don't keep it under control.
So this week we're going to get all the supplies, gear and food for your pets organized and ready for use.
Because each person's pets are so unique, and there are many varieties, from dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles and more, I am not giving, as part of this challenge, detailed instructions for each type of animal, since they wouldn't apply to everyone.
Instead, I'll be speaking in more general terms to make sure you think of all the areas of your home that need to be organized for your pets.
Are you new here? The Organize Pet Supplies Challenge is part of the 52 Weeks To An Organized Home Challenge. (Click the link to learn how to join us for free for future and past challenges if you aren't already a regular reader).
Step 1: Declutter Your Pet Supplies
The first step in organizing pet supplies is to declutter all the stuff you don't need or want anymore.
Gather up all your supplies into one location to see what you've really got, and think about what you no longer should keep in your home.
To help you with this task I've written an article about how to declutter your pet supplies that you can reference for more tips and ideas.
Step 2: Organize Your Pet Supplies Into Categories
After you've decluttered you can assess what you have left and begin the process of organizing everything.
To do this, sort all of your pet supplies into categories. Example categories include:
- Food and bowls
- Toys
- Grooming supplies
- Medication
- Leashes and collars
- Waste disposal items
Once everything is categorized I believe it works best to create storage areas to hold the various categories of supplies close to the general area where you do the corresponding activity with your pet.
Therefore, in the steps below I've listed some of these main areas you will want to organize in your home.
Step 3: Create A Pet Food Storage Area
IRIS Airtight Pet Food Storage Container
[Click here to buy on Amazon]
Pet food storage is one of the biggest areas to consider when you organize pet supplies, especially if you purchase pet food in bulk since it can take up quite a bit of room.
Ideally you'll keep your bowls and pet food in an area close to where you feed your pets, which is often in the kitchen. If that is the case, you may even want to make a place in your pantry for some or all of your pet's food.
If, for example, you do have large containers of pet food consider getting a smaller container that can hold a week's worth of food and refilling it each week, and keeping the larger container elsewhere.
Make sure to choose a container with a tight lid (such as the examples to the right) to keep rodents, insects and other pests from invading the food.
If you have space to hold all the food together consider getting a storage container on wheels which can be a real back saver.
Also consider where you'll place your pet's food and water bowls. Choose a place that is easy for them to get to, but out of the way of other activities.
Further, consider placing the bowls on vinyl placemats to protect your floor from water and food drips and spills.
Finally, don't forget to create a space for your pet's treats, perhaps on your kitchen counter or in your pantry.
Step 4: Pet Toys Storage & Organization
Pet toy box shaped like dog bone
[Click here to buy on Amazon]
Next, in the Organize Pet Supplies Challenge, we'll organize and create a storage area for pet toys.
I suggest you store pet toys close to where your pet plays, and if you've got some indoor and some outdoor toys you may want to store them in two separate locations.
You can either choose a container that your pet can easily get into, so they can play with their toys whenever they want, or you could place them in a closed container so they only play with toys when you help them.
Which is a better choice for you and your pets is something you've got to decide for yourself, since there are pros and cons to each type of container.
Step 5: Organize Miscellaneous Pet Supplies
Let's Go For A Walk Leash Hook Wall Organizer[Click here to purchase on Amazon]
There are additional pet supplies that also need to be organized as part of this challenge. These can include:
- Pet medications, which should be stored close to where you administer them (make sure they are stored in a safe location, and well-labeled as pet meds, not people meds) (click here for more information on organizing medication)
- Keep leashes, collars, and waste disposal bags close to the door in the entryway or mud room where you can grab them when you are going out for a walk or playing with your pets
- Keep cat litter and other litter disposal tools close to each litter box in your home to make litter changes easier
- Grooming tools and products close to where you do these activities
You can place these pet supplies in all kinds of containers, and hold them in many different places throughout your home. Don't forget about over the door or on a wall, such as with the pet organizer shown on the right above.
Step 6: Organize Paperwork & Medical Information About Your Pets
Finally, the last step in the Organize Pet Supplies Challenge is to create a pet organizer for vital documents, much like you'd create for any other family member.
Create a file for each pet containing its medical history, vaccination records, license documents, and other such information. This stuff is invaluable in an emergency, when you need it quickly.
You may also want to add veterinarian information to your emergency contact form that you created during the Contact Information Challenge.
If you don't want to create your own pet organizer you can use an organizer that has already been created for you, such as the ones shown below.
Pet Document Organizers {Referral Links}
Also, don't forget to add important dates for your pets onto your family calendar, including vet appointments, grooming schedules, and when to administer medication, etc.
Listen To Taylor's Video Tips For This Week's Organized Home Challenge & Declutter 365 Missions
Do you want more in-depth tips and instructions for how to do this week's missions and challenge all about decluttering and organizing pet supplies? If so, I've got recorded video tips from me, Taylor, from the video archives in the Declutter 365 Premium group, all about this week's challenge and missions.
These video tips are available on demand in the archives, once you're a member of the group.
In Week #51's video I discussed the following topics, among others:
- Last minute Christmas preparations
- What to do if you receive clutter gifts over the holiday
- Decluttering and organizing pet supplies, toys and food
- Declutter 365 missions for the coming week
I suggest watching the video archive for the week, perhaps while you're doing some decluttering or cleaning around your home, before starting the week's missions and Challenge, and then you'll be able to breeze through this week's worth of decluttering missions, as well as organize what's necessary for the 52 Week Organized Home Challenge, based on the advice and instructions within those videos.
It really is like having me, Taylor, available, 24-7, as your decluttering and organizing coach, for every area of your home!
Plus, once you're a member of Declutter 365 Premium you get access to not only this video, but all the videos for the 52 weeks of the year, for 5 years (that's over 260 videos available in the archives!)
Tell Me How The Organize Pet Supplies Challenge Is Going For You
I would love to know how this week's Organize Pet Supplies Challenge is going. You can tell me your progress or give me more ideas for how you've organized the stuff you've accumulated to care for your pets in the comments below.
I also would love to see before and after pictures of your organized pet supplies, once you've completed the challenge. Submit your pictures (up to four per submission) and blog posts and get featured in the Creative Storage Solutions Hall of Fame. You've worked hard to get organized, so now here's your chance to show off!
Here is the Pet Organization Hall of Fame I've compiled from other readers who've shown their results from this challenge!
Sneak Peek For Next Week's Challenge
We're working on our homes slowly, one area at a time, so don't get too distracted from the Organize Pet Supplies Challenge this week.
However, I know some of you love to know what's coming next, so I'll tell you. Next week, since it's the end of the year, we'll tackle creating and keeping a family calendar.
Make Sure You Make The Most Of These 52 Organizing Challenges
Get your copy of the printable one page 52 Week Organized Home Challenge schedule for the year here, so you can see all the challenges we're working on.
Further, if you'd like to join a community of others who are all commmitted to these organizing challenges and corresponding decluttering missions, and want more interaction with me, Taylor, video archives of Taylor providing more tips for each of these challenges and missions, as well as live monthly group coaching sessions focusing on the skills and habits necessary to maintain your home from now on, I'd urge you to join the private and exclusive Declutter 365 Premium Facebook group (you can learn more about it at the link).
In addition, have you gotten your Declutter 365 Products yet, to make sure you can get even more assistance with decluttering and organizing your home this year? There are both free products (like the Declutter 365 calendar, a $20 value), as well as add-ons, such as daily text messages, planner stickers, and a Premium Facebook group, as well as a pack of printabe decluttering checklists.
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