How to Organize Your Home
It’s all about how to organize your home today. Do you feel like you’re living in a home full of clutter? It’s hard to enjoy spending time at home when you have a mess everywhere. You may have struggled to keep up with organizational tasks to keep your home in good condition. Sometimes it seems a little overwhelming, but if we take it a room at a time it becomes much easier to deal with.
While it’s hard to come home to a house full of clutter, the good news is that you can take steps to organize it and get it back to looking its best. It’s going to take some effort and time, but when you finish organizing, and your house looks a lot better, you’ll be glad that you took the proper steps to get the job done.
In case you missed this post, How to Declutter Your Home or this one, 15 Ways to Clean Your Home with Borax, or this one, How To Clean Your House And Stay Healthy
When my granddaughter lived with us while she attended school in Southern Utah, she and I watched the Netflix series, “Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. We watched it one whole day, and the next day until we watched the entire series. You have to watch it with an open mind because some of the things are not what you and I would do, but it does open your eyes to clutter and how to deal with it.
The movie series made me think about how much “stuff” we have and probably do not need. The more I watched it, the more I let go of “stuff,” and it felt great. I started to watch another type of clutter-free series, I think it was called “The Home Edit.”
That series was more about the owners and buying stuff and it quickly turned me off. Marie Kondo teaches you how to make do with what you have, but also to let go of stuff of all kinds.
How to Organize Your Home
Use Storage Shelving
Before getting started, consider purchasing storage shelves that you can place in different parts of the home. These shelving units can come in handy in the kitchen, basement, garage, and even the laundry room.
The shelf above is one of six that I have in my garage. I bought them from Costco. The ones on Costco.com are more heavy-duty than the ones in their stores. I opted for the ones with wheels in case I had to move them. These are the ones: TRINITY EcoStorage 6-Tier Wire Shelving Rack, 48″ x 18″ x 72″ NSF, Includes Wheels
You can use storage shelving to keep things organized, including the snacks you’ll have available for your children to grab and eat, the laundry products you’ll use when washing clothes, and any items you plan on stockpiling and holding onto in the basement. These units can help you save space and stay organized to eliminate a lot of the frustration in your life.
Not sure where to find these shelves? Not a problem! You can order them online. You may find several durable, high-quality options on Amazon, along with Wal-Mart and Target. If not, you can check your local Aldi supermarket. They will occasionally have these durable storage shelves that you can conveniently fit just about anywhere.
Get Rid of the Clutter
Focus on getting rid of the clutter. What can you get rid of that you don’t need? If you have items in your home that are taking up a lot of space and you have no use for them, it’s time to get rid of them. It doesn’t mean you need to toss valuable items in the trash. Instead, consider packing what you don’t need and donating it to homeless shelters and other less fortunate people. There are plenty of people who could make use of the items you’re not using in your home. It’s one of the simplest ways to get rid of clutter.
If you don’t plan on donating, you can have a garage sale/yard sale to start selling items you don’t need that are taking up too much space in your home. The goal is to get rid of things to eliminate the clutter and have plenty of room throughout your property.
These are my favorite containers, MDesigns Containers Each Measures 5.75″ x 16″ x 5″ high
The picture below is in my kitchen. I bought the sliding racks at Lowe’s and the white baskets from Walmart. I installed them myself years ago, now you know how organized I am. It’s just me. Everything has a place.
Go Through One Room at a Time
The idea of going through everything at once likely has you feeling overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done. Try to make organizing the home a lot less complicated by taking care of one room at a time. Depending on how much time you have available to dedicate to get through everything, you can create a schedule to start working on one room per day or every other day.
Start with the room that you spend the most time in, such as your living room. You can remove the clutter, wipe things down, and use organizational bins to keep things in order. Once you’ve completed one room, move on to the next the following day, such as the kitchen or bathroom. You’ll quickly start to feel a sense of accomplishment each time you finish cleaning one room. It gives you the motivation needed to continue with the organizational duties that will get your home back to looking its best in no time.
Go Through Drawers and Cabinets Last
Focus on what you can see first, and then make your way over to the drawers and cabinets that need to get organized. You’ll feel more motivated to get to those things after taking the time to organize other areas that are much more noticeable. First, open the drawers and check for anything you’re no longer using that you can toss in the trash or donate. Next, remove the items you plan on keeping so that you can give these drawers and cabinets a good wipe down.
Finally, figure out how you’re going to organize the different things before you put them back in the correct spots. If you take the extra time to do this while cleaning and organizing, you’ll have an easier time finding what you need later.
The picture above is what’s left of the stuff I took out of two filing cabinets. I narrowed what I would save to this small amount. It’s so freeing to let go of old receipts of large purchases that are out of warranty now. It’s important to me to declutter and live with less. A lot less.
Please look for a good paper shredder to get rid of documents you no longer need to keep. It makes sense to shred those confidential documents rather than just throwing them in the trash. Mark has spent the past few days shredding old bank statements, tax returns, and files relating to work he completed years ago. We’ve filled our large garbage bin with bags full of shredded materials. Tomorrow the recycle truck comes by and we’ll say goodby to a bunch of sensitive information papers. Paper Shredder
Put Things Back When You Finish Using Them
Many people have the bad habit of setting something down when they’re done using it without putting it back in the spot where it belongs. Try to get yourself out of this bad habit if it’s something you often do at home. The problem with this is that when you put something out of place and continue to do that with other items, it’s easy to create more clutter around the home. You end up with a mess that you’ll need to fix all over again.
I realize that it may be a challenge to get other family members to follow your lead. Make a game out of it or offer some incentives when the job is done so that your kids, or even your spouse, catch your vision of how great things can be once your home is clutter-free.
So, the next time you use the flat iron, the box of tissues, or anything else for that matter, put it back where you got it from. Once you get in the habit of putting items back when you no longer need them, it’s something that sticks. If you have children at home, be sure to encourage them to do the same with their toys, books, and other items.
Final Word
Organizing the home might seem challenging when you have multiple rooms that could use some significant help. However, if you’re willing to work in one room at a time and put forth the effort to get the job done, you can end up with a home that looks clean and organized in no time.
First, focus on getting rid of the clutter before anything else. Once you’ve taken care of the chaos, it’s time to start organizing items in the right places while using organizer baskets and storage shelves to help you save space.
You’ll see the difference these steps can make in your home, leaving you with a mess-free property. If you have other ideas that have worked for you in your home, please let me know so we can pass them on to my other readers. May God Bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Clothes in a pile Depositphotos_99534954_s-2019, Drawers with Kitchenware Depositphotos_203784540_s-2019
I like this Linda! I’m organized too. Maybe not as neatly as you are, but I have a place for everything. Husband and I moved into our present home 7 years ago and we really got rid of things before the move. It was freeing to not have things we no longer used or cared about. We had a couple of big garage sales and made over $2K from them so that was another big plus.
Hi Paula, oh my gosh, $2K that’s awesome!! We are downsizing again and it really does feel good to let go of stuff. I’m still working on decluttering every single day. I love the phrase “it was freeing”. We will list our home when the time is right. Yay! Less is best! Linda
My wife and I are waiting to start our decluttering project–including massive garage sales–until after we finish remodeling our floors and kitchen, but this was a great article.
Hi Ray, I would wait until you remodel your kitchen and floors. The kitchen and flooring is a huge project. You will love it when it’s finished! Linda
Hey Linda! Have you been peeking into my house? LOL I need to do some serious decluttering. We did get some of the slide out drawers for under the counter. Ours are double stacked (2 drawers), and I love them. We have them under the counters in almost all doors. They are the best thing ever. I have one for spices, too. Now to get started on all the clutter we have. It’s hard to do because hubby has so much.
Hi Deborah, oh my gosh if you could see my house right now, it looks like a blender has come and gone. We are packing stuff in this area, donating this stuff, and filling garbage cans. You know I never knew for REAL how much “stuff” we had and didn’t. LOL! Linda
I understand. I need to get some boxes to donate. And see if my daughter and son-in-law need things for their lake house. I known that need dishes. The house used to be my dear Mom’s house (MIL). It’s sat empty since 2017. Well really several years before that. It was a huge mess. My sis-in-law and husband didn’t want to do anything with it, but the kids kept up the yard and all. They seemed to be the only ones that cared.
Anyway, they have furniture. All they need is a refrigerator. They also have a home about 25 miles away.
Hi Deborah, I found some moving/packing boxes from Home Depot for $.98!! They are clean, new and all I have to do is tape the bottom. They have handles which makes them easy to take to the thrift stores. Not too big not too small. Oh, a lake house would be so fun!! Life is good when we have less stuff, but boy does it take time. LOL! Linda
Having things organized can even ‘save’ our preps. I’m watching footage of the floods in the northeast. One lady showed inside her garage where she had a lot of bins, plus cases of water. She said she thought all the things in bins were probably ok as they floated, didn’t tip over. So that’s another reason for Organizing.
HI Wendy, I’m watching the news and oh my goodness, the flooding everywhere, it’s so sad and scary. It does make you aware of keeping things off the ground. But we can only prepare for so much! Crazy weather never stops!! Linda
Another show worth watching is Hot Mess House. It’s on HGTV and it boggles my mind that anyone could get their home get in that condition. They’re some pretty extreme houses! It would sure be nice to have a handyman readily available to build whatever you need…hahaha! I did watch The Home Edit, and I got some really good ideas from it. One doesn’t have to buy all the containers they sell, tho. Before I reorganized my pantry, alot of their concepts I was already using just with free boxes from Costco. When I got the containers (not their brand tho-expensive; iDesign is just as good) I didn’t label everything because they were see-through and I knew what was in the bins by looking at them and organizing by type. I took it to the next level and did all the spaces under sinks/cabinets, laundry room, bathroom, junk drawers, etc. Just don’t look in my closet. That’s a mess. I seriously have to let go of alot of my “stuff” especially my clothes. I’m a work in progress :o)
Hi Robbie, I would love a handyman, I’m the handyman/woman in the family. Mark gets grumpy when I have a “project” for him. He’s an awesome guy he just doesn’t like projects. LOL! I like the Idesign ones. They are awesome. It’s funny once you get on a roll, there’s no stopping us, right? We want to organize everything. LOL! We’re all a work in progress, decluttering never ends. Well, I hope it does soon. LOL! Linda
Dear Linda,
It must be the change in season coming up…Fall –AND the Autumn of our lives. Hubby and I are here alone in a giant house FULL of other people’s stuff; we’ve lost 4 parents in the last year or so but “gained” all their books, papers, old fur coats, tools, etc. After speaking with my sister (who is far more pragmatic), I felt permission to off-load my father’s extensive collections—so I’m packing the car every time I go outside. Right now I am focusing on all the train, war, and Wild West books and ditching old french horn music. INCREDIBLE what has been saved….and the
difficulty letting it go, especially when it is associated with previous loss.
Time to put on my big girl undies and realize that other people’s hobbies are not necessarily mine. Further, change is NOT betrayal. We need to downsize for our own health and peace of mind, move to a one story home and get on with it. The class of ’68 isn’t getting any younger, but perhaps we can embrace the lovely days ahead with fewer millstones. What do you think?
Love from smokey S. Oregon,
Shirley
Hi Shirley, I’m from the class of ’68 from Las Vegas, Nevada!! I haven’t heard the class of “68 for many years!! I love it!!! I’m with you, we still have some good milestones ahead! Shirley, it was hard for my husband to let go of stuff. It was stuff in boxes for 40+ years. It’s just stuff. He finally sees what I see, a future of less stuff. I’m doing the same thing you are doing, I fill the car and take it to a thrift store. Last year C shut down our thrift stores, so I’ve been on a mission of hurry and unload in case they close again. Life is full of adventures! Love from Utah, Linda
We have downsized to spare our children some of the burden of disposing of our stuff. That’s not to say everything, because my books speak to my heart. However at least 95% of my books fit in the four glass door bookcases in my library.
I collected all my crystal…(it took TWO days to wash it all), kept some of my favorites, then offered it to family, neighbors , friends and finally garage sales the rest. I have to be careful, because a few new pieces have sneaked in.
We did have a garage sale last week and we made $180, not a fortune, but we did get rid of bulky toys my grandchildren have outgrown. Our home is open concept so I enjoy he airy feeling with less stuff.
BEWARE!! The change of seasons has the retailers trying to tempt us with things we really don’t need!!
Hi Chris, I agree, the retailers (commercials) show us everything we need! LOL! I am downsizing, it feels so good. $180 is awesome! We’re decluttering for the very same reason. I do not want my kids to have to go through stuff, lots of stuff. It’s less stuff now!! LOL! Linda
I feel my last post might need clarification. We are a blue collar family with 4 kids to house, feed, and college educate. I do have Waterford and Gorham crystal…..at garage sale prices!! I’ve never spent more than $5 on a piece, mostly because we garage-sales in the right neighborhoods. Wether it is Longaberg baskets, Yankee Candles, beautiful faux fur blankets Fisher-price toys or quality furniture , more than 75% of our home came from garage sales. My greatest find ….beautiful pop-up books that are true artwork and a custom ordered $900 ottoman brand new for $50. Even my husband of 48 years was second hand.
Hi Chris, oh my gosh, the last sentence! I have the giggles, what a blessing to have him for 48 years! I’m like you, I love quality things and I look for the best price. I have some bread baskets that I love, not sure about the brand, but they give me joy every time I use them. I always use coupons or discount codes to get what I really want. If I find them at garage sales, thrift stores, or estate sales, I grab them for a fraction of the price. The ottoman, wow, wow, wow! Life is good when we save money and buy quality stuff! Linda