Follow these 17 organization ideas for the home to get clutter under control and make your space feel more peaceful and easier to maintain.
The home is the heart of the family. It can be busy and full of life, which is wonderful, but it can also quickly become disorganized if we aren’t careful. Even in quieter seasons, clutter has a way of creeping in and making your space feel overwhelming. That’s where these home organization tips come in handy.
1. Always Declutter First
Sometimes the biggest thing holding you back is simply the clutter that has piled up on counters, tables, and maybe even on the floor.
Always begin organization with a good session of decluttering.
2. Use the Keep-Donate-Toss Method
When decluttering, use the keep-donate-toss method. Create three piles (or even better, three bags or boxes). One box is for things to keep and organize into their proper homes, one is for things that no longer serve you in this phase of life but can be donated, and the last one is for trash or broken items to toss.
This method will help you organize more effectively for every room of your home, even the garage.
3. Give Everything a “Home.”
When there is not enough functional storage for the items you need, clutter builds up quickly. Consider adding shelving, storage bins, and storage boxes as needed to keep your home looking and feeling more organized.
4. Store Items Where They are Useful
Hiding things away too much can lead to double purchasing or a lot of unnecessary time spent searching. When you create “homes” for your items, be sure they are functional.
Store items in groups and in places that make sense to save time and mental energy.
5. Group Similar Kitchen Items Together
Kitchens can be a large source of disorganization, from the counters to the cupboards. Grouping similar items in bins or drawers can reduce the disorganization and save you a lot of time when looking for things.
6. Have a Storage System for Lids and Tupperware
The biggest source of ongoing disorganization in the kitchen is lids (of pots, pans, cans, and Tupperware) and Tupperware itself. These items can be awkward to store and make a big mess when thrown into a cupboard.
Consider adding lid storage and getting Tupperware that nests. (Find out how to organize your Tupperware).
7. Label Your Pantry
Due to its many uses daily, between cooking, eating, and purchasing more food, the pantry can become disorganized quickly. Take some time to sort it using the keep-donate-toss method. After that, clean the shelves, and place everything remaining back in groups that make sense.
If you label the new homes of your items, they are more likely to stay organized in the future.
8. Clean and Purge the Bathroom Weekly
The bathroom is probably on your weekly cleaning rotation, but if it isn’t, it should be added in. Also, each time that you clean the bathroom, go through the cupboards and drawers and toss anything empty, not useful, or trash.
Things can accumulate quickly, especially in large families, but with a weekly decluttering, they never have time to build up.
9. Try the One In, One Out Principle
If your home is already feeling quite full, it’s time to use the “one in, one out” principle. Every time you bring a new item into the home, find one you can let go of.
With this method in place, excess has a lot harder time accumulating.
10. Store Away Out-of-Season Clothing
If the weather allows it where you live, store away out-of-season clothing for part of the year. This will create less clutter and make your closet easier to manage.
11. Use a Toy Rotation
If you are a family with children, toys become the biggest source of clutter. When the toys have become a bit too much, instead of getting rid of favorites, consider a toy rotation.
Make approximately 3-4 different boxes of toys and only use one at a time. Store the others away in the closet or garage and rotate boxes after a couple of months.
12. Use Cute Bins and Baskets as Appropriate
Adding clever and aesthetic storage solutions for everyday items can make cleaning up simpler and keep things close at hand. Think of cube storage bins for toys and big baskets for blankets.
Be mindful not to add too many storage solutions though, as that sometimes allows clutter to build up even more.
13. Use Drawer Organizers
Drawers have a way of becoming chaotic without a bit of structure. Drawer organizers can be very inexpensive (you can usually even find them at the Dollar Tree) and make a huge impact on organization.
14. Use Vertical Space
If you have a smaller home or not much storage, consider using your vertical space. Add in additional shelving, hangers, etc., to keep things off the floor and in their new homes.
15. Organize the Entryway
When coming home, it is only natural to want to drop off all our belongings right there at the door. With shoes, coats, purses, and more in hand, this can add up to a lot quite quickly.
Having a place for each of these items in or near your entryway makes it easy to organize them right as you enter the door.
16. Make Your Furniture Work Double Time
If your home has more things than it does storage (and they are all things you like or need), consider switching your furniture for pieces that have additional hidden storage space.
There are coffee tables, ottomans, sofas, and even dining room seating with storage compartments inside of them.
17. Always Have a Donation Bag/Basket Going
Once your home is organized, keeping a donation bag or basket going at all times can aid in maintaining organization. When items are no longer wanted or needed (or if you bring new things into the home and are using the one-in and one-out rule), donations will already have a place to go, and there will be no reason for the clutter to accumulate again.
Consider donating the items monthly.
Wrapping Up Organization Ideas for the Home
When our homes shift from peaceful to having too much, it’s time to use these 17 organization ideas.
These tips will help you to remove clutter gently without feeling overwhelming from the whole home. If you continue to use the tips moving forward, clutter will have trouble accumulating again.
Related Organization Articles:
- 7 Space Saving Kitchen Cabinet Organizers
- How to Organize Your Pantry
- Small Appliance Organization Ideas
- How to Organize Your Fridge
- 18 Must Have Home Organization Tools
