10 Tips to Stay Organized in Your Home
Home Organization Tips
I don't know about you, but I can't stand to look at a mess or not be able to find things when you need them. To me, organization is a must! Some might say I am a little OCD, but I just think I am organized and like things done a certain way.
There are quite a few different things I do throughout the home to stay organized. I am going to share 10 tips on how to stay organized in your home. Maybe you are already using some of these ideas yourself or you may be using slight variations. Hopefully you will find something here to help you feel more organized and to keep your house neat and tidy.
The actual process of getting organized may seem a little overwhelming, but once you get the hang of it and get the process started it really does make life a whole lot easier.
All pictures contained on this page are my own personal images unless noted otherwise.
Organize Your Bathroom
1. Organize with Baskets
A great way to organize in your bathroom is with decorative baskets. I use baskets in my bathroom for things that I use frequently such as hair brushes, my blow dryer, and curling iron. This basket sits in the corner of my counter for easy access and convenience. I purchased the fabric covered basket, seen here, at Target for less than $10.
I also use baskets in my small downstairs bathroom for wash clothes. I purchased wash clothes to match the colors my bathroom is decorated in. I roll the wash clothes and stand them on end in the basket. This provides guests with access to a wash cloth if needed, but also provides a nice decorative look when they are not being used.
Baskets are available in a variety of colors, sizes, and styles. You are sure to find one that fits your style and your purpose. Baskets are not only great for in the bathroom, but also can be used in other places around the house, such as a living room to hold magazines.
Storage Baskets
2. Storage Containers
Storage containers can be great for the bathroom. Rather than keeping boxes of Q-tips and bags of things like cotton balls, use a storage container instead. The one I used as three divided compartments to keep everything neatly in its place. The container can be placed on the counter if storing items you use frequently or under the sink or in a drawer if you prefer to keep the items hidden. The storage option I chose has a sliding, removable lid. I also stored individual dental floss in mine, so I used the lid to cover this to keep dust, hair, etc. out of it.
Divided Storage & Storage Containers
3. Organize Your Bathroom Drawers
Tired of opening your bathroom drawers to a mess of things thrown in a drawer, rolling all around in a jumbled mess? Divided storage for your drawers is a great solution!
Use drawer dividers for hair supplies, make-up, nail polish, and much more. You can buy individual dividers sold as a set that clip together or can be stored separately. You can also buy a storage divider like the one here, that is one unit with various size compartments. It is so much nicer to open a drawer and to be able to see what you need neatly tucked away rather than waste your time sifting to a disaster that is better known as your bathroom drawer.
Are You Organized?
Do You Currently Utilize Any Type of Organization System in Your Home?
Organize Your Closet
4. Organize Your Clothes
Closet organization is a must! Color coordinating your clothes might sound silly to some, but it is a huge time saver. I divide my clothes by not only color, but also by type. So, I separate my tank tops, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and pants. I then organize them by color. Once divided, hang the clothes in your closet with the same type of clothes together coordinated by color and then move on to the next type of clothes divided by color.
Once organized, finding clothes to wear is so much easier. You will know exactly where to look in your closet for the type of item you are looking for and you can easily distinguish the different color choices available. No more rummaging through your closet, not only wasting time, but making a huge mess in the process!
5. Organize Your Shoes
Nothing is worse than walking into you closet to a pile of shoes! It not only looks messy, but it is hard to find a matching pair and your shoes may get smashed or dirty from being thrown in the pile. There are several options to organize your shoes...
You might choose a shoe rack, like I have. This allows for your shoes to be stored together, off of the floor, and mess free. The shoes can be easily seen and are right at your fingertips.
Another alternative is a hanging shoe rack that can go over the back of a door or hang from your closet. The hanging storage typically has either pockets or divided compartments to house your shoes. Another alternative is shoe boxes or clear storage containers. You can store one pair per box. So you know what is inside, you can take a picture of your shoes and place it on the outside to make it easy to find the shoes you want later. This option is great, but may take up more space depending on how many pairs of shoes you own.
Shoe Organization
6. Hanging Organization for Your Closet
Hanging storage can be great when you have limited space for storage or if you have some items you just can't quite decide where to put. Hanging storage can be used for a number of different things. It can be used for things like shoes or clothes. It can also be used for miscellaneous items like scarves, hats, etc.
I use the hanging storage option in my sons room. He has a lot of things that are awkward to fold or store, and he doesn't have a ton of clothes being that he is a boy, so there is plenty of room to hang the unit from his closet. I use one shelf for his baseball hats, one for his wrestling singlets and headgear, another for his baseball belts (who knew you could have so many baseball belts), and the smaller bottom dividers are used for his shoes.
I also use hanging storage in my boyfriend's daughter's rooms for their flip flops, which they have in every color imaginable. I have two types for their shoes. One that is the same size as the one seen here, but with the smaller divided compartments all the way up. I also have a version that is just the width of one of the smaller compartments seen at the bottom, but the same length.
Hanging storage can be found in various colors and can be found with various size compartments. They can be easily found online, at local big box retailers, or home stores.
Hanging Storage Options
7. Storage Boxes
Storage boxes are great for lots of things. You can use them to store photographs, keepsakes, craft supplies, and more. I use them in my house to store photos and scrapbook materials such as stickers and die-cuts. I also use them in the kid's rooms for some of their keepsakes or items that are important to them, such as birthday and Christmas cards, wrestling medals and ribbons, etc.
Storage boxes can be found at big box retailers, home stores like Bed, Bath, and Beyond, craft stores, and online. They are usually less than $10 for the smaller size photo boxes, unless you purchase a higher end box covered in fabric. The colors and patterns available are extensive. If you prefer not to spend money on storage boxes, you can also use old shoe boxes. It works just as well, it just might not be as nice to look at.
Storage boxes are great because they stack easily and can be put somewhere where they are out for display or put on a bookshelf, the top of a closet, or even under a bed.
Organize Your Media
8. Media Tower
Media towers have been a lifesaver for me. My son has a ridiculous number of video games, and the one thing I cannot stand is to walk into his room and see a pile of video games on the floor. For that reason, I purchased two media towers, one for each side of his T.V., to hold all of his video games. Now don't get me wrong, he is a kid, and a teenager at that, so video games do still end up piled on the floor, but the majority of the games do stay stacked neatly on the shelves.
Media towers can be great not only for video games, but also VHS (wow, do people still have those...I do), DVD's, CD's, and more. Most media towers have adjustable shelves to fit the size of the item you are trying to store. The shelves are easily adjustable. They can usually be adjusted by just removing four pins and repositioning them at the height needed. The number `of items you can store will vary based upon the size tower you purchase and the type of item you are storing.
Media towers are available in a variety of materials such as wood or metal and also in a number of colors and styles. You are sure to find one that will fit your existing decor or style and the type of items you need to store.
Media Tower
Organize Your Kitchen
9. Keep Your Spices in Order
When I am cooking, I don't want to be looking all over the place for the items I need. For this reason, I alphabetize my spices. I use the first shelf in a cabinet that is located right next to my stove for easy access. I then alphabetize the spices, so I know right where to look. I know this sounds a little over-the-top, but believe me, it is a time saver.
There are actually many options available for keeping your spices in order. There are on-the-counter spice racks available. If you are remodeling a kitchen you might look for a pullout spice rack that is part of the cabinetry next to the stove. You can also find spice organizers to hang on the back of a cabinet door or a wall, and also ones that fit in a drawer to keep all of your spices neat and organized.
If you prefer not to alphabetize your spices, you can also group them bytypes that are used more frequently or some other variation to fit your needs. The important thing is to make what you need easy to find and to keep it neat.
10. Make Sure You Know What You Have
It is always important to know what food you have on hand for a number of reasons. So that I know what I have on hand, I organize my food by food type and I make sure that all of the labels of the items are always facing forward. I group canned foods together and boxed foods like macaroni and cheese and rice together. I also keep things such as snack items and cereal together. Not only does it make it easier to find the food you are looking for, but by knowing what you have, you make sure that you do not run of items you may need or like to have on hand.
Keeping organized can also save you money. If you stay organized you can easily scan your shelves prior to your next grocery shopping trip. If you can see what you have, you prevent buying more of an item that you don't need. It also keeps you from buying things that will end up going bad before you can use them and ultimately end up being thrown out.
Additional Organization Tips
* Use labels. Labels are a great way to make it easy to find things later on, especially when storing things in plastic drawers, bins, or containers. I have a relatively cheap label maker that I have had for years. It works great and keeps everything neatly labeled.
* Use large plastic storage bins to organize and store your holiday decorations. This will not only keep all of your decorations in one easy to find place, but it will also keep them safe and nice for the next year.
Label Maker
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