Introduction
Getting your home organized can feel like a monumental task. The clutter seems to multiply when you aren’t looking, and it can be hard to know where to start. The key is to break it down room by room. Taking it one space at a time makes the process much more manageable. I’ll share my tips for decluttering and organizing each room in your home. With some dedication and focused effort, you can transform your home into a clean, clutter-free sanctuary.
Kitchen
The kitchen is often the most used room in the house, and consequently, one of the most disorganized. Follow these tips to get this busy space in order:
Clear Countertops
Countertops easily become dumping grounds for mail, kids’ artwork, and other items that have no place. Make it a rule that countertops can only hold items actively being used for food prep or cooking. Give everything else a home in a drawer, cabinet, or bin.
Organize Pantry Items
A disorganized pantry leads to duplicate purchases and expired food. Take everything out, check expiration dates, consolidate like items, and arrange by category – pastas, canned goods, baking supplies, etc. Use lazy susans and shelf risers to maximize vertical space.
Deep Clean Appliances
When appliances aren’t cleaned regularly, grime builds up affecting performance. Unplug each one and thoroughly clean inside and out with appropriate cleaners. Pay particular attention to the refrigerator coils, oven racks, and range hood filter.
Purge Dishes and Cookware
Be honest about which dishes, glassware, pots, pans, and utensils you actually use. Donate extras to thrift stores. Group dish sets together, install extra shelving or pegboards for cookware display, and contain utensils in divided crockery.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms tend to collect an excess of clutter. Use these tips to clear out the chaos:
Organize Closets
The first step is removing everything and only keeping pieces you love and wear. Next, install closet organizers – shelves, rods, and drawers that maximize space. Use special hangers to double hanging space. Group items by type and season.
Declutter Surfaces
Limit bedroom surfaces – dressers, nightstands, vanities – to only essential items you use daily like lamp, water bottle, book, etc. Store other personal items in baskets, bins, or drawers. Remove non-essentials like piles of change, receipts, and remote controls.
Create Paper Filing System
Contain bills, receipts, manuals, and other paperwork in labeled folders or binders. Set up filing boxes/cabinets if needed. Shred/recycle documents you no longer need. Go paperless when possible.
Manage Kid Clutter
Help kids declutter toys regularly, keeping only favorites in rotation. Use labeled bins to separate toy types. Install shelves for easy access to books, art supplies, etc. Set up designated homework areas with supplies and minimal distractions.
Bathrooms
With lots of grooming products and small spaces, bathrooms are prone to disorder. Try these tips:
Edit Toiletries
Be ruthless in assessing your stock of shampoos, lotions, cosmetics, medications, etc. Toss or donate anything expired, unwanted, or unfinished. Group like items together in bins, baskets or caddies.
Deep Clean
Bathrooms require regular deep cleaning to prevent mildew and buildup. Scrub tile grout, use enzyme cleaners on showers/tubs, disinfect sinks and toilets, wipe out vanities and cabinets, and vacuum vents.
Organize Cabinets
Install lazy susans in corner cabinets. Use stackable shelves or wall-mounted racks for vertically maximizing space. Group items by use, containing them in baskets or bins. Add over-the-cabinet storage as needed.
Maintain Towels/Linens
Stick to the essential number of towels and wash cloths needed for your household. Fold and store them close to showers on open shelving or in freestanding towers. Designate bins for tidy sheet/linen storage.
Living Spaces
Living rooms, family rooms, lounges – these shared spaces easily become disorganized free-for-alls. Apply these tips:
Pare Down Decor
Carefully curate decor items like frames, vases, sculptures. Enjoy favorites while donating extras. Group collections for display. Limit tchotchkes that contribute to clutter.
Manage Media
Edit DVDs, games, books, and magazines down to selections you actually use. Contain them on open shelving, in cabinets with doors, or behind sliding cabinets. Use baskets to corral remote controls.
Establish Home for Everything
Ensure that every frequently used item has a designated spot. Use storage ottomans, cabinet inserts, wall hooks, decorative baskets – whatever helps. Quickly return items to their home.
Deep Clean Surfaces
Dust ceiling fans, vacuum under furniture cushions, wash lampshades, clean windows and screens, shampoo carpets and rugs. Well-maintained surfaces prevent buildup of dirt and clutter.
Conclusion
Creating an organized home room by room takes effort, but the payoff is huge. You’ll feel relaxed and at peace in clutter-free surroundings. Just focus on one space at a time, thoroughly declutter, strategically organize, and maintain with regular cleaning. Soon you’ll have a tidy, welcoming home.
