How to Have an Organized Home: 11 Important Tips

Are you drowning in clutter and chaos? 

Do you feel like you spend your life battling a household mess?

Imagine walking in the door to a relaxing home environment. No more piles of laundry or random objects scattered everywhere. Say goodbye to the stress of losing your keys or tripping over your shoes in the hallway. 

If you’d like a more organized home then read on for 11 important home cleaning tips.

1. A Place for Everything

“A place for everything and everything in its place” is a good mantra to start living by. You should start living by this rule if you want to have an organized home. If everything has its home within your home then it can’t become clutter. 

Set a timer on your phone for ten minutes each morning and before bed to put things back in their allotted place.

2. Don’t Use It? Don’t Keep It!

“80% of what we keep, we don’t use,” says Amazing Goodwill.

If you don’t use or need it, don’t keep it. Go through junk drawers, clothing, toys, and all household items. You don’t need to get overwhelmed so start in one room before moving to another. 

Give everyone in your household a Goodwill box that they can put things i

Top tip – when you wear something from your wardrobe, turn the hanger around to face the back. When you put it back you’ll know you’ve worn it. Any hangers that are forward-facing for three months should be removed as they haven’t been worn.

3. File Your Paperwork

When you receive mail make sure you open it immediately. If you don’t have time to open it, pin it somewhere you will see it so you can deal with it later. If you are unsure how to organize your paperwork then click here for some simple tips on how to get started.

Start by investing in a filing system that works for you. You can buy binders, a shelf system, or a filing cabinet might work best. 

First, try to gather all your paperwork and sort through what you need to keep and what can be thrown away. Invest in a good-quality paper shredder to dispose of any sensitive documents.

4. Clean As You Go

See that sock hanging out on that chair? Deal with it immediately and save yourself a job later. The chances are it will be added to a long list of tasks.

Are you waiting for the pasta to boil or for the toast to pop? Clean the dishes or tidy the dry ones away. You’ll find that your job list decreases and you don’t have as much to do when it comes to bedtime.

5. Work as a Team

Whether you live with a partner or you have five children – it’s a team effort! Everyone has their part to play in keeping your home organized.

Simple ways to involve the members of your household are to assign jobs to everyone on a job sheet. If you have younger children you may want to use a reward system that gives them the motivation to help around the house.

6. Use Clever Storage Solutions

Cleverly placed tubs and baskets will provide a space for many of your belongings. You can use them inside your closet or on a shelf to organize smaller items. Beware of filling baskets with junk and make sure you label the storage so everyone knows exactly what belongs in there. 

7. Create Routines

You can choose what works best for you. There are many ways you can foster a good organizing routine in your home. You can use a whiteboard with tasks you can erase, or a timetable of tasks for each member of your household. 

It’s much easier to clean little and often to avoid everything piling up. You can try ten minutes of tidying at a time or assign particular rooms to specific days. 

You may find it useful to have your home professionally cleaned before you start your new routines to set you off to a good start.

8. Put Away Groceries Immediately

When you return from the store, the temptation to put your feet up and relax can be very real. Your frozen and refrigerated items will thank you later if you put all your groceries away the second you set foot in the door. 

It will help if you have assigned a place for everything too. Purchase cereal dispensers and storage for loose items. Have a fruit bowl for your loose fruit and vegetables. Organizing your fridge can be a total game-changer. Label each item and have specific shelves for items such as dairy, meats, and vegetables.

9. Remove the Clutter Hotspots

Everyone has clutter hotspots in their home whether it’s the hallway table or an island in the kitchen. It’s the place where everyone dumps their loose change, car keys, gum, and everything but the kitchen sink. These places quickly attract more and more unsightly junk and become problematic.

Identify the clutter hotspots in your home and replace that space with decorative items such as a vase of flowers or photo frames. The people in your household will no longer be able to dump their things there! 

You can also assign bowls or baskets for keys and miscellaneous items which can help keep things looking organized. This area should be near the entrance to your home as a transition area for the things you need to leave the house. 

10. Over the Door Storage

Make sure of your doorways as storage for items such as shoes, cleaning products, and craft materials. You can purchase the canvas type that can hold a lot of items and keep them hidden. Use them in your office, bedroom or kitchen! 

11. Less Is More

Keep everything to a minimum from decor to clothing. The less you own, the easier it will be to clean and keep organized. Ask yourself if you really need something when you are about to purchase it. 

Maintain a Neat & Tidy Home

Keeping your home organized and tidy will be easy now you have the tools and know-how to maintain it. Experiment with the routines and tricks that work best for you and transform your home.

Read more of our blog here to discover more home cleaning advice and helpful tips.