We’re now well into 2020 and spring is around the corner, so if you haven’t gotten organized for the year or indulged in a spring cleaning sesh, now is the time to do it. There are lots of different ways to organize your home, from decluttering to rearranging furniture. We’ll start with the easiest and fastest ways to organize, with these 15 organization hacks.
1. Color Coordinate Your Closet
We all make fun of the closet color coordinators, but there’s definitely a method to the madness here. Organizing your clothes by color helps you have an idea of your inventory at all times, while also making outfit coordination a whole lot easier.
2. Roll Your Shirts
If you’re in need of more space and a good birds-eye view of your casual/athletic shirts, try rolling your t-shirts and putting them in a drawer.
3. Use a Hanging Shoe Rack
Shoe racks aren’t limited to shoes—you can fill these babies up with all sorts of things. Because they hang vertically, you can really optimize your space usage. Try filling a few hanging shoe racks with things like scarves, socks, belts, and other accessories of your choice.
4. Compartmentalize
When it comes to organization, the golden rule is to separate things into categories as much as you can. For your bathroom items, for example, try creating mini compartments/boxes to separate your belongings into different categories.
5. Swap the Junk Drawer for a Cute Box
We all have a junk drawer. And if you’re shaking your head no, go take a look at your kitchen and desk and get back with me—I’m betting you have at least one drawer that qualifies as a junk drawer. Instead of keeping a drawer for loose items, use a cute, patterned box. Not only will the box look nicer, but you’ll be less inclined to shove stuff into it because it will be more of a conscious action rather than a habit with a convenient drawer.
6. Use Pocket Folders
You probably already use pocket folders for filing papers, but have you ever thought about using them to organize other aspects of your home? Try taping a pocket folder to the back of your kitchen cabinet door to hold recipes!
7. Keep a Clothing Rack by the Washer and Dryer
Some clothes need to be hung up to dry (dryers can be a bit much!), so it’s a great idea to get ahead of the game by hanging up a clothing rack right next to your washer and dryer.
8. Use Spice Jars
And no, we’re not talking about the plastic ones you get from the grocery store! It may seem like a lot of work to transfer each of your spice bottles into another spice jar, but having a uniform look for your spice cabinet will give you a feeling of organization and order.
9. Promise Yourself a Clean Counter
Let’s face it: We can’t keep every part of our homes clean all the time. But if you have one area of the house that you vow to keep tidy, you’ll be one step closer to a fully organized home. Baby steps, right? Try starting with a clean kitchen counter—it’s an easy place to start!
10. Add Storage Containers to Your Fridge
We won’t go as far as to tell you to do this in your freezer, so for now, let’s start with the fridge. Buy 3 or 4 clear storage containers to help you group certain food groups together in your refrigerator. It will make a world of a difference!
11. Put Your Printer (or Anything!) on a Shelf
Sometimes, we just need a little more storage space. If you have a printer in your home, consider making it a printer station. Rather than just let your printer sit there on its own, try putting it on top of a little shelf. Under this shelf, you can keep papers, a stapler, paper clips, and anything else you may need.
12. Hang Up a Calendar
Most of us have turned to digital calendars for our daily appointments and meetings, but it helps to have a physical calendar in your home. To make things easy, you can buy a whiteboard calendar that allows you to erase things and make changes as needed.
13. Make a Pegboard
You’ve probably seen the semi-recent craze of pegboards, a la Pinterest. Pegboards are as cute as they are practical, and if you’re itching to organize your home, a pegboard may do the trick. From organizing crafts to tool kits, pegboards are a great way to tidy up your living space.
14. Apply the Clear Rule
When in doubt, clear it out. And no, we don’t mean clear your clutter. When organizing your home, always try to use clear containers. These serve two purposes: 1) They brighten and open up space because they’re clear and not clunky 2) Because you can see through them, you’ll keep the insides of them neat. Win-win!
15. Organize Your Cords
How many times have you found your once-tidy cords tangled up in a wad? There are lots of affordable cord organizers that will help you out with this. Start with one and you won’t be able to stop—they’re addictive!