TIDY TALES
Experts share how to organize and clean your bookshelf
1. First things first: Declutter
We live in the club of owning more books than we’ve read, and our bookshelves are overflowing.
Before you begin reorganizing, focus your efforts first on paring down your book collection, advises Mountford.
She recommends using this time to go through your personal library and keep the ones that bring you joy (or you’re still dying to read) and get rid of the ones you know you’re never going to get around to.
Donate your unwanted books to your local library, charity, or a Little Free Library.
Plus, some books can be recycled. Check your local ordinances on how to do so in your neighborhood.
2. Dust and clean your bookshelves
Bookshelves are one of the most functional storage pieces in the home. But, just like any other part of your home, bookshelves are susceptible to becoming cluttered messes. h There are several tips and tricks that can keep things tidy. We turned to professional organizers, Laura Mountford of @lauracleanaholic on Instagram, and Shantae Duckworth of Shantaeize Your Space. h Here’s how to organize and clean your bookshelf.
Duckworth recommends a dusting spray which you can purchase or DIY with pantry ingredients using 1 cup of water, 1⁄4 cup of distilled white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a spray bottle.
If you want, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to give it a light fragrance but it’s optional.
Spray this on the shelves and wipe down with some microfiber cloths to clear away dust and germs.
3. Choose how to organize
Once the shelves are spruced up, it’s time to get started on your books.
You can go the classic route and arrange alphabetically by author or title, or you can get more creative.
Mountford likes to arrange books by color: “Organize all of the book spines by color and then group similar colors together: Neutral tones, warm tones, and cool tones to make it look aesthetically pleasing to the eye.”
She also notes that you can break away from lining all of the books upright and instead lay some horizontally and then line books vertically on top of those stacks.
Duckworth recommends keeping book series and collections together. Keeping your collection of Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter series together looks great but also shows off your impressive selection.
4. Organize and decorate to add some flair
If you’re having trouble maximizing your space with books alone, bring in some bookends or shelf risers, recommends Duckworth.
You can use slim bookends to keep books standing upright even when you pull a book off the shelf.
The book ends can also function as an end cap if you want to leave some extra room for photos or plants as Mountford recommends.
Add dimension to the shelves with shelf risers. Acrylic shelf risers look sleek while creating space underneath for storing trinkets.
5. Maintain the shelves
Wow! Now that you’ve created a stunning bookshelf display that showcases your most loved reads plus some cherished personal items, what’s next? Maintaining that gorgeous space.
To keep your bookshelf clean, tend to it about once a week.
“Dusting weekly is essential as a bookshelf to keep your bookshelf looking fresh and smart,” Mountford says.
She recommends using the Swiffer Duster which is easy to use and comes with replaceable dusting pads.
You can also use the dusting spray Duckworth recommends making to keep things fresher for longer.
We recommend doing a deep clean every few months and taking everything off the shelves before wiping them down for a thorough deep clean.
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