How do you organise random bits? Do you have a bits and pieces lying around the house, that you don’t know what it’s off but you think might be important? Do you have broken things, or things that need fixing about the place? Well, if you’re a client of mine, you’re probably all over the “Fix it, Find It Box”. If not, then you’ll be thinking “what are you on about?” Well! In every home, it can be really useful to have a home for things that:
- Are broken – that you intend to fix. You know, things that need gluing back together, sticky-taping and the like. Or it might be mending, shoes that need to be reheeled and so on. It might be paintings or pictures that need to be hung up on the wall.
- Are battery operated and need their batteries replaced – but you’re not going to do it right now.
- A part of something else – but you can’t get your hands on it right now. Like a puzzle piece from a puzzle you still have but you can’t get your hands on because it’s hiding in a packed box somewhere.
- Are random thing-a-me-bobs – that you know are off something really important but you can’t remember what right now!
Often these items lie around the house in various locations awaiting to be reunited with its other parts. These things often sit in the spot we think we will find the other part (or as close as we can get it). Other stuff lies around the house randomly because we intend to do something with it. There’s an action associated with it (like putting new batteries in Buzz Lightyear or the remote). How do you organise these random bits?
Finding a home for our random bits and broken things
So why not have a home for these items until you can reunite them, or fix them? The home is a box, the “Fix it, Find it Box” to be exact and it is the key to organise random bits. It could be a spare shelf or drawer, or a box. You could set up two separate boxes if that suits your home better.
Reasons why you want this set up at your house
Not only does it give you a place to put these things (until they’re useful again and put in their typical home), it also means you know exactly where to find that puzzle piece, or ‘thing-a-me-bob’ when you find the other half. How many times have you found the other part and thought “I came across that the other day, now where did I put it?” Often, we then place that newly found piece, randomly around the house to be lost among the other stuff, and the cycle continues. If you set up this home, you’ll now know it’s in the “Fix it, Find it Box”.
Also, having a spot for things that need fixing means you can be more efficient with your time. For instance, changing the batteries on the remote and the Buzz Lightyear toy at the same time. Gluing the arm back on the dinosaur and the leg back onto the chair.
Then, when you’ve finished decluttering your house, if you haven’t paired up items, or figured out what those ‘thing-a-me-bobs’ belonged to, you can then just toss those items out.
How to make sure it doesn’t end up being a box of clutter
Now, if you’re the type to put things in a box and forget about them, then I highly recommend that you put on your to-do-list the action associated with the item going in the box. Eg: Glue arm back on Buzz Lightyear; Re-heel black boots; hang three pictures. It means (if you consult your to-do-list) that the tasks can be prioritised and completed at some point.
If you think you can manage these boxes without a list go for it. The box itself is a good indicator in helping you maintain an uncluttered home. That is, overflowing box = fix some stuff! Alternatively, you can put a time limit on the box – if you haven’t processed what’s in there (or lived without that thing-a-me-bob) for 6 months, then it’s safe to throw it out.
This solution is really good to have living in the “Transition Station” to keep your decluttering journey flowing. Even once you’ve decluttered and you just want to maintain your space, the “Fix It, Find It Box” can be helpful in your home. I still have a “Fix It Box” in my home as I don’t always have the time to fix something right away. It means it doesn’t sit out on the bench until it’s fixed. Thus, we can have a clutter-free home.
Why not set one up today and organise your random bits for good?
For more tips and tricks to organise your home, come and join our supportive Facebook group. There is always someone there to help you solve your organising challenges and maybe even help to identify those random bits and bobs! 😁
