The other day I walked into the kitchen with my dogs and proceeded to open up the "dog cabinet" to get them a chew. (You know, the cabinet where you throw in all the dogs' stuff, like chews, treats, medicine, poop bags, food, etc.) Maybe yours is a drawer or a closet, but we all have that "dog cabinet."
When I opened it up to get the dog chews, I noticed how cluttered and messy it had become. My task-focused brain immediately thought, "Well, this must be cleaned at once - add it to the to-do list!" Adding it to the to-do list resulted in me stopping everything I was doing to address it at that very moment. 😂
Since I love dogs and I love the gratification I get from things being clean/cleaned, I want to share with you how I went about this task in hopes it'll help you during your next clean out.
For those who may not know, I have three dogs and then I have stuff for three dogs. Thank goodness two of them are small! Here's a simple overview of how I went about this task.
Dog Cabinet Clean-Out Guide:
1) Take everything out of the cabinet. I mean it, everything! That way, we can keep special track of exactly what deserves to go back inside the cabinet. This is going to be like Survivor, we need to vote some things off the island (or in this case, the cabinet).
2) Clean out the empty cabinet. I personally use a homemade mixture of water, vinegar, and a drop of dish soap in a spray bottle to clean off areas that will come into contact with the dogs' things. Wipe down the area thoroughly. I added in thoroughly because we both know that we won't necessarily be back in here cleaning this again anytime super soon - so let's make this one count.
3) Now that you have a clean base, let's turn and focus on the pile of shit we just put all over the floor that was in the cabinet. I recommend starting by grouping things together. You can put all the bags of chews in one pile, all the treats in another pile, all the stuff for walks in another pile, and so on. Group things in whatever way comes natural for you and your dog's routine.
4) Depending on where your dog cabinet is, I recommend using bins, basket, or some type of deep trays to help organize all the things.
- For example, I have one bin for medications, another for grooming products and supplies, another for dog treats and chews, and another for harnesses, collars, leashes and walking equipment.
[Bonus Tip: If you don't have bins right now, consider using different sized bowls or storage containers for certain things, I even use the extra dog bowls we have to store things sometimes!]
5) Throw out anything expired, broken, really old, unusable, and don't forget about that bag of treats you've been holding onto even though you're very aware none of your dogs like them. It's time to let them go. Don't worry, we've all been there.
6) Speaking of throwing things away, take a good look at your dog toys as well. It might be time to part ways with that dusty, ragged rope toy that's been sitting in the corner of the living room for a long time now. (Again, don't worry. I am also guilty.) You can take it a step further and throw out or donate toys your dog doesn't play with anymore as well.
7) Place organized items back into the cabinet, pat yourself on the back for a job well done, and feel at peace knowing it will soon be a bit of a mess again - but hey, that's life in the big city (or in our case, life with dogs!)
Take care and talk soon,
- E