Getting organized is hard. But it's nice to know where your shoes went or where you put your car keys. Stay organized and reduce your stress by trying out a few organizing tips. From your bedroom to your car, find out a few tricks every homeowner needs to conquer clutter.
Best Organization Hacks for Your Home
Dealing with a lot of clutter in your home? You aren't the only one. Kick your clutter to the curb with a few handy organizing tips.
- Put things away immediately. Rather than leaving a charger or keys sitting, make it a habit to always put them away.
- Consider where a new item might fit in your home before buying it. It can also be helpful to get rid of one item for every new item that comes in.
- Make sure every item in your home has a space. If it doesn't, make it one.
- Look for unused space and figure out how you can use it effectively. For example, add a coat rack to the back of a door.
- Consider putting shelves above doors and windows to make use of empty wall space.
- Hang pots and pans to give yourself more cabinet and drawer space.
- Use a shoe hanger on your bathroom door to organize all your hair tools and brushes.
- Take lazy Susans and put them all over your home for organization. For example, they work great to organize condiments in refrigerator.
- Stick a magnet on the back of a bathroom cabinet door. It easily holds nail clippers, tweezers, and other small metal objects.
- Use chore organizers to ensure your whole family is on the same page with cleaning.
- Keep a donation box readily available to fill as needed.
- Emotionally detach from items you don't use so they don't cause clutter. Designate one container for special items with no use.
- Purge broken items.
- Organize under your sink to make finding what you need simple.
- Try organizing your pantry by food type or category with transparent jars.
- Use mason jars or clear containers to keep items in the fridge organized.
Quick Organization Tips for Small Spaces
You've got a lot of small spaces around your home. They can get cluttered fast. Don't get overwhelmed. You can try a few of these tips instead to keep your sanity.
Drawers
Drawers can easily become a nightmare. However, there are a few hacks to make sure you can clear counter space and always find what you need.
- Declutter and purge your drawers often.
- Designate a spot for everything with a clear label.
- Store silverware at an angle to get more in less space.
- Keep your drawers looking clean with dividers.
- Stack similar items together in large drawers. For example, stacking Tupperware with lids.
- Put things you use often in the front of the drawer.
- Use wooden pegs or small bins to keep things organized in deep drawers.
Cabinets
Are your cabinets in need of a little love? Whose aren't, really? These tips can get you started on the road to clean.
- Hang spray bottles in cabinets with a small rod. Then, they don't take up your floor/shelf space.
- Use the back of cabinet doors to your advantage. Add organizers and holders to store measuring cups or trash bags.
- Try color coordinating your linens or utensils to create a more organized cabinet look.
- Use vertical shelves in cabinets for long items like cookie sheets and technology.
- Add drawers or pull-out shelving to deep-set cabinets to make everything within arm's reach.
- Cabinet space can be short. Try storing bulky items above your cabinets or on shelves to free up your cabinets.
- Turn your cutting boards and cutlery into wall art.
- Utilize the space on the sides of cabinets for storage by adding wall hooks.
- Place the tallest items first so they are easier to see.
Bedroom & Linen Closets
Closets can be a hard area to tackle. But that doesn't mean they are impossible. Learn a few hacks for how to organize closets. You'll even get tips on the best ways to organize clothes.
- Tier hangers to create more room in your closet.
- Store seasonal stuff on a high shelf to keep it out of the way.
- Make all items visible and accessible with clear containers and bags.
- Consider vacuum sealing to create more space.
- Hang jeans by the belt loop.
- Group bulky items like purses and bags on shelves.
- Organize shoes by style.
- Put a dresser below hanging items in a closet to open space and be more organized.
- Divide areas to create sections for each specific item in your closet like shoes, coats, dresses, etc.
- Make use of wall space to hang belts, hats, scarves, etc.
- Store bedding sets together by folding and placing everything within a pillowcase.
- Use baskets with labels to separate loose items like toiletries.
- Organize everything in your linen closet from top to bottom. Make items you need often, like sheets and towels, easy to access.
- Fold everything neatly within your closet to save space.
- Check towels and linens often and replace them as needed.
- Try organizing your linen space by person. Storing each person's items in a basket makes finding them easy.
Easy Organizing Tips for Bedroom
Whether you need a bit more room in your master bedroom or are looking to organize a small room, try out these hacks. They are sure to help you coordinate your clutter.
- Store large or bulky items under a bed or consider adding under-bed drawers to make use of the space.
- Use file folding for shirts and pants to make them easy to access in a drawer.
- Put pillows and other large loose items in baskets.
- Get a nightstand that can double as storage for small items.
- Use a fold-down desk to create more space.
- Have a place for dirty clothes and trash.
- Utilize a jewelry organizer.
- Use wall hooks to hang everyday items like bathrobes in easy-to-access areas.
- Try floating shelves and corner shelves to get more out of your wall space.
- Evaluate stuff and maximize your space frequently.
Keep Your Office Organized
Offices can quickly get overwhelming. This is especially true if they are small. So, you might want to give these tips a try to declutter your home office.
- Go digital with your financials.
- Keep hard copies in files in a lockbox.
- Use an inbox in your office for any mail or other important papers to file them later.
- Keep your desk clean.
- Build a pegboard wall to organize stuff in baskets and floating shelves.
- Shred old or unimportant papers.
- Use stackable trays to keep your desk clear of clutter.
- Have a dry erase board on your desk for important notes to eliminate sticky notes.
- Invest in a tote organizer to take everything with you when needed.
- Turn a wall into a chalkboard calendar to keep everything straight and leave notes.
Car Organization Hacks to Try
Clutter and cars are best friends. It doesn't have to be that way though. Give these tricks a go on your next road trip.
- Put cupcake liners in cup holders to keep them clean and pull everything out easily.
- Try a remote hold on the sides of seats to hold kids' stuff.
- Put a clear organizer on the back of seats to hold tablets and phones.
- Keep loose change in a plastic gum container.
- Use clips on the metal headrest to hold purses.
- Keep small cleaning caddies to double as a fast-food holder.
- Organize registration, insurance, and paperwork in small binders that fit in the glove compartment.
- Use a plastic cereal container to as a garbage can.
- Keep spot cleaner and wipes in the door compartment to handle small spills.
Tips to Organize Your Laundry Room
The laundry room is an area you spend a lot of time in, whether you want to or not. Make everything you need easy to find to help save a bit of time.
- Put a thin shelf between the washer and dry for soaps, cleaners, and more.
- Hang a basket on the wall for lint removal to save floor space.
- Use metal shelving for hanging clothing to dry and holding bulky items.
- Attach the ironing board to the wall.
- Use a door shelf to hold lint brushes, spot cleaners, etc.
- Use a dry eraser marker to leave yourself notes on the washer and dryer about load.
- Have clear canisters on hand to hold dryer sheets, pods, etc.
- Mount a drying rack to the wall.
- Store brooms, dustpans, and mops on hooks behind the door.
- Have a lost sock jar to find mates.
- Use a shelf as a folding table.
Organization Tips for Garage
A garage is a big space with a lot of storage area. It's also a dumping ground for a lot of your seasonal stuff or things you just don't have space for. Keep it looking clean and organized.
- Organize one area of your garage at a time.
- Make use of the ceiling for adding shelves and hooks.
- Go vertical and use all the available wall space for storage.
- Try installing a track system for oddly-shaped equipment.
- Install metal shelving units.
- Rather than one big toolbox, make small tackle boxes into tool kits for specific jobs.
- Store lawn items near the door where they are easy to access.
- Create a workspace.
- Label all your containers with a dry erase marker.
- Keep everyday items on middle shelves.
Time Management Tips
Part of organizing your life is time management. From organizing your computer to managing cleaning schedules, having a plan makes things run smoother.
- Carve out 15-20 minutes a day to keep things organized.
- Have everyone contribute to organization.
- Make schedules for cleaning and organization clearly visible to all family.
- Routinely evaluate your stuff and do a purge.
- Set goals and prioritize tasks for organizing.
- Plan to organize specific spaces daily and weekly.
- Choose one area to organize at a time.
- Organize your items by season to create a yearly schedule.
- Consistently straighten visible areas of clutter like desks, countertops, and tables.
- Don't forget to take breaks to recharge.
- Make lists of what you have and evaluate it often.
- Don't put off tasks.
Organizing Tips for All Areas of Your Life
Keeping your home and life organized is important. It can make cleaning easier and keep stress at bay. Try out these tips and tricks to keep your home running like a well-oiled machine.