Scattered Possessions: Piles

Mastermind group member once said she thought of me when she read this tagline on the side of a ScanMyFiles truck while sitting in traffic: “reducing piles, producing smiles.”

I love this tagline!  It totally fits my company, Scattered Possessions (Professional Organizer) too, because we help individuals and families decrease and organize piles of:  clothing, collectibles, cookware, and more.  Outcome?  Both clients and organizers are happy as well.      

Tips for Quicker Refrigerator Clean out

Do you know what the oldest food item is in your refrigerator? 

I was surprised to find that ours was French's Sweet & and Tangy Honey Mustard, though it should have come as no surprise since I ignored the code on the bottom of the container and kept returning it to the refrigerator after clean out...for years...until writing this post.

I have since found that food companies:

          1.  Use different food dating terms or codes depending on whether the food is perishable or non-perishable. 

          2.  Place their expiration dates or codes in a different spot on their food containers...requiring us to search for it.

          3.  Place dates/codes on glass or plastic containers that rub off with handling or come off when the safety seal is removed.

Research led me to resources that explain food product dating and other references to help us keep our food safe:

1.  Check out The United States Department of Agriculture website, and read the article on Food Product Dating as both go into far greater depth than I do here about how perishable and non-perishable items get dated (or not) and how mishandling or improper storage affects food safety.  Some common dates found on our refrigerator items:   

• "A 'Sell-By' date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.

• A 'Best if Used By (or Before)' date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

• A 'Use-By' date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.

• 'Closed or coded dates' are packing numbers for the use by the manufacturer."

2.  Food Safety.gov provides information about recalls and alerts, food poisoning, and how to report food poisoning, and much more.

3.  University of Nebraska-Lincoln Food Storage Chart lists safe storage times for perishable and non-perishable items.

4.  Julian Calendar- needed for deciphering the day and month part of the manufacturer's code.

5.  Manufacturers list contact information on their products:  phone numbers, email addresses, and websites; they like to hear from you!

I first checked out French's website for an explanation of the code (M03307) on the mustard container  and read that:

M - represents the manufacturing location

03 - year product manufactured

307 - Julian date (30 - day; 7 - month).

Then, I sent an email to French's Customer Service Department; they answered within 24 hours and confirmed that the product was manufactured in 2003, and while it was not harmful to consume this particular product, it may exhibit a loss of change of overall flavor quality.  They suggested discarding it.  I did.

5 Tips to shorten your refrigerator cleaning project:

1.  Print referenced lists above, place them in a folder, and keep it near your refrigerator for clean out day. 

2. Take all food containers out of your refrigerator and sort them by category on your counter top or table.  You may discover you have triplicates of soy sauce like I did. Clean the inside of the refrigerator.

3. Discard items with expired 'Use-by' dates.  Discard leftovers according to Food Storage Chart above.

4. Make your grocery list.

5.  Once you've purchased needed food items, and before you put the item in the refrigerator, write the 'Use-By’ date on a  label with a Sharpie and place it on the container while it's dry.  Label leftovers the same way. 

I don't know of anyone who likes to clean out their refrigerator--me included; however, frequent refrigerator clean-outs reduce the chance of getting ill from eating spoiled food and spending money on duplicate items.  Clean out your refrigerator more often and the task takes less time.

Make a Difference: Properly Dispose of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs

Do you know how to properly dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused medications? A recent client had some drugs that needed to be disposed of, and the FDA.gov site provided the following guidelines: Guidelines for Drug Disposal

1. Read the specific disposal instructions which accompany the drug

2. Some drugs need to be disposed of by flushing.

3. Disposing of drugs other than by flushing:

a. National Take-Back Initiative, collection site research link provides the nearest city and place to turn in your medication.

b. “Call your city or county government's household trash and recycling service (see blue pages in phone book) to see if a take-back program is available in your community.”

c. Check with your local police department for drug take-back information.

d. Talk to your pharmacist can provide you with disposal information and dispose of some medications for you. 4. “If no disposal instructions [are provided] and no take-back program is available in your area, throw the drugs in the household trash following these steps:

a. Remove them from their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance like coffee grounds or kitty litter...”

b. Place the mixture in a sealable bag, empty can, or other container to prevent the drug from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag.

c. Then protect your identity by removing your personal health information.

d. Use this method to dispose of over-the-counter medication as well. Proper disposal of drugs help prevent harm to others, pets, and our environment.

Time-Saver Tips--Tax and Otherwise

My sister Judy and her husband sold their home a few months ago and put most of their belongings in storage, including tax-related papers.  She found most of their tax papers because they were filed in a file cabinet drawer.  Home-improvement receipts, however, challenged Judy for different reasons.  She thought of a couple ideas to avoid future time-consuming searches and deciphering of receipts used for tax preparation or other purposes:

1.  Write the home-improvement project on the sales slip such as:  drywall to patch a garage wall; tile for a shower; or paint for the kitchen, etc.  Also include the item name when not printed on the receipt. File with other tax papers.

2.  Make a copy of the annotated receipt right away because print on some types of paper fades over time and become unreadable, then useless. Staple the original receipt to the copy.

Additional tips:

3.  Organize your receipts and other tax documents in a notebook with slash pockets (it's easy to see and pull out needed documents). Label each folder with the type of document filed (W-2s, Medical, Mileage, etc). Keep the notebook in a handy location and file items upon receipt.

4.  Read the store's Return Policy on sales receipts for clothing, electronics, paint, and sports equipment, etc., then write the Return By Date on the top of the receipt. Return policies vary from store to store and most have exceptions for return of holiday, seasonal, discontinued, and/or clearance merchandise.

5.  Affix the sales receipt to the outside of the store bag (staple or use non-damaging tape), and keep the item in the bag until it gets used or returned.

Use the tips noted above and avoid wasting time hunting for receipts and non-readable receipts.  Return of unused, unwanted, or unneeded gadgets, garments, or gear will be quick and easy.