I’ll be the first to admit that I am a naturally cluttered person. In fact, it takes me a lot of effort to keep my home organized.
My husband and I officially moved in with each other in 2013, and I felt an obligation to start being more organized. So I needed effective and easy organization solutions. After some trial and error, I learned exactly what worked for us as a couple, as well as what was easily maintained.
Organization at home helped me create a less stressful, more clean home. In addition, less arguments between me and my man! So today I’m sharing 10 ways to be more organized at home.
Benefits of Being Organized At Home
Being organized at home brings many benefits! Both my husband and I work full time from home. So I’m assuming many of you are at home now, as well. There’s been some serious benefits to staying organized at home. I’ll dive into the 10 tips for a better organization at home, but first here’s a quick list of the benefits organization will bring you:
- Less time spent looking for things. (Since they’ll have a place)
- Less stress related to losing items or paperwork
- Less stress from clutter and messy spaces
- Maintain organization and a more clean space
- Having a more beautiful home
- Saving time and energy on home upkeep and organization
- Saving money on not buying things you already own (and can’t find)
- Save time by eliminating unnecessary cleaning and organization
There’s other benefits, these are just a few major ones!
Want to know how to beat boredom at home? Check out my blog post HERE!
Home Organizing Essentials
Over the past seven years living with Jesse, I’ve learned what home organizing essentials I need to maintain a more organized space. You don’t need to spend much, plus you only need to buy items once to keep up. Seo below I’m sharing 10 Ways To Be More Organized At Home plus the must-have items to help you keep your home organized.
10 Home Organization Tips
Below I’m sharing 10 ways to be more organized at home. These steps will immediately help you get organized and how to keep your home organized! All it takes is a little dedication and you’ll notice a significant difference in your daily life.
1. Set a Schedule
Setting a schedule is key! In fatc, I try to go to bed and wake up around the same time Monday through Friday. On the weekends I sleep in and don’t set a schedule. This will help you get more sleep, and be prepared for the day agead.
2. Write Everything Down + Make a To Do list
Every day I wake up I have the same routine. I open the blinds, feed the dogs, and make coffee. Once I have my morning cup of joe in hand, I start making my to do list. So always prioritize by dates and deadlines, followed by tasks I can get done quickly. Then the longer projects follow. Making a to do list will help you stay on top of things.
3. Make your bed
Making your bed helps you feel more clean and organized in the bedroom! Admittedly, this is the one I still struggle with. I set a goal of making my bed just three times a week, since I typically don’t like making it. However, eventually I have committed myself to making it everyday! I just am getting there slowly. It’s OK to set realistic goals for staying organized.
4. Clean as you go
Lots of times I leave cleaning for “later” but I realized this I a terrible solution that only makes me feel less organized and more stressed. For example, when we cook dinner, the dishes get done as we go. It helps reduce stress at home if you just have a place for everything and clean as you go!
5. Finish one task before moving onto the next
Your to-do list should actually help you with step 5 for staying organized. If you start one task, stick to it before moving onto the next. Planning and prioritizing will help you with this top to being more organized at home.
6. Have a home for everything
Being organized means creating a space with less clutter. In order to have less clutter, you need to make sure that everything has a place or a “home”. For example, blankets. We have blankets in a bin next to the couch, so we can easily have access to them, but also put them away when we aren’t using them. This reduces mess making and creates more of an organized space.
In addition, you won’t need to hire a professional organizer if you have a dedicated spot for everything! If you have kids, this will help teach them where everything goes. For example, you can even label bins or containers to help the entire family remember where things should be.
7. Reward Yourself
Once I’ve done a home organization day, I often find something to reward myself with! Maybe it’s having ice cream after dinner, or allowing yourself to splurge on a new home item. Whatever it is, incentivizing yourself, your kids or your roomie to help you stay on top of home organization will definitely be a benefit!
8. Post it to social media
Hold yourself accountable by posting your to do list or spring cleaning tasks to social media. I create a daily schedule in my Instagram Stories. It holds me accountable and keeps me staying organized.
9. Let things go! SPRING cleaning
I love spring cleaning! Getting rid of clothes and unnecessary home items makes me feel so good. I realize this isn’t always the case (my husband hates getting rid of stuff). However, you need to let some things go! For example, I have a six month rule with clothes. If I haven’t worn it in six months, it’s time to let it go. Or, my mom gets rid of one thing when she buys another. In with the new, out with the old! Create the rules for keeping and donating, then I promise it will help you stay organized!
10. Don’t be scared of change!
Change can be hard! Reorganizing can also be a big change. Embrace it and remember, it will be a big help with long term organization!
Items to help
There’s so many items that can help you become more organized at home! I suggest starting by room and organizing one space at a time.
Bathroom
Recently I updated my bathroom set up and I feel so much happier! I added shelves above the toilet, baskets below the sink, and everything has a home.
So below is a quick peek of the decorative shelving I put above my toilet. I also put a basket next to it for toilet paper. So much better than having things thrown on the counter!
Living Room
The most important part of living room organization is having a place for everything. The dog toys are in a basket next to a larger basket for our blankets. We fold up the blankets and put the dog toys away before leaving the room, that way everything has a place and looks neat and organized.
Kitchen & Pantry
This month I conquered our pantry and refrigerator. I purchased acrylic containers, a lazy Susan (for sauces and sprays) and other kitchen organizers. They are truly space savers and so much more helpful in being able to see exactly what we have in our kitchen and pantry!
Closet
By far the best thing I’ve ever purchased are velvet hangers, shoe shelves , shoe stackers and acrylic separators. So I keep everything super clean and organized, and the velvet hangers ensure nothing falls. Plus they’re thin, so it’s easy to hang all of your clothing nicely next to one another.
Vanity
I highly recommend storing all of your makeup in a vanity and/or acrylic containers. They’re so easy to see inside, helpful for home organization, and you will easily find your beauty items!
Laundry Room
Make sure your shelves are organized by using storage bins! I also recommend using a laundry basket for whites and lights, and darks. We have two, and it’s really helpful when doing the laundry.
Home Office
Your home office should be tidy all the time! The reason being, your head will be much more clear and you’ll be more productive if your space is well organized. For instance, I have a helpful shelving unit, a file cabinet and a dresser for extra storage! In addition, I use an acrylic paper stacker and iPhone stand to keep my space organized.
You can easily be in charge of your long term organization by keeping things in one place, and staying on top of tidying up.