Why having an organized home is important.
People commonly don’t consider organizing as a high-priority task. Making the effort to be organized is truly helpful. It is beneficial for finding things. You can find what you need and can save time.
When you’re organized, you can differentiate between what items need to be discarded. It also ensures the safety of your items. In the long run, organizing your home will save you time, money, and stress.
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How to declutter your home
Decluttering your home can be done in stages, not all at once. Take one room or task at a time.
Get rid of all the old storage containers in the room. Throw away any broken containers. If you have lost the tops to containers, throw them away. Clean your drawers, containers, shelves, and floors before organizing.
Kitchen Tips and Organization Items
Store Items in Zones
Group items in your kitchen
Group items in your kitchen by function. In your cooking space, have your pans near the stove or oven.
You can use a rack for pans or simply place hooks on a bank space near your stove. Place cooking utensils in a drawer closest to where you cook.
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Place your spices and seasons near your cooking area.
Keeping Food Fresh
Image by Taryn Elliot
Do you have a problem with keeping perishables fresh? Do you notice how items such as crackers keep getting broken? To stop your food from going bad, store them in storage jars or containers. Make sure the containers you choose are airtight. That way your food lasts longer. Make sure that it is a see-through item. That way you can see when you are running out of food.
By also placing these items in containers and jars you are also allowing you to have more space in your kitchen. Clean your jars and containers before placing your food in them.
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Clean Your Shelves.
Make sure to clean the shelves before placing your containers on the shelves.
How to use awkward spaces
Gas Range in Kitchen by coreals
Do you have a space in your kitchen that is hard to access? Use a lazy Susan in that corner. Place items that you use daily on the lazy Suzy. Like your spices, sugar, or condiments. A small rack would be useful in a corner as well.
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Refrigerator
How to organize your refrigerator
Your top shelf and door are the warmest places in your refrigerator. The middle and bottom are the coldest. Place dairy products on the top shelf. Place meat products in the middle. Put your condiments in the door. Store vegetables and fruit in the middle.
Make sure you store your perishables front and center. You won’t forget to use them if you can see the items.
Separate your fruits and vegetables to prevent them from spoiling faster. You can place each item in individual containers.
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Protect your refrigerator from spillage by placing refrigerator mats under things that can leak. Such as any meat you place in the fridge.
Containers
Get rid of mismatched container lids or containers that don’t have lids.
You can place all your lids on a rack like this.
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Cabinets
If you don’t have a large walk-in pantry, make use of your cabinet space. Have a designated spot for your dry goods and snacks. You can also use racks to hang on the cabinet door.
Dishes
Sort your dishes. Put all of the dishes you use day to day on the lower shelf. The upper shelves can be for your fancy dishes, which you use for special occasions or holidays.
Use your lower cabinet space to store large appliances that you don't use a lot. Like your mixers or an ice cream machine.
Drawers
To keep your drawer from becoming junky, get a drawer organizer. That way you can put every utensil in a safe space.
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Wall Space
Place hooks on the wall to hang items on. You can hang your aprons, pots, or pans on the hooks.
Dining Room
Place cabinetry that complements the furniture in your dining room. You can place your dishes and holiday table decor in the storage cabinet.
A side table would also be useful if you don't have room for your cutlery. You can also use it for a junk drawer for mail.
Your Office
Section your office in three areas. Then you have your work center. That would be the space where you would work. The second your reference area. The reference area would be where you place your manuals, dictionaries, and reference books. The third space is your supply area.
Desktop or work area
Only place items you need daily on your desktop. To get things organized use a desktop organizer to keep things in their proper place.
You can also use space under your desk for things you use a lot. If that is too much of a hassle a small cart beside your desk would also allow you to have the things you need close by. If you use your printer or scanner a lot, keep it near your desk.
Reference area
The reference area should be out of the way but easy to access.
These would be your books, files, folders and other items that you only need occasionally.
Mail Storage
I know mail tends to collect in the living room. But make a space for your mail here. You will have important documents and bills in a safer area. If you still tend to allow mail to clutter up your living room, place a basket for all documents you may need later. If there is anything you want to keep, you can store it in a locked safe in your office.
The items you should keep are your tax returns, insurance policies, birth certificates, account and loan information. Label these items and lock them away.
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Supply area
This is the area you use for storing your supplies. Supplies are your writing paper, extra notebooks, new sticky notes, and other office items you will use over time. This zone should be away from your desk. The best place for this area is near a blank wall.
Get rid of any old, damaged, or useless item you have used. Use what you have before you buy anything else.
Wall Storage
Mounted wall storage is a good thing to have in your office. This can be where you store your supplies.
Hallway closet
Do you have old baskets you don't use? How about a container? You can use these items to store your towels or linens in these containers.
Don't want to use your hallway closet for linen, use it for something else.
If your closet does not have shelves, you can also use this place to place your mops, buckets, and other cleaning items.
Or you can use this space to put your hats, coats, and umbrellas in. Just have hangers for coats. Place the smaller coats on one side. The other side is for larger coats. Put bags, purses, and book bags on hooks.
Place shoes and boots on the floor.
Make sure everything is clean before placing them in the closet.
Your Living Room or Den
Ottomans are a great way to store items such as throws, magazines, or remotes. This would keep your living room or den from being cluttered. They can function also as a space to sit on. Some are smaller and you can use them as a footrest.
Side table
A small side table can be where placing your mail. Place the mail either in your drawer or you can you this.
Your entryway
Get hooks to place your coats and umbrella on. You can also place your bookbags and purses on it. It is a simple and inexpressive way to store items. It also allows your space to be less cluttered.
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You can also place your small umbrellas in a basket on the floor.
Wait until items are dry or clean, then place them in the basket.
If you place your shoes at the entryway, you may need shoe storage. That way you keep your shoes by their but keep out of your way.
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If you have a large entryway. You could use a storage bench. You can use the bench to keep extra linen items. If you have kids that are in sports you can keep their items in there. Clean in before putting in the bench.
Your Bathroom
If you don't have a large vanity or bathroom closet, you can use more storage. For the small bathroom get a tall cabinet to place toiletries and cleaning products.
For those with a large vanity, put your cleaning products under the sink. Get a bin or shower caddy and place your cleaning products in it.
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Use wall space for shower items. Use this hanging hook to place your items in. You can also use over the door storage for your towels.
Wooden hanger with towels and bathroom products by Karolina Grabowka
Place adhesive hooks on walls or the back for your door to hang your bathrobe towel.
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Purge hygiene products regularly.
Do you possess a collection of shampoos that are older than two years? It’s time to do away with it. Most products shelf life is 10 months.
Put your remaining hair care products into a plastic tube.
Throw away outdated makeup. If you use old makeup, you can get a bacterial infection.
Put whatever remains into a makeup container.
Keep cotton swabs, tips, and pads in separate containers. That way you can keep up with these items and they would be clean.
Store your backup supplies in a different location.
The extra toiletries, first aid kit, etc. place them in your linen closet. You can put them in flat containers will make it easy to stack.
Your Bedroom
Get rid of clutter in your room. Anything you have not used in six months to a year, get rid of it. Don’t try to do it in one day. You will feel overwhelmed if you choose to do it in one day. Do one small area. Once you complete it, you are done for the day.
Before getting started, ask yourself these questions: Is it functional? Is it in good condition? Does it look good? If the answer is no to any of those questions, get rid of it.
Your Closet
Before taking everything out of your closet, think about how you want everything to be arranged. Think about where you want your accessories, clothing, and shoes to be placed. Have the containers, hooks, or other things you may need to organize your closet.
Then take everything out of your closet. Get rid of what is old, broken, or what you can't use anymore.
Accessories
Place bags and wallets on your shelves. If you don’t have enough room for those items, get hooks and place them on the inside of your closet. That way you can hang those bags, hats, scarves, or wallets there. Belts can also hang on some of those hooks.
Over-the-door racks are good for other accessories you may not have room for in your closet.
Fold and stack.
For your t-shirts and sweaters, you can fold and stack them on your shelves.
Dresser
use your dresser for smaller items. such as undershirts, underwear, and socks.
Use space under your bed.
If there are some things you have but don't have room for it, you can store it under your bed. You can place plastic bins or this cloth storage. You can place your shoes or extra blankets in these containers.
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Get rid of the items on your nightstand.
Do you have a cluttered nightstand? Get rid of your clutter. Get rid of the items you don’t need in the middle of the night. Place those items in a space drawer on your nightstand.
Keep things you immediately need when waking up, such as your glasses place in a neat box or caddy. Place the caddy on your nightstand. You could also get this beside caddy.
End of the bed storage
Have an ottoman or chest that you don’t use. Use it as storage. Place your larger items such as blankets, comforters, sheets, or other linen. You could also place clothing that is not in season in this space. Use the end-of-bed storage for whatever you don’t have room for in your closet.
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Your wall
Have a few items you want to keep in your room but have no place to store them? Adding a few simple shelves in your bedroom would allow you to have more space.
Laundry Room
Use wall-mounted storage to keep mops and brooms organized. Sometimes Command hooks may be all you need.
If you have cabinets, make use of it. Store laundry items in it such as your detergent, starch, and other items in your cabinets. Keep the items you use the most on the lower shelf. When storing things in lower cabinets, make sure you use a child-proof look. This advice is for people who have pets or children at home.
Don’t have a lot of cabinet space? Use small carts to store your detergent and other laundry products.
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For Small Laundry Spaces
For those who have a small laundry area
Place your detergents on the shelf. If your u still doesn't have room think about placing an over-the-door shelf to store small items, like laundry pods or dryer sheets.
Garage or Barn
Storage rack is useful for anyone with a lot of tools in their garage.
If your garage is not large or if you don't have room use the stacking cubes instead. These cubes you can secure, roll, and stack.
For your yard tools, this rack would be perfect. You could also use this rack if you prefer storing items on the wall. There are nine hooks. You can place your brooms, rakes, spades, or whatever you use. This rack can hold up to 600 pounds. It won't chip or rust. The rack is waterproof. You can move the hooks once you attach them to the rail.
Small Items need small storage.
Place small nails or bits, in this box. That way you can store them and don't have to worry about them being loose.
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Conclusion
Pick a room you can get done in a day. Pick a time when you can focus on getting one room done. If you need help from somebody, ask. Remember it took time to accumulate clutter, it will take time to organize. Take your time and do what you can.
