Clutter is the well-known enemy of many homes. As much as you try, keeping all your items in the right place can be challenging, especially when busy with your work, family and social needs. A messy home can add to your everyday stress without realizing it, taking a toll on your mental health.
Thankfully, you can improve your home’s state without throwing everything away. Here are 10 organization tips to take your home from surviving to thriving.
1. Practice File Folding
Searching your clothing to find the right outfit can get frustrating, especially when the items you want to get are under other clothes.
By organizing your folded items vertically, you can easily see your shirts, blankets and pants without digging through your drawers. You can use this method on any fabric item to preserve space and make your life easier.
2. Use Clear Containers
Totes are a fantastic organizing resource. You can label them and put different items inside. However, solid-colored containers make it easy to forget what’s inside. Even when you mark them by category, it can be hard to remember all the items within.
Clear totes and containers can make it easier to see what items are in each without opening them. This tip is especially useful for bins of holiday decorations that you might only access one season a year.
3. Use Colors to Organize
If you have kids, you likely find items from different rooms far from where they belong. Carrying things around your home can lead to you not seeing them when you need them most.
You can easily put things away as you see them by color-coding your items by room or category. Choose a color for each room to easily inventory items like tools or important documents and each person’s belongings. Having an easy identification system can help you avoid stress and arguments.
4. Use “One In, One Out”
The “one in, one out” method means you do not bring something new into your home without removing something else.
Your home only has so much capacity, and overfilling it can make it harder to enjoy. The rule doesn’t apply if you need something for your health or well-being but things you want to get that you already have. If you’re getting a tank top, donate one you haven’t worn in a while. Upgrading your mixture, get rid of your old one first. Avoiding excessive items makes it easier to clean and organize your home.
5. Get Cord-Keepers
Power cords and chargers are vital for electronics and appliances. They can also take up precious wall, counter and floor space, becoming a tangled mess.
Cord Keepers are clips that secure your cords together in neat lines to prevent tangles. Many can adhere to a wall or desk, freeing up your space. They are great for making your home less visually cluttered and letting your cords around without untangling them.
6. Separate Items With Drawer Organizers
Almost anyone with underwear or a sock drawer can testify to the pain of digging to the bottom to find the item they want. Consider drawer organizers if you are constantly losing socks or your drawers look like a mini tornado came through them.
The handy compartments can give you all your options at a glance, saving you time sorting through the drawer daily.
7. Trade Flimsy Bags for Solid Containers
Large bags commonly hold the messiest items, whether pet food or rock salt. The problem is that as you empty them, the bags become flimsier, and they start to spill out their contents.
You can resolve these problems by transferring your flimsy bags into solid containers. Get a scoop to take out the amount you need each time.
8. Double Up on Hangers
It is easy to clutter a small closet, but you can free up space and organize your family’s clothes by using interlocking hangers.
Often called “waterfall” hangers, you can purchase specialized versions or create them by adding hooks to your current ones. Use the system to create outfits or pair different colors and seasons together.
9. Transform Your Entryway
The “dump zone” of your home is likely the entryway. Purses, keys, backpacks and shopping bags can end up in a pile by your door. As much as you try to prevent it, it is a hard habit to break, especially after a long day.
You can transform your entryway into a functional space by adding hooks, cubbies and storage benches to hang your jackets and put purses or backpacks out of the way.
10. Organize With Magnets
Magnets are an underrated organization too. You only need magnetic tape and a metal surface to stick your products on a wall or cabinet door. Doing so keeps them organized and helps you free up drawer space.
Consider using magnets on your makeup products or favorite accessories. You can also put them on office supplies to prevent your pens and notes from disappearing.
Keep Your Home Organized
By taking small steps, you can keep your home organized. With fewer messes, you can have less stress and always find what you need.