3 Easy Organizing Tips For Your Home

These tidy-up organizing tips just take minutes a day and are simple, easy ways to de-clutter and organize anything around your house.

Since throwing EVERYTHING out really isn’t really an option, de-cluttering and using these easy organizing tips is the next best thing.

I use to consider myself a fairly organized person. I loved my lists (still do) and everything had it’s place. I wasn’t completely obsessive about it, but I felt like things just functioned better when everything had it’s place.

But then I got married and eventually had a kid. And you guessed it! Staying organized became a constant struggle.

How often have you cleaned and organized a space only to turn around 5 minutes later to find it in shambles again? Frustrating, right? Don’t get me wrong, I love a house that’s lived in. BUT I am a big believer that your family’s day will run a lot smoother with a little organization around the house.

Having a cleaning/organization plan like this cleaning schedule printable can help you stay on top of things around the house. It’s much easier to grab an hour or so each day to organize or clean an area instead of taking a whole day to clean the entire house.

There are many ways you can organize your home without spending a lot of time.

ORGANIZING TIPS #1 – STEAL FIVE MINUTES

Tackle the visual clutter around your house first. These simple tasks will have the biggest immediate impact and have you feeling productive and organized in no time.

Purse/Handbag. Handbag clutter can pile up quickly, especially for busy moms on the go. Take five minutes once a week and empty everything out of your bag onto a table. It only takes a few minutes to weed through it’s contents and throw away old receipts, wrappers, half eaten granola bars (it’s happened to all of us), etc. Set aside any important findings that need your attention and put back only the necessary items.

Magazines/Newspapers. Magazines, newspapers and junk mail can add up quickly and definitely adds to the visual clutter around your home. Take five minutes, grab a shopping bag, and do a quick sweep of the house collecting all publications that have already been read. I am famous for keeping a stack of magazines all because I loved just one recipe. If you have a favorite recipe or article, just cut it out and store it in a folder or binder then toss the magazine in the recycling bin; purge anything 2 months or older.

Food Storage Containers. The cabinet that containers my plastic food storage containers is my husband’s least favorite place in the house. No matter how hard I try, it always seems to be a jumbled mess with missing lids and mismatched sets. This is a great five minute organizing trick. Start by emptying out your cabinet and matching each top with it’s proper base; recycle anything without a matching mate.

Fridge. A quick scan of your fridge will usually reveal a few things that are just taking up room and can be thrown away; expired condiments, week-old leftovers, wilted or fuzzy produce, etc. It’s also a great way to take a quick inventory of what you need for your next quick trip to the grocery store.

ORGANIZING TIPS #2 – TAKE AN HOUR

60 minutes is the perfect amount of time to tackle projects that involve a bit of decision-making.

Children’s Toy Shelf. Keeping up with our kids toys is definitely a challenge. Organize bins with labels or pictures so kids know where their toys belong. Taking an hour to do this with your kids will just reinforce their part in keeping things organized around the house.

Bathroom. Break this room up into two sessions; one for cleaning and one for organizing. If you focus on one task at a time, you will be much more productive. Focus on the cabinets under the sink and maybe your cosmetic bag. Find old and expired items and throw them away. Organize your cabinet to suit your daily routine putting less used items in the back and products such as your daily face regimen in the front.

Kitchen. Two of the biggest ways to organize in your kitchen is to keep up with the dishwasher and wipe down the counter and appliances. There is nothing worse than having a clean dishwasher and a sink full of dirty dishes. Tending to the kitchen is a great thing to do while your kids are eating lunch or even sitting down to do some homework. Get in the habit of running the dishwasher after dinner and emptying it before bed so that your have an empty dishwasher ready to go for the day ahead. Clear off the counter of clutter, wipe down the counter, scrub the sink, and quickly wipe off the appliances.

Smartphone/Tablet. There are times when we find ourselves forced to take a break. Maybe while you wait at the doctor’s office or in the car rider line at your child’s school. This is a great time to go through your favorite smart device and clean things up a bit. Delete any apps taking up space that you aren’t using; sort through your photos and delete duplicate, blurry or bad pictures; return a few emails and delete some unwanted or already read mail from your inbox.

Bookshelves. This is a big one especially if you have kids. Reading is a wonderful thing and should be embarrassed. I personally try not to say no when my daughter wants a new book. I want to encourage her love of reading. But the books can quickly add up. Too many books can actually be difficult for some people, especially kids, to decide what they want to read. Every few months, go through your bookshelves and select some books for donation. Organize books you are keeping by height, color, or even reading level (for kids).

ORGANIZING TIPS #3 – PLAN AN AFTERNOON

Some projects need a little more time to take on. Set aside a rainy afternoon to be productive and knock out some of the bigger jobs on your to-do list.

Pantry. It’s hard to keep a pantry organized with a family going in and out all day long. Start by keeping items grouped together by type. Store snacks and cereals in clear containers that are easy for kids to see and access. Create a special basket full of kid-friendly snacks. Not only is this easy for the kids to use but it will make it easier for you to see what you need when you are making your grocery list each week.

Bedroom. Twice a year, take everything out of your drawers and closet. Try it on and then place it in a Keep, Donate, Toss or Alter pile. Only put back what is in your Keep pile. Immediately put all items for donation in a bag and put in your car. Throw away all damaged clothing, and if you have anything that needs altered, put those clothing items in a bag in your car so that you can stop for alterations when you find time.

Kitchen Drawers. An over-abundance of kitchen tools, junk drawers full of broken pencils and old mail. It’s amazing what you can find hiding in your kitchen. Pick a few drawers and empty their contents on the table. Toss all unnecessary items and sort everything by catagory. Purchase some tray dividers and arrange the remaining items so that you can see everything you need.

Garage. Often times, the garage becomes a dumping zone for everything we do and use on a daily basis. Installing some simple shelving and wall hooks is a great way to reduce clutter and keep things up off the floor; use larger baskets or containers to store balls and other sports equipment; install large hooks to hold bicycles and bike helmets; put up smaller hooks for jackets and other clothing items you use for outside.

It doesn’t take much get rid of the clutter and keep your home chaos-free. You certainly need to get the whole family on board and doing their part; but with a little effort every day, you’ll be surprised how easy it can be.

What are your favorite organizing tips for your home?

Be sure to grab this free cleaning schedule printable!