It seems like this is a time of year when many of us get the urge to purge and organize our homes. I don’t know why we tend to do this at the beginning of the year. Maybe it’s because we view it as a fresh start in so many areas? I too love having an organized home. Sometimes though, it takes a while to figure out what home items would make the best organizing solution or temporary solution until you can find exactly what you need. If you love a fresh organizing start as you begin the year, I have a few tips I hope will be of help to you to.
1). Formulate a plan before attempting to organize your home.
Decide what areas of your home needs to be organized and which ones need prioritizing. Take an inventory and figure out what types of organizing items you need.
2). Work with one area or one category of your home at a time. You may choose to work by rooms such as starting with a bedroom and when it’s completed move onto another. Or by category such as to work with all clothing items in every room and then come back to work on other items in these rooms until all categories are completed. When it comes to bedrooms, personally I find it helpful to work with one entire room at a time (from start to finish). If I choose a category of clothing, for example, I just think it will create more work jumping from room to room working on clothing then back and forth to do something else. However, when it comes to the kitchen and other solo areas of the home, categorical organizing will make the most sense. Do all the dishes, then pots and pans, then drawers, etc. until the entire kitchen is done them moving to another room (such as the laundryroom). Hope that makes sense.
3). Create a designated place for everything.
If you want your home to be organized, you MUST have a place for everything. Items that do not have a designated spot to call their own will make your home disorganized and cluttered. Although you have the normal designated traditional rooms such as closets for clothing, pantry for food, laundryroom for laundry, etc., you will have to find ways to keep these areas organized, is what I am trying to say.
4). Have systems of control.
Once you have a place for everything, you also will need to find a system to help keep the areas organized. Examples:
- Use baskets, bins, and jars to organize food in the pantry or in the food cabinets.
- Use a shoe stand, shelves, or a basket to keep the shoes organized and from piling up in a bundle.
- Corral books on a bookshelf or in one corner of the home.
- This rule applies to all areas of the home. No system equals disorganization and more clutter for your home.
5). Create clutter collecting stations.
Clutter can accumulate very easily. Clutter does not only mean excess items at home. It also refers to the necessary items that seem to all end up in certain areas of the home. These can be anything from mail to smaller items from our pockets or purses that get thrown in on the dining table, clothing that ends up on the floor of the entryway or livingroom or toys that take over every corner, etc. Clutter stations will help to corral these items and keep them in their designated areas or until they get put away where they belong.
6). Don’t bring in more than you have room for at home.
Make it a habit to only buy what you need. If you must buy something you don’t really need but would like to have it, make sure it is something you ABSOLUTELY love or can add meaning to your home. But try to keep what you bring in at a limit. Bringing in more than you have room for will only create an atmosphere for disorganization, clutter, and chaos. Leave room to breathe and enjoy freed up spaces in your home. This one may be easier said than done but just do your best at it.
7). Work on one room or one Category at a time.
Donate or sell what is still good but you no longer need. Throw away what is not worthy of keeping and giving away (broken, torn, the non-fixables).
8). Get your family involved.
If you do not live alone, you will need to get your family on board with keeping things organized. Let them know where stuff go. While it may be obvious to all members that clothes go in the closet or plates stay in the kitchen they may not know that the small basket you put on the entryway table is for putting smaller nick-nacks. Let them know where you expect them to put things. Label the locations if you must.
9). Be Consistent.
Consistency is the KEY to success. Becoming more organized may take some time. Day one or day two may not go so well. Things may take longer to fall in place than expected. You or your family may forget to put an item in its new designated spot. Simply work toward putting things where they belong and keep reminding your family. Don’t give up. Keep working at it to build good organizing habits. Eventually, you’ll start to see everyone doing their part to keep the home organized (whether intentionally or not). They just get into a pattern.
10). Be willing to make changes.
If the way you organized a space seems like it’s not working out too well, don’t be afraid to find another solution. Maybe you thought that beautiful hanging organizer will be great for organizing mail. But then you realize it could only hold a 3/4 of your mail. That’s where the change needs to be made. Find another system. The goal is to create organized corners rather than sticking through with something just because you paid for it.
Note: Remember though, when you feel that you and your family have mastered the art of keeping home organized, there WILL be the occasional “I forgot” or “I lacked the motivation to put it where it belongs”, etc. It happens. But once you have developed the habit of keeping things organized, everything will naturally fall back into place.
I Hope these tips will be a BIG help to your home in becoming more organized. Take action immediately so you can start enjoying your space now!!
