How to get organized for spring, from three year-round experts | Canada Voices

It’s spring — an annual time to get ready, get set and get organized. But deciding where to start can make you wish winter never ended. So why not take inspiration from people whose lives — and closets, kitchens and bedrooms — rely on staying organized year-round? Here, experts share their professional secrets for keeping things in tip-top shape, no matter the season.

Cleaning the house

The pro: Charlie Fendley, a vacation home rental owner in Twillingate, N.L.

Before Fendley owned and operated two guest houses — Pumpkin House and Lupin Fields Cottage — he was a designer and decorator for IKEA. While his houses are more maritime traditional than Swedish modern, with sailing pennants and many antiques, he has carried over key lessons from the retailer: “It’s all about creating a consistent experience,” he says.

Part of the consistency comes from the strict cleaning protocol he follows after every guest checkout. “It’s a ritual,” he says. “I start at the top of the house and work my way down and out the front door.” The path ensures dirt does not get tracked into clean areas.

A key part of the ritual is assessing and repairing any wear and tear. “I always have a little can of touch-up paint on hand,” he says. “I worry it would look like I didn’t care if the hallway or stairwell were scratched by passing suitcases.” Fendley lives in Lupin Fields, giving him an incentive to keep the space pristine.

Along the way, every object is picked up and inspected for dust. “I’ve seen guests do a little finger test,” he says. “They never find any.” His tool of choice? A Swiffer duster stocked with plenty of refills.

Minor issues such as red wine spills are inevitable. Since specialty cleaning products are hard to find in town, Fendley relies on homemade solutions. “Baking soda is amazing,” he notes. “I usually sprinkle some directly onto surfaces and then wipe it with a damp cleaning cloth or sponge. For tougher spots, I mix it with a little water to make a gentle paste and scrub lightly.”

Linens get special attention. “A teaspoon of vinegar in place of traditional liquid fabric softener gives you some of the softest and most absorbent towels,” he says, noting that he pours the vinegar directly into the fabric softener slot of his washing machine.

Weather permitting, the bed sheets are hung damp in the backyard with old-fashioned clothes pegs to prevent wrinkles and pulled off completely dry. “It’s a Newfoundland thing,” he says. “When you get a good night’s sleep on air-dried sheets, it’s unbelievable.”

A well-kept kitchen

The pro: Martine Bauer, a Toronto chef

To Bauer, former Top Chef Canada contestant and co-owner of three popular hotspots – Toronto’s Bar Pompette, Bakery Pompette and Bar Allegro – a clean kitchen is imperative. “The kitchen is my office,” she says. “No one does their best work in a messy office.”

Every day, twice a day – at opening and closing – she and her team start and end their shifts by getting organized. It not only helps them cook better, but also helps the bottom line. “The walk-in fridges are stocked by product — vegetables, seafood, dairy,” Bauer says. “It saves time if we know where to look for what we need, and time is money.”

To minimize spoilage, Bauer uses a first-in, first-out system. “The latest product deliveries are put at the back of the fridge,” she says. “And the older items are brought to the front. Waste is expensive. I do the same thing at home.”

All the dry goods are sorted and labelled with a label maker. “We don’t want to lose time trying to read someone else’s handwriting,” Bauer says. For containers, she recommends anything stackable with clear sides and an airtight lid. “Visibility is the key – being able to immediately see what we have, how much is left, and its condition.”

At the end of the day, all the surfaces are wiped down and every pot and pan is repositioned just so. To clean greasy spills, she says “the most effective approach is break the fat first and quick. We typically use hot water with a degreasing solution, or even just hot water with a bit of dish soap.”

The cleaning doesn’t stop there. “Once a week, we take everything out of the fridge and clean inside,” says Bauer. “At home, I follow a similar principle, but usually every two weeks depending on how much I’ve been cooking. The key is consistency rather than perfection.”

A camera-ready wardrobe

The pro: Hanna Puley, a costume designer for film and TV

Puley is a costume designer who primarily works on independent, Canadian productions. Her credits include gems such as BlackBerry and Brother, as well as the recent hit Heated Rivalry (thank her for the wildly popular Team Canada fleece).

“I’ve done projects with budgets as low as $3,000,” she says. “But I love a modest closet for characters because it feels real. Unless they are millionaires, most people have a bit of a uniform. They wear pieces more than once.”

Regardless, camera-ready clothing takes care. “Everything we do to our clothes degrades them,” she says. “Like washing and drying. Keeping something immaculate is hard.”

Often, movie and TV clothes are stored in climate controlled warehouses. Temperatures are usually between 18 and 21 degrees, with 45 per cent humidity to prevent mold, mildew and odours. Some high-end residential closets are equipped with similar technology, though it’s costly. “I wish I could have such a space” says Puley of her own home.

An everyday wardrobe can still involve movie magic. “We might Scotchgard pieces to prevent damage from spills,” she says. “I’ve never done it for my own clothes, but it may be something to consider if I was wearing my favourite shirt to a food fight.”

Many of Puley’s production pieces have stunt doubles. “We’ll always have a hero version,” she says. “But there are also versions that we can rough up — maybe because the scene involves a stunt that could tear fabric.” If you have a favourite shirt or jacket, stock up when it’s on sale to have a replacement ready when life happens.

To keep within budget, Puley often rents and borrows clothing. Tending to loaners takes a particular knack. “They have to go back exactly the way they came,” she says. “But they can still be customized as long as it’s not permanent. Buttons can be changed and changed back. Waists can be tailored in and let out again. I have a pile of things of my own I want to personalize in the same way.”

Inevitably, some stains happen. Heavy screen makeup on a collar is common. It usually just takes a bit of soap, water and a gentle hand to remove. “But it’s a valuable skill,” says Puley, “to spot clean something so it looks like the makeup was never there.”