5 Things to Organize in Your Home: Get Started Organizing
Cramped closets, problematic pantries, and piles of paper clutter begone!
We know life can get crazy and organizing might be the last thing on your to-do list. But taking the time to tidy up your home can actually simplify daily routines, ease hectic mornings, and even promote better well-being.
We’ve created this list of the 5 most important things to organize to get you started. As a general rule, start with a plan, make sure to declutter and organize your home, set a schedule, and stick to it! After completing these organizing tasks, you’ll be well on your way to a neat, tidy and clutter-free home.
1. Organize the Entryway
An organized entryway will set the tone for the rest of your home. It’s the first thing guests see as they enter, and a space you use every single day. It’s vital that your entryway is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
But, the entryway can easily become a cluttered space with jumbled coats, shoes and more. In order to make this area usable and efficient, declutter any unneeded items and then check out these organizing ideas:
Try storage baskets
In order to organize your entryway and keep it tidy, we suggest using a variety of storage solutions. Consider storage containers for shoes, gloves, hats and more. Keep baskets on shelves, or store them in a closet, drawers or cabinets.
Take advantage of hidden storage
A small cabinet is a great storage solution, especially if you’d like to keep items like keys, sunglasses, umbrellas, etc., out of sight. You can install hooks on the inside of doors to hang keys and other items, and keep drawers tidy with drawer dividers. Your cabinet should also include items you may need while running out the door, like a dog leash, sanitizer, sunglasses and purses.
Use hooks
Hooks are crucial to keep coats and jackets tidy and off the floor! If you have a coat closet near your entryway, consider using identical hangers for a cohesive, neat look. If you don’t have a closet, install hooks on a blank wall appropriate for a variety of items including jackets, backpacks, scarves, keys and more.
Tip: Organize hooks and small items on a peg board.
Store your shoes
It may be tempting to just walk in the door and fling off your shoes. But you don’t want to miss out on these shoe storage ideas! Consider putting shoes on shelves, using storage baskets or even trying an over-the-door shoe rack.
Let your umbrella stand have a moment
Yes, you can hide your umbrella in a cabinet. Or, you can get a stylish, functional umbrella stand. Here are some of the top umbrella stands for your entryway.
2. Tidy up the Food
Whether you’re quite the home chef or you’re on a first-name basis with your favorite Chinese take-out restaurant, your fridge and pantry need to be organized! First, be sure to go through your food items regularly and throw away anything that has expired or is no longer safe to consume. Then try these organization hacks:
Store goods in clear containers
One surefire way to ensure your pantry is organized and tidy is to put everything in clear, airtight containers. Remove all plastic packaging and pour dry goods into matching containers. Be sure to label each container with its contents (you can also include the expiration date), and put like items together. Make sure your containers are stackable to make the most of vertical space.
Use unique organizing solutions
There are a number of great organization solutions made for kitchen items, so be sure to take advantage of them! Consider a space-saving spice rack, tiered shelves, baskets, bins and more. Here are some pantry organizing solutions from The Container Store.
Give your fridge a refresh
Similar to your pantry, swap out food packaging for matching clear containers and baskets. They even make product-specific storage solutions like egg containers, can storage, wine racks and more. Don’t forget to label bins with contents and expiration dates.
Tip: It’s generally accepted as good practice to put meat on the lowest shelf, fruits and veggies in the crisper, condiments in the door, and dairy and eggs on the upper shelves.
3. No More Chaotic Clothes
No idea what to wear? Lost your favorite black T-shirt, again? An organized closet can be the solution to your wardrobe problems! With everything tidy and sorted, it’ll be easier to find the items you’re looking for and put outfits together more quickly.
Before you start organizing your closet, be sure to declutter your clothes. Go through and sort each item into keep, donate and toss piles. You’ll also want to separate items by season, and keep any off-season clothes in self-storage or out of the way. Check out this blog to maximize small closet space, plus we’ve listed some of our favorites below.
Add a second hanging rod
One of the best ways to make the most of your closet space is to add an additional clothing rod. You’ll be able to hang twice the number of clothes, and use otherwise wasted space.
Use boxes and bins
If you have shelf space, use dividers to keep your clothes tidy. You can also use boxes and bins for smaller clothing items and accessories.
Organize your shoes
Don’t forget about your shoes! Avoid a messy pile of shoes at the bottom of your closet by choosing the right storage solution. You can keep shoes in baskets or bins (try to organize by style), or keep your shoes on racks or shelves. Over-the-door organizers are also great space-saving solutions. Give this shoe storage blog a read for even more ideas.
4. Goodbye Paper Clutter
Admit it. When someone says “declutter” or “organize” you secretly hope that they won’t say the paper pile. Almost everyone has a pile (or mountain) of paper clutter that has been accumulating for weeks, months or even years (yikes). But don’t be afraid! We’re here to help you with the daunting task of organizing your paper clutter once and for all.
The first step is to start. Plan on spending a few minutes every day shrinking the pile. Toss any unimportant or unneeded papers, and by “toss” we mean shred! It may seem like overkill, but even junk mail can contain personal information you shouldn’t just put in the trash.
Tip: Here’s more information about shredding your mail.
Once you’ve decided what papers to keep, go ahead and sort them into categories like long-term storage, action needed, etc. Here are a few ways to organize from there:
Get file folders
File folders are great if you don’t have a lot of paperwork. Simply label the folders and put the appropriate documents inside. If you don’t have a filing cabinet (see below), milk crates make a good portable file folder holder.
Use a filing cabinet
If your paper mountain has been collecting for years, and you have many important documents to keep, you may need a filing cabinet. This solution offers a lot more space as well as security. Remember to label all folders and keep documents in the right place.
Declutter every day
Yep, you read that right. In order to prevent your paper clutter from getting that bad ever again, you have to declutter a bit every day! As soon as you get the mail, shred unnecessary papers and store mail in the appropriate folders. You’ll thank us in a year from now when there is no pile at all.
5. Clean out the Bathroom Cabinets
Organize your bathroom cabinets so you’ll never have to search for the facewash or worry about things falling out of the medicine cabinet ever again! Throw away any expired toiletries, cleaning products or medicine (here’s a guide for disposing of unused medicines), and toss anything else you don’t need. Categorize items into sections like cleaning supplies, hair products, makeup, etc., and plan on storing like items together. We’ve created a complete guide to decluttering and organizing the bathroom, but here are some of our top tips for organizing the cabinets:
Try different storage solutions
There are quite a few different storage solutions for your bathroom cabinets, so you can choose the best fit! Consider using shelves, drawers or stackable bins to take advantage of vertical space. Racks and baskets also allow you to maximize your cabinet space.
Get your cleaning supplies together
Cleaning products are usually stored under the bathroom sink. In order to keep these products tidy, put all your cleaning supplies in a caddy, or hang a tension rod in the cabinet for spray bottles. You can also hang hooks or baskets on the inside of cabinet doors for rags, sponges, gloves and more.
Tidy up the medicine cabinet
Organizing your medicine cabinet may seem tricky, but we have a few small space solutions! Consider using magnets or magnetic hooks to store small items on the inside of the cabinet door. You can also put magnetic strips on the door to hold tweezers, bobby pins and other metal items. Use small, clear containers or organizers to help keep items tidy on the shelves.
FAQs: 5 Things to Organize
Q: What should I organize first?
A: Some of the first places you should organize are storage areas like the pantry and closet. These should be decluttered and organized first so there is plenty of room for overflow items after you start decluttering the rest of the house.
Q: What are some habits to stay organized?
A: Stay organized by developing a routine, creating simple and reasonable tasks, keeping a to-do list, and purging/decluttering daily!
Q: What is the first step of organizing?
A: The first step of organizing is to create a plan! Figure out which areas of your home you’d like to declutter and organize, break down spaces into reasonable tasks, and come up with a timeline. (Organizing the things above is a good start!)
Just the Beginning: 5 Things to Organize
Organizing your home may seem overwhelming, but by organizing these 5 things you’re off to a great start!
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