Six Beginner Steps for Organizing Your Home

Step #1: When In Doubt, Throw It Out

Before organizing the things that you have, it is important to create additional space first. This is particularly true if your home has become overcrowded with clutter. To begin, you need to keep your eyes open for things that need to be thrown away, not donated.

A good place to start doing this is inside your refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, and pantry area. You are looking for items that are past their expiration date, taste stale, or look dirty. Now is the perfect time to do a deep cleaning of each area before neatly putting each item back in its place.

Note: Before you begin organizing each room of your home, get rid of any items that you know should be classified as trash or ‘junk.’ 

Step #2: Start a Donation Box

Next, designate a container where you are going to place anything that you no longer need, or no longer serves you. You should take this box with you through every room of your house.

A great place to start looking for items you no longer need is your closets. According to Bustle.com, a good rule of thumb is if you haven’t worn an item in a year or more and you don’t plan on wearing it anytime soon, it is time to donate it. Go through your closets every six months or so and repeat this process.

For some great ideas on how to organize your custom closets, check out Six Effortless Steps to Organizing Your Custom Closets by Innovative Home Storage.

As you move through each room, and nook and cranny of your home, ask yourself if the object that you are holding is something that you really need to hang onto. Purging your surroundings of unnecessary things not only feels good, but it will make your home look cleaner and more streamlined when you go to organize everything.

Step #3: Purchase Organizational Supplies

With all of the organizational supplies out there, you may feel overwhelmed in knowing exactly what you need to buy. However, now that you have gone through all of your household items, it is easier to see exactly how much you have left and what exactly will require some handy helpers to keep everything neatly in order.

Drawer organizers are inexpensive and can be found in a variety of locations. Stackable bins and baskets come in all shapes and sizes to store practically anything you need. Spend a bit of time perusing different organizational tools to see which types fit your space and lifestyle the best.

Step #4:Organize One Room at a Time

As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Don’t suffer from burnout by overcommitting yourself to organizing your whole house in one weekend. Busy Creative Living.com suggests tackling one room at a time. Better yet, think of it this way. Organize one drawer at a time or one section of a room at a time. 

However, it is a wise decision to prioritize your projects by organizing the areas that need it the most first. Looking for some inspiration? Take before and after photos to track your progress along the way.

Step #5: Store Items Vertically

Nothing makes a home look more chaotic than counter space that is completely covered with “stuff,” even if you aren’t a fan of a minimalist design. However, you may have already utilized all of your cabinets and closets for storage. So what’s next?

One of the most overlooked places for potential storage possibilities is right above your head. For example, perhaps you don’t have ample space to hold all of your pots and pans. One easy solution is to take advantage of vertical space by installing a pot rack.

Another simple way to utilize upward space is to install sets of vertical shelving. You can use them to store items such as books or display your favorite collectibles, as opposed to having them take up space on your furniture and countertops.

Step #6: Utilize Hidden Space

To maximize storage space, don’t forget to make use of those forgotten areas that are found behind doors and cabinets. In your kitchen cabinets, you can hang over-the-door organizer holders for items such as cutting boards, pot lids, or boxes of foil for example. When it comes to storing items on the back of your doors, the options are limitless. In bedrooms or closets, over-the-door shoe racks are appropriate if you have an abundance of shoes to store. On a simpler note, fasten a couple of hooks on the back of doors to hang towels or bathrobes that need a home.

Conclusion

Having an organized home means having a more stress-free environment. By working on each area of your home a little bit at a time, you won’t get overly tired. You may be surprised how your creative energies will kick in and help you organize your home in a fun and unique way. 

Sources

• https://www.bustle.com/p/when-is-it-time-to-get-rid-of-old-clothes-here-are-some-guidelines-15725699
• https://www.innovativehomestorage.com/six-effortless-step-to-organizing-custom-closets
• https://www.busycreativeliving.com/how-to-get-organized-when-you-dont-know-where-to-start/
• https://www.southbaycustomclosets.com/custom-closet-designer-questions