- Use baskets, bins, containers or any other storage items that work for you.wash basins and baskets image by dana nicolescu from Fotolia.com
Organizing your home may seem overwhelming if you look at it as one large project. Instead, implement a few strategies that aid you in organizing one room, or even one closet, at a time. Use different strategies for organizing your home until you find a system that works for you and the people you share your home with. - Draw up a plan for organizing your home. Break it down into smaller tasks so you don't overwhelm yourself early in the project and give up halfway through. Tackle one room, or one area of a room, each day, weekend or however often works for you. Start with the most unorganized areas. For example, the kitchen and family room might catch most of the clutter if those are the first rooms your family uses upon coming home. The main idea of organizing your home is to create a place for everything, and make a plan to put everything in its place.
- Remove everything from the room, closets or shelves that you are working on. Assess all of your things to determine if you really need them or if the items have a significant meaning to you. Throw away things that are broken or missing pieces. Donate or sell clothes that don't fit or other items that your family no longer uses. Keep the things that hold special meaning and things your family uses frequently.
- Figure out what sort of containers you want to use that will work for your organizational needs, as well as your home decor. Plastic storage containers come in a multitude of different sizes and shapes, and can be used to hold nearly anything you wish to organize. Plastic containers are not always conducive to maintaining a decorative appearance, which is why they may be best suited to store out-of-season clothes, holiday decorations, cleaning supplies and keepsakes, such as children's old artwork. Decorative baskets might work best for organizing the things that are kept out in the open, such as the mail or remote controls.
- Organize your things in a way that makes sense for your daily life. Place a bowl, basket or tray near the door or where you change your clothes to keep your keys, wallet, purse, cell phone and loose change. The clothes and shoes you wear most often should have a commanding place in your closet. The spices and ingredients you use most when cooking should be easy to see and reach. Place the things you use less often on the floor or up higher where they are out of the way. For example, out-of-season clothing can go on the top shelf in your closet. Old family heirlooms that you want to save, but don't frequently get into, can be stored in the back of a storage closet, the basement, attic or on rafters in your garage.
- Not every organizing system will work for everyone. The trick is finding one that suits you and your family. If you realize that you still can't find the things you need after a month of trying out a system, it's time to test another approach. Keep items near the place they are used. For example, it's silly to organize your pens, papers, envelopes and stamps in a kitchen drawer if you pay your bills and write letters from the desk in your home office.
Label your containers with pictures or words so that you know what's inside the containers without having to open them. This will help you stay organized and find the items when you need them, not a week later.
Put everything away when you're done with it. You may not always feel like going back downstairs to return the scissors to the kitchen, but making it a habit to put them away right away ensures they will be there the next time you need them. Putting everything in its place when you're done with it will also help maintain a tidy home.
