Home Organization

January is organization month; what better way to kick start a new year than to organize your home. Organizing your house can seem like a daunting task, but if you take it one room at a time it becomes manageable. Google home organization and you will find plenty of inspiration. But where do you start? This blog will summarize some of the most useful tips I have found and break down the top 3 best areas of your home to get you started on your organization journey.

Home Organization Tips

Sometimes the hardest part is getting started. Below are a few tips on how to make the most out of your organization time. Remember it doesn’t have to be a whole room, you can start with a drawer and expand from there. You would be amazed at how good it feels to chip away at the clutter and as you move from one space to the next you will feel more and more organized.

• Take everything out of the space – clearing out the space allows you to see how much room you actually have and how to best approach organizing the space
• Purge like crazy! If it hasn’t been used and isn’t seasonal, then donate it or throw it away.
• Group like items together – Spices together, canned goods together, baking items together; this will help you decide on the best organization system to use when putting it all back. This system works for closets, pantries, cupboards, and just about every space in your home.
• Get creative with your storage – you don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of fancy bins, use what you have on hand. Wrap boxes with pretty paper or fun tape to add some flare to otherwise boring boxes.
• Put the items that you use the most often in the most accessible spots
• Once your space is organized the key is to keep it that way; train yourself to put things back in their spot
• If it isn’t working, change it. Don’t be afraid to adjust the space so that it fits your life. The better it fits, the more likely it is to stay organized.

Kitchen Organization

I don’t know about you, but when my kitchen is clean and organized it doesn’t matter what the rest of the house looks like. I feel like the kitchen is the heart of a home and when it is in chaos so is everything else.

The first step to an organized kitchen is to do an inventory of everything; appliances, cutlery, and the dreaded Tupperware drawer. If you don’t use it, it’s still in the box (I’m looking at you Instant Pot circa 2020), or you can’t find the matching lid, then get rid of it. The second step to an organized kitchen is keeping items frequently used together or used on a regular basis for meal prep together and easily accessible. This way you aren’t moving things out of the way every time you need to use that mixing bowl. Inexpensive drawer organizers are the key to keeping drawers organized and clutter-free. Think about a mounted wall rack or suction hangers for larger utensils such as ladles and potato mashers as they tend to take up a lot of drawer space. Picking logical spots for cupboard items and keeping like things together will help keep your cupboard spaces organized. Make the most of the storage space you have. Think shelf inserts, cookware organizers, or tiered organizers to help keep things visible and organized.

Keeping your countertops clutter-free makes it easier to utilize the space for meal prep and it makes the space more visually appealing. Storing food containers in a pantry or cupboard, putting smaller appliances away when not in use, and using a drawer knife block instead of a bulky wooden counter block are just a few ways to tidy up your counter space. If you don’t have the option to put everything on the counters out of sight, consider mounting items as this will free up the counter space and keep things organized.

Organizing the kitchen isn’t just about appliances and Tupperware, you need to organize your food too. Ensure that you store food items properly and get rid of expired, old, or items that will never be used. Approach the fridge and pantry with the same mindset as the rest of your spaces; only keep items that you will use. Check labels and expiration dates, throw out anything that is outdated, fuzzy, or smelly. If you tried it once and didn’t like it, get rid of it. Go through the almost empty jars and meal plan utilizing them, so that you can use the space for new items.

The best way to stay organized in the kitchen once you have it the way you want is to make keeping it tidy a daily routine. Scheduling a fridge/pantry purge every two weeks is another great way to keep your kitchen organzied.

Bathroom Organization

Make your mornings easier with an organized bathroom. It doesn’t matter if you have a bathroom for every person in the house or one bathroom for a family of 4, the more organized the space the easier your morning routine will be. An organized bathroom makes it easier to get ready in and makes cleaning it so much faster. Plus, it helps to start (and finish) your day in a clutter-free, calming bathroom space. The bathroom can be one of the easiest spaces to organize and it can also have the biggest impact. Any good organization starts with a declutter and the bathroom is no different. Here is a list of items to declutter from your bathroom to get you started:

• Towels – a good rule of thumb for towels is two per person for bath towels and a couple of extras for guests, the rest donate
• Cosmetics – yes makeup does have an expiry date, so make sure to check your products and pitch the items that have expired. Next, go through and only keep what you actually wear. Go through your makeup brushes too, get rid of any old brushes that have seen better days.
• Hair accessories – go through all your hair accessories and toss the broken ones and the ones you don’t use. Store the rest (find a container that will help keep these smaller items together and organized).
• Skin, nail, and hair products – don’t use it, don’t like it, hate the smell; get rid of it. Be ruthless! Also, double-check that the product hasn’t gone bad; smell it and place a small amount on your hand, if it has an off smell or texture, it’s time to get rid of it. Organize items in a small tote, bin, or toiletry bag.
• Medications – ideally medication should not be kept in the bathroom if possible (due to the temp fluctuations and steam caused by showers and baths). Check expiry dates, medications past their good before date can be extremely dangerous and should be disposed of, either in the garbage if safe to do so or taken to the pharmacy for proper disposal.
• Beauty appliances – if you haven’t used them in a year, you can probably safely get rid of them. Holding onto that foot bath that gets used once a year? Donate it and go for a pedicure instead.
• Trial-sized bottles – stop taking the travel-sized items from every hotel! You are never going to use them. The same goes for free products that you received with the purchase of another item. If you haven’t used it, chances are you never will.
• Counter space is usually prime real estate in a bathroom. Put items that aren’t used daily away and keep decorative items to a minimum.

Once your bathroom has been decluttered, organize the remaining items. Just like in the kitchen, keep like items together. Inexpensive containers can help keep things organized and if they are stackable, you can create more storage space by going vertical. Another great way to keep items off the bathroom counter is using the inside of the cabinet doors, there is a variety of over-the-door organizers available, from toothbrush holders to curling iron and hairbrush organizers. If your bathroom has drawers, drawer dividers are a great and inexpensive way to keep items in check.

Only have one bathroom? Try a bathroom caddy for each member of the family. Each caddy is filled with personal care items that are used daily, every morning you pull out your caddy, do your tasks, and put it back all neat and tidy. Another great tip for an organized bathroom is using towel hooks instead of a towel rack. It helps keep everyone’s towels separate and it allows them to dry better. Plus, you can use the over-the-door hooks and free up space in the bathroom.

Bedroom Closet Organization

Closets are one of the most disorganized spaces in a home. It’s just so easy to throw the clothes, shoes, bags, boxing gloves into the closet and turn off the light or shut the door. However, an organized and functional closet helps keep the rest of the house organized. The best closet organization system starts with getting rid of clutter and creating specific space for each type of clothing and accessory. You want a closet that can be maintained over time. Regardless of the size of your closet, there are 3 main organization tips: efficient folding methods, utilizing previously unused space, and dedicated sections for certain items. Plus, a seasonal purge doesn’t hurt. Downsize your wardrobe, only keep the items that you wear, and rotate out seasonal clothing. Keep off-season clothing in a trunk or storage bin. Bins, baskets, boxes, rack dividers, and hooks are all great ways to organize your things. Keep your bedroom closets better organized and clutter-free, by moving items such as vacuums, camping gear, and suitcases to a better-suited area of your home. Utilize the space under your hanging items by adding a dresser or shelving unit. If you have a smaller space to work with, it might help to add a clothes rack to your bedroom instead of squishing everything into one space. Use wall space to hold smaller items, such as jewelry and accessories. Footwear takes up a ton of space, try using a shoe stacking bin or an over-the-door shoe rack to keep things more organized and tidier.

Once you have organized the chaos in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom closets, the rest of your spaces will be easier. The most important thing to remember when organizing your space is to get rid of items that you don’t use or have expired, freeing up space for the items you are keeping. Do not get overwhelmed, start with a drawer, and then tackle another one. Making your way from space to space.