Whether you live in a large house or a small apartment, knowing how to organize your home will keep everything neater and you calmer. Not sure where to start! Don't worry; we have the tips you need to accomplish excellent home organization.
Below is a breakdown of how you can get your home into tip-top shape, one room at a time. Start by tackling the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
Read on to discover what your next steps are and soon you’ll be on your way to a neater and tidier home.
Organizing Your Home Starts in The Kitchen
Uncluttered Simplicity reported that 43 percent of participants were not happy with the way their homes were organized. The kitchen is one of those primary spaces. Most people have an abundance of cooking tools, serving dishes, and food in what is affectionately known as the heart of the home.
To start cleaning out your kitchen, take everything out of each cabinet, one by one. Once everything is out, go through and get rid of unused items. Chances are, you likely have a bunch of mismatched pieces of Tupperware or random cooking gadgets that can be donated.
The pantry is another prime spot for stashing clutter. It’s not uncommon for food to get pushed to the back or corner, staying around long past its expiration date. If you find yourself wondering whether something close to its expiration date is worth keeping, refer to this article by Consumer Reports to better decipher if an item is safe to consume.
Once you’ve gone through all of the items in your cabinets and pantry, it’s time to create an organization system that works for your space. In the pantry, use spice racks and sliding baskets to keep ingredients within easy reach. Also, place items with upcoming expiration dates in the front so you’re reminded to use them prior to them spoiling. You may even want to designate a basket for food that needs to be eaten first.
For Tupperware, make sure to place all lids with their coordinating containers. There’s nothing more frustrating than scrounging around for a top to a container or having Tupperware fall out of a cabinet when you open the door. A little order truly goes a long way!
Kitchen utensils and tools are usually best stored in drawers. Drawer dividers make a big difference in keeping these items easily accessible. Also, have a safe place for kitchen cleaning supplies away from any food. Make sure to check expiration dates on these items just as you would food. Under your kitchen sink is a great spot for storing cleaning products.
Organizing Your Living Space
You likely have several living spaces within your home that could benefit from being reorganized. Whether you’re looking to tidy up your home office or transform your garage into the ultimate man cave, the key is having dedicated storage. Commonly used items - like remote controls, books, or toys for kids - should be kept somewhere easily accessible.
Go through any bookcases, desks, consoles, and tables in your living spaces and discard anything that you no longer want or need. Then put things away in storage areas that make sense, keeping them out of sight but easy to grab when needed. You should also examine the electronics in these spaces. Look at everything you have plugged in or connected to a TV. Assess if you are still using these items and if you should keep them. Use cord organizers to wind up chargers and place them all in one convenient location.
In a living space, large baskets will be your best friend for things like folded blankets, extra throw pillows, or even magazines. Remember that in your living areas, it's all about functional storage. You want these rooms especially to appear organized, yet comfortable.
Organizing Your Bathrooms
Next up are the bathrooms. These spaces also accumulate clutter, so take care to keep them neat and tidy. Start by going through your bathroom linens and getting rid of any that are old and dingy. Don't be surprised if you currently have a large collection of bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths. Chances are you don’t need all of these items and can stand to purge this area.
Next, go through your vanity, medicine cabinet, and bathroom closet in pursuit of products that can be tossed. There are likely a lot of them! Sort through any stock of over-the-counter or prescription medicines you have on hand. Each one should have an expiration date, as noted by Good Rx.
Cosmetics are another category of items with expiration dates. Throw out any that are no longer useable. Once you do this, you’ll probably have a much more simplified bathroom to organize. After that, use baskets and bins to organize the remaining items.
Now, everything product should have a home, and be placed in easy-to-spot areas. For instance, keep commonly used items on your vanity or in a reachable spot, like a medicine cabinet. If you have a stockpile of things like toilet paper or extra toiletries, keep them in a separate basket so they're still available but yet out of sight.
Organizing Your Bedroom & Closet
Last, you'll want to tackle organizing the bedrooms and closets in your home. These are two additional places where clutter tends to accumulate rapidly.
Begin by taking out all of your clothes and purge items that don't fit, are worn out, or you no longer wear. As a rule of thumb, if you haven’t worn something in a year, it’s likely safe to toss or donate. Repeat this process with other items like shoes and accessories.
Going through this process should cut down on the majority of existing clutter. Then, separate items by season or even color, depending on your preference. Once that's done, put everything away with a system that is sustainable for you when it comes to maintaining a high-traffic area like your closet.
After your closet is clean, work on other areas around your bedroom. Clean off your dresser and nightstand and get rid of clutter, paring things down to just the essentials. If you keep a lot of sentimental items around your bedroom, designate a box, basket, or bin and place it in the closet.
Final Thoughts
Keeping your home neat and tidy may seem like an impossible task, but it can be done by formulating a plan and organizing one room at a time. These tips on how to organize your home will help you create a system that works for you and your family.