How to unpack your bags in an organized way on your return trip

There’s no escaping it: amid incredible memories and beautiful photos, the return from a trip always includes at least one suitcase to be unpacked. There are those who have no problem with this and empty their bags and purses right away. But there are those who can’t and keep their luggage half full for days, sometimes weeks, around the house.

If you are part of the second group, this is your place. We spoke with personal organizers Kerley Bianchi and Monique Luz to make your life easier. Who knows, maybe you’ll unpack your holiday bags even today?

Don’t take too long to unpack

“The best time to unpack is as soon as you get home. If it’s too late and you want to rest, that’s fine, but it’s best to get this sorted out the next day, otherwise they’ll end up backed up in a corner,” says Kerley.

Monique follows the same line of reasoning and advises: “A good strategy to not let laziness win is to put the suitcase ajar in a place that gets in the way. On top of the bed or sofa in the living room, on the bedroom door. A place where it is impossible to forget her and which, if necessary, even gives birth to a healthy queen, who motivates her to take action.”

Started unpacking? Then finish!

No unpacking in parts; when you start, go to the end. “If the focus is total, it’s very quick to unpack bags and necessaires. At that time, the TV has to be turned off and the cell phone should only be used to talk about something that cannot be postponed. If you’re going to ~just take a peek~ on Instagram, half an hour goes by in the blink of an eye and the rush disappears afterwards”, says Monique.

Even resting “””a little””” is vetoed. “We have the habit of starting something and stopping. But it’s good to remember that the more focused you are on just unpacking your bags, the faster you’ll finish and be free of that task”, says Kerley.

Take everything out of the bags and don’t count on them anymore

Precisely so that the task is not done in stages, it is important to “get rid” of the bags and not fall into the temptation to take half a dozen pieces, close everything and continue later.

The best way, according to Monique, is to take everything out of the suitcases (on the bed or sofa) and put them where they are usually stored. This means you can no longer rely on them to delay closing, and unless throwing everything to the ground is an option, you’ll have to go all the way.

Separate into categories what was taken out of the bags

From chaos comes order. With everything that came back from the trip on top of the bed or sofa, separate the pieces into categories. “Separate what is to be washed, the clothes that came back clean, objects, shoes. Leave each category in a heap and then give each one its destination, which can be the laundry area, the closet or another room”, teaches Kerley.

She recommends that you take care of dirty clothes first and then focus on organizing what is clean and needs to go where it belongs.

Ready! Bags unpacked and house organized. Much better that way, no?

To make your life easier on your next trip

A little bit of organization when packing your bags before heading home can make all the difference when it comes to unpacking. Kerley and Monique suggest that you:

– Put the dirty clothes in bags, separating the light from the dark ones to avoid stains caused by possibly damp items. They should occupy the bottom of the suitcase, along with used towels and bedding, if any;

– Concentrate the shoes on the same side of the suitcase;

– Place objects in cases or bags, avoiding leaving them loose in the suitcase; and

– Leave clean clothes on top of everything, so as not to run the risk of getting them dirty with used clothes or shoes.

This way, when you take everything out of the suitcase on top of the bed or sofa, you won’t have to work to organize those piles. It’s half the battle and an extra incentive for you to unpack your bags as soon as you get home.