20 of the Best Tips to Organize Your Home

Organizing is about knowing where things are as well as being prepared for day to day life. From how to better store your “stuff” to how to be more organized in the morning and get the kids to school on time, we have found our top 20 list to help you. Take a look at 20 of the tips we think will help you be more organized.

1. Clean out the junk drawer by using an organizer – While its better to avoid a junk drawer if possible, it is a reality for most but having it cluttered renders it virtually pointless. Take a hint from your silverware drawer and be more organized. By using an organizer in the drawer, you can make this useless space more useful.
2. Store your mixes in a basket in the cupboard – Instead of letting them lose in your cabinet, store the mixes like the gravy and jello in a small basket on the shelf.
3. Get a peg board for the garage – This is a great way to keep your tools easy to find and better yet, easily accessible. If you have others that like to borrow them, draw an outline around each tool to make it easier to remember where they go.
4. Make a chart with chalkboard paint on the wall to keep you and the kids organized – Use it to decide who does what chores and award stars along the way for those who keep their clutter put away.
5. Use drawers in your kitchen and bathroom cabinets – Bins or even easy to install shelves which can pull in and out, can make better use of the space under your sinks.
6. Take advantage of your hall space by putting up shelves – If you have older homes that have lots of hallways especially in or near the kitchen but not near enough cupboard space, build shelves in these hallways to help store your wares.
7. Get the kids ready at night before school – From lunches to homework, mornings can be chaos. Skip the morning rush by getting everything packed at night and keep your home more organized.
8. Organize your laundry room with a shoe organizer – A back of the door shoe caddy can keep all your laundry and cleaning supplies easy to find without having to dig under the sink.
9. If you don’t use it, lose it – Find the nearest Goodwill store and donate the kids old toys, your old clothes and other things you simply don’t need. Much of clutter is related to attachments to items. Really think about why you are saving it and whether it is really necessary.
10. Get a bathtub caddy for the shower – With multiple people using the same shower and everyone wanting different products, bathtubs can be a mess. Avoid the mess by purchasing shower caddies. If you have more than one child who has their own shower items, give them their own shelf and have them be responsible. You can find many options with suction cups which work quite well.
11. Install a magnetic strip in your medicine cabinet for small metal objects – Cuticle cutters, nail clippers and tweezers can get lost in the cabinet. A magnetic strip can keep them right where you need them.
12. If you run out of space for your hand towels in the cabinet, use them as a display – Many of us have a small shelf in the bathroom to store items such as lotions or towels. If you extra hand towels, roll them up and stack them on a shelf in a decorative basket and you have a lovely little display which is both useful and ornamental.
13. Sort your clothes by season – Keep only the ones you are wearing out in the front of the closet and store the rest for later on in the year.
14. Ditch the shoe boxes and get a rack – Shoe racks can be easily installed on the floor of the closet or even on the back of the door. Stop storing your shoes under the bed.
15. Use vacuum seal bags to store bulky items – They keep your extra quilts smelling fresh and free from pests in addition to saving space.
16. Attach jar lids to the bottom of shelves and use the jars as a way to store small easy to lose items such as tacks, nuts and bolts in the garage or anything that is just laying around.
17. Stop wasting drawer space in the kitchen – If you have a pantry, get your baggies out of the drawer and simply tack them only the wall in your pantry.
18. Store things you don’t use every day – While it is fun to look at the family photos now and again, they can create clutter not to mention get lost or ruined if left out. Get small boxes and file folders to store them in and find a designated area to keep them.
19. Use a cooling rack to keep your lids organized – Attach a cooling rack to the top of a small basket and use it to keep your lids neat and organized and better yet, easy to find.
20. The number one way to keep your home organized is to start out right from the beginning – When you are moving into your home, think organized. Really decide where the best place is for things and then stick to it. If everything has a place it will be more likely that it will get put there in the future.

Good Neighbor Concierge is a Boston Personal Concierge who offers services and tips to help you make your life more organized and save you time.