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50 Ideas to Organize Your Home
"Organize" is a familiar word heard on many of today's popular decorating shows. Every
family has its struggles with some type of clutter whether it is stacks of papers or a cluttered
and cramped bathroom. In fact, the National Association of Professional Organizers reports
that 80% of what we keep we never use, we wear 20% of the clothes we own while the other
80% hangs there just in case, and 25% of adults say they pay bills late because they lost
them.
If you have stacks of papers, frazzled mornings, or lost car keys, use the following ideas to
help you organize your family and home.
Evenings/Mornings:
1. If you have rushed mornings, make lunches, set out clothes, and put everything you need
for the next day in a designated area the night before. Have kids pack homework and books
in their backpack so they will be ready for the next day.
2. Place your purse, briefcase and keys in a designated area every day so you always know
where they are.
3. Decide the night before what is on the menu for breakfast the next morning. If the family is
to have cereal, set out the cereal boxes, bowls, and spoons.
4. Make a "to do" list for the next day and organize it according to what task needs to be
completed first.
5. Fill the gas tank the day before so you won't have to worry about getting gas if you are
running late the next morning.
Bathrooms:
6. To organize countertop clutter, purchase a plastic tub with a handle on top. Place all of
your accessories such as hair spray and lotion, in the tub and place under the counter. Take
the tub out when you are ready to use it and then put it back under the counter when you are
finished with it.
7. To organize your shower, buy shower caddies to place your soaps and shampoos in.
There are numerous styles available in many discount and fine department stores.
8. To help keep your shower doors clean, buy a water squeegee (like you use on your
windows) and place it in the shower. When you are done taking a shower just wipe down the
doors with the squeegee and you'll have a clean and dry shower door. Many of the
squeegees come with a whole in the handle, which is convenient for hanging it up in the
shower with a suction cup.
9. Install a straight magnet in your medicine cabinet for tweezers, nail clippers, and scissors.
10. Store reading material in a decorative magazine rack. As you add new magazines, throw
away the older ones to keep the magazine rack from overflowing.
11. Throw away items in your bathroom that are old or you don't use anymore, such as
make-up, lotions, prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, old razors, sunscreen, and
perfume.
12. If you are out of space in your bathroom cabinets for towels, roll them up and display

2. them in a decorative basket next to the shower or bath tub.
13. Install hooks on the back of your bathroom door or wall space for towels and robes.
14. Use drawer organizers for makeup, jewelry, ponytail holders, and other loose items.
15. Place a shelving unit above the toilet for storing extra towels, washcloths, and other
accessories.
16. Put a clock in each bathroom so everyone can be on time.
Closet:
17. Place baskets in your closet for laundry and dry cleaning.
18. Sort through your clothes and anything you don't wear anymore, bag and donate to a
local charity. This includes clothes that are no longer in fashion, no longer fit, or clothes you
haven't worn in a year. Also, get rid of those worn out and/or uncomfortable shoes you no
longer wear.
19. Separate your clothes by season. If you have a tall closet with several rows of rods, place
current seasons clothes on the lowest level and move out of season clothes on the tallest
rods.
20. Categorize your clothes by purpose, such as work, casual, and formal.
21. Gather all unused wire hangers and take them to the dry cleaners to recycle.
22. Hang scarves on a hanger or scarf rack. Also, hang belts and ties on hangers or racks.
23. Use a shoe rack to keep shoes organized and throw out shoe boxes that clutter the floor.
24. Install hooks on the closet wall to hang up hats and purses.
25. Store clothes that you want to save in a vacuum sealed plastic bag. These bags pack
down for storing under the bed or in a closet. Remember to save only the clothes that you
think will be worn!
Kitchen:
26. Organize your cabinets into several categories such as plates, glasses, Tupperware,
kid's plates and sippy cups. Place the plates on one shelf, the glasses on another shelf, and
so on. This way when you empty the dishwasher, you or other family members will always
know where everything goes.
27. Group your foods together in the pantry for easy access and to help you identify when
inventory is getting low. For example, group together your canned goods, cereals, pasta, etc.
28. Place all packets (gravy, Jell-O, sauces) in a basket and place on shelf.
29. Purchase a spice rack that works best for your cabinet. Alphabetize your spices and
place frequently used spices on the front of the rack and all others towards the back of the
rack.
30. For all of those plastic containers and Tupperware items, dedicate one cabinet or drawer
for those items and try to purchase stackable containers to maximize your space.
31. Save your countertop space for items you use daily. Only display cookbooks that you
really use and if possible store your canister set in your pantry instead of on the counter.
32. If you have a collection of clipped recipes that are filling drawers and countertop space,
purchase a three-ring binder in a color that matches your decor, a box of plastic sheet
protectors (to protect your recipes), paper, and a set of dividers with tabs. Glue each recipe
onto a piece of paper (use front and back of each piece of paper) and then place into a sheet
protector. Categorize recipes (breakfast, desert, etc.), label the tabs, and place recipes in

3. binder. Additional tip, if you purchase a binder that has pockets, store clipped recipes that
you want to try in the pockets before adding them to your collection.
33. Do you have mounds of plastic bags from the grocery store? Place about 10 bags inside
of 1 bag and throw the rest away. You can always get more the next time you go to the
grocery store.
34. Get in a habit of cleaning 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.
Kid's Room:
35. In a boy's room, put a basketball hoop over a laundry basket for slam-dunking dirty
clothes.
36. Place a two-compartment hamper in your kid's room so he or she can sort light clothes
from dark clothes as they undress.
37. String a clothesline in your child's room and have your child clothespin his or her favorite
artwork.
38. Hang a fish net from the ceiling to store stuffed animals, dolls, or action figures.
39. Add a bookshelf and help your child organize their books.
40. Buy the kids their own alarm clocks and teach them how to get up on time.
Misc.
41. Make sure everything in your house has a home. Teach all family members to mind their
own messes. For example, if you take it out, put it back; if you open it, close it; if you throw it
down, pick it up; if you make a mess, clean it up; and so on.
42. Put wastebaskets in every room and place several unused trash bags in the bottom of
each one. This will eliminate countless trips to retrieve new trash bags and give all family
members a place to throw away their trash.
43. Place a decorative basket on the coffee table to keep remote controls in.
44. Use a plastic caddy (instead of shelf space) to store cleaning supplies in and tote it from
room to room.
45. Keep baskets or tubs for toys in every room for fast pickup and play time.
46. For kids' outdoor toys, purchase a weatherproof, bench-style storage box and store toys
inside. Also, gather all outdoor balls and place into a large, mesh drawstring bag and store in
garage.
47. Each night before bedtime, have all family members pick up clutter for 15 minutes. Make
a game out of it and see who can pick up the most things in the shortest amount of time.
48. Create a family message center on the refrigerator or other prominent place and use it for
shopping lists, reminders, calendars, and phone messages.
49. Make a master grocery list on your computer from a spreadsheet or Word document.
Categorize the groceries into sections such as frozen, dairy, and so on. In each category, list
the most frequent items that you buy. Organize the grocery list according to the way your
favorite grocery store's isles are set up. Print copies and keep one copy handy for the current
week. When you see you are low on a product or you're preparing your grocery list for the
week, simply highlight whatever items you need. Keep the document current by adding new
items and/or deleting items you no longer buy. Also, create a space on the document for
Misc. items where your family members can write down what they need that is not on your

4. list.
50. Create an in box on your desk for papers (bills, permission slips, etc.) that need your
attention.
The goal of organizing isn't to make your home pristine but rather to make your life more
calm and functional. Work with the above ideas and you will end up having less clutter, a
simplified home, more quality time for yourself and your family, and improved productivity.
Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the creator/editor of The Home Decor Exchange
and the Home & Garden Exchange. The Home Decor Exchange is a popular home and
garden website featuring resources, articles, decorating pictures, free projects, and a
shopping marketplace. The Home & Garden Exchange website is a link exchange program
and directory dedicated to the home and garden industry, as well as offering free website
content and promotional ideas. Please visit both websites for all of your home, garden, and
website needs.
http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com
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