5 Ways to Stay Organized

A lot of planning goes into having a clean and organized home. So, today I am going to share with you 5 things that you can do to help keep your house organized.

1.  Do you struggle to find what you’re looking for in your drawers? Well, I have the solution. Find a plastic organizer tray that will fit in said drawer OR cut off the bottoms of cereal boxes and line them up (you can decorate/paint then). Now you have nice little cubbies to separate all of your belongings. Use this for every drawer in the house. It keeps everything separated, and the dividers can be taken out and washed/replaced as needed.

2.  A second idea for extreme organization lies in hanging shoe organizers and tension rods. Grab a few hanging shoe organizers from the store and fill them up. You can cut them down to size so they’ll fit behind the cabinet doors under the sink. They can be filled with jewelry, makeup, hair accessories, hair wands, straighteners, blow dryers, brushes and combs, nail polish, craft items, cleaning products, undergarments, and so on. They can be used in the bathroom, the laundry room, the kitchen, bedrooms, hall closets, and in the garage. Where you use them is up to you. Tension rods can be used under the sink (bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room) to hang cleaning bottles from. Once you have them hanging, you free up cabinet space for extra storage.

3.  Tired of finding tiny toys or puzzle pieces strewn throughout the house? The solution is Ziploc bags (in various sizes) and plastic storage containers. Organize toys by bucket, and put games, puzzles, and toy sets together in baggies. Place baggies in containers. For that extra measure, you could slap some labels on the front of each bucket. So, that way, everyone knows what should be found inside. This has really helped my house! I use the clear containers with clasps that hold the lid secure. No accidental spills while moving buckets around. The best part, everything has its own spot, the buckets can be stacked nicely on top of one another, and if need be, they can be stored in the closet under hanging shirts. That is, if you’re concerned about them being an eye sore. We are functional at my house, so I’m not concerned with such things. I have a heavy duty garage shelf in the boys room, filled with buckets all the way to the ceiling. It serves its purpose.

4.  In order to have an organized home, it requires all household members participate. Yes, even your one year old can help. Turn it into a game, and put them to work. Throw a pair of socks on those little hands and have them dust off the shelves, tables, and so forth. Demand that each person return each item that they use to its designated spot prior to bedtime. If they want to test the waters and challenge you, for all that’s right in the world, stand your ground! Start divvying out the punishments. After a while, they’ll realize that you mean business, and they’ll cave in and do as they’re told. Break them like you would a horse. This means hubby/wife too! Consistency will do wonders for your children, as well as your home! Finally, if an item doesn’t have a specified location, toss it. Everything needs to have its own home, or it needs to find a new one.

5.  Don’t have enough storage space? Create it. Add wire racks into closets, or throw bookshelves under your hanging clothes to store extra items. Get some Tupperware bins to slide under the bed, get a laundry drying rack to hang extra clothes from. Get interlocking containers that you can hide inside cabinets. Get behind the door organizers. Slap a pegboard with hooks on the wall. You can always paint them and turn them into a focal point in the room. Pinterest has a TON of creative ideas! Utilize this wonderful platform, and let your imagination run wild.

One other “tip” that I have recently discovered and would like to add, is to line your refrigerator shelves with plastic placemats. They will prevent tips and spills, make the interior more pleasing to the eye, and it makes clean up an absolute breeze. Try it out…You’ll be glad that you did!

Do you have any additional organization tips to add?