I have never been one to have an organized home, from the outside, sometimes It may appear that way but that is only because I have a horrible habit of shoving things into closets and drawers. In my defense I can usually find what I’m looking for in a reasonable amount of time. I strive to be organized, someone who’s home has a spot for everything, simplistic, neat, and decluttered. Will this ever happen? is it too late for me? I have been clearing off the surface and hiding the clutter and disorganization for about 20 years now, can I be redeemed?
There are a countless number of blogs, websites and articles out there that talk about and give tips for organizing your home, I am searching for the best, most useful and simplistic ways to get organized and stay organized. Since different methods work for different people I should say that I am seeking the best, most useful and simplistic ways to get organized and stay organized for me.
For starters everything needs to have a home, this is the most important step to having an organized home, everything from pans and dish towels to shampoo and lines to candles and books. This is a great place to start, but lets jump back a step, look around your home, is there stuff on the floor that shouldn’t be there? if so remove all items from the floor, start room by room if you need to, then once the floor is free from clutter you can move on to finding a home for everything.
I suggest starting with the area you think has the most clutter, closet, living-room, desk, bedroom, kitchen, whatever it maybe. Take everything out of the room, if you have a spare laundry basket or bucket place items into that, pretty much do what ever it takes to clear out the space you are going to organize.
Lets use a closet as an example, clear out everything from the floor, all shoes, clothes, boxes, coat hangers, etc. Vacuum the floor if needed, wipe down all surfaces with some sort of disinfectant. Now put items back in one thing at a time, clothes wise if you haven’t worn something in 3-4 mons you aren’t going to wear it again (unless its a parka or something seasonal). Got empty shoeboxes? trash them, if you have worn the shoes outside there is no need to keep the box. The only boxes that should be kept are for electronics and or items where the boxes can up resale value or would be needed for warranty related issues. If you have alot of shoes that were flung around the closet before you emptied it think about investing in some kind of shoe rack, shoe hanging organizer or a laundry basket, they fit nicely at the bottom of closets and hold many pairs of sneakers, books, clogs, etc. As you are going though things and placing them neatly in the closet if there is something you don’t use or don’t think you need consider selling it on craigslist or ebay and or donating it. Last month when I cleaned a closet of mine I came across an old Apple desktop, from early 2000, it hadn’t been used in at least 4 years, who knows why I was hanging on to it? I put it up on ebay and made over 75$.
Everything from electronics to clothing, coats, boots, sporting equipment, bags, etc can be sold, your trash or clutter as it should be called can yield you some extra spending money, a few 100 toward a vacation, money towards reaching your savings goal or even the iphone. So what are you waiting for, go, run, clean out your closets, go under your bed, empty out your trunk (it will help you get better fuel economy) sell your clutter, organize your home and make some cash!
WAIT! before you start, here are some tips.
Again in case it wasn’t clear, EVERYTHING NEEDS A HOME!
Keep like things together, a drawer for underwear, a drawer for office supplies, a drawer or bin for pet toys, etc
Leave flat surfaces clear, counters, coffee tables, dresser tops, nightstands, etc.
Keep stuff off the floor, no piles, bins work great and can be easily stored on closet shelf’s
Place a decorative basket on the coffee table to keep remote controls in, that should be the only thing on the coffee table.
If you haven’t used it or worn it in a few months, you don’t need it, sell it or donate it
Set aside 3- 5 mins a day to make sure things are still in their places.
More specific tips, broken down by room:
BATHROOM:
Place a shelving unit above the toilet for storing extra towels, washcloths, and other accessories
Use shower caddies to place your soaps and shampoos in, tuck them away when not in use.
Throw away old make-up, lotions, prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, old razors, sunscreen, and perfume.
Install hooks on the back of your bathroom door or wall space for towels and robes, great place for towels to hang and dry also.
CLOSET:
Categorize your clothes by purpose, such as work, casual, and formal.
If you have an excessive amount of unused wire hangers and take them to the dry cleaners to recycle, if they are plastic donate them to a friend.
Put hooks on the back of the door, 2 fit well, this is great for coats, hats, belts, scarves, extra towels.
KITCHEN:
Purchase a spice rack that works best for your cabinet, they come in many sizes and shapes. Place frequently used spices on the front of the rack and all others towards the back of the rack.
Put all Tupperware items into one cabinet or drawer, if you need new ones try to purchase the stackable ones.
Do you have mounds of plastic bags from the grocery store? If you don’t use them like I do to scoop up dog waste place about 10 bags inside of 1 bag and throw the rest away, better yet, don’t use them, get recycled cloth bags or the vinyl ones, they cost about 2$ each and will help save the environment and your pantry space.
Clean out your refrigerator every time you bring home groceries. Dispose of any food that is no longer edible or your family is not going to eat.
If you have any suggestions or input or tips that have helped you please feel free to share.
its jos 
