Have you made it a resolution to stay organized this new year? Do you want to make it a goal to keep organized? Pacesetter Homes has a few tips for you on how to keep your home organized this new year! Start small, start somewhere, and before you know it, your home will look clean and organized, just the way you’ve imagined!
Start with your Kitchen
Kitchen Cupboards and Pantry First
It’s a good idea to start your organizing in your kitchen, as it’s one of the main living areas of your home that people see first and spend most of their time in. Plus, it’s always the dirtiest or messiest due to all the food preparation, cooking, and eating that goes on. Take on your kitchen by reserving a few hours to clear out everything from your kitchen.
- Remove all food from cupboards and pantry onto your counters.
- Look at dates and throw out old food (you may find quite a bit from over the holidays, such as that dessert you brought home from your grandma’s house that’s a few weeks old).
- Distribute similar items into piles. You should have your jars and cans together, with your condiments and spices in another pile.
- Then place your piles back into your cupboards and pantry by placing food essentials in easy accessible spots, such as right near the fridge or on the shelf eye-level to you. This way, you’ll end up finding and using the food you need.
Move Onto Fridge Organization
Similar to the cupboards and pantry organization, take out everything from your fridge. Make sure to designate time out of your day to do this all at once, as you’re not going to want to leave stacks of produce and food which needs to be chilled out on your kitchen table.
Follow the previous steps by throwing out old food, organizing like items into piles, then placing them near each other in the fridge. Use the areas in the fridge meant for certain items, such as the drawers for fruits and veggies.
Dig into Junk Drawers and Linen Closets
Bathroom and Office Drawers
There’s nothing wrong with having one assigned junk drawer that you go to every week and de-clutter, but if you have a junk drawer which is never used and junk is put there and never looked at again, it’s time to clear it out. This will make finding certain items a whole lot easier since you’ll have an assigned drawer and place for them to go.
Take about 30 minutes to look through your bathroom and office drawers and see what you truly need, what you should throw out, and what type of bins/storage pieces you’ll need. Start organizing what you’ll keep into storage holding items such as a few plastic containers for makeup, boxes for underneath vanity storage, or baskets with files labeled and saved.
Linen Closets
Whether you need to buy storage bins from the Container Store or you have a few storage items around the house, consider how you’ll place them into your linen closet and what items will be put into them. If your linen closet mostly contains towels, cleaning supplies, and extra personal products, consider placing the smaller items into the bins, with the towels neatly folded above. Find organization inspiration on Pinterest to see how others have done so. Who knows, you may end up taking a photo and posting it as inspiration on Pinterest as well for others to see. Also consider storing your holiday decorations in extra linen closet space or in your attic, away from sight.
Take it to the Closets
This may be the most time consuming decluttering task to do in your home depending on how much clothing you collect and wear. If needed, take it on by breaking it up into an hour or two one day and the next, if you find yourself a bit overwhelmed. But once it’s accomplished, you’ll feel impressed by the outcome and want to keep your closet looking that way. It also makes it a whole lot easier to figure out what to wear in the morning without rummaging through a pile of possibly dirty clothes.
Like the organization method from the kitchen, apply it to this chore. Instead of throwing out clothing pieces you don’t want, donate them. Hang items you want to grab quickly, such as tees and sweaters, and fold away jeans or pajamas in your dresser drawers.
A unique method to apply to your lifestyle to prevent clutter is to have a designated spot such as a hamper or box to place dirty laundry and another to put clothes you may take off that are clean when you’re in a hurry. That way, clothing doesn’t end up on the floor in piles throughout your bedroom or closet. Then, after you’re finished with your day, take a few minutes to hang and fold the clean clothes and put them away.
You may also want to invest in a laundry basket for every room of your house so your other family members have a place to put their dirty clothes, making laundry day a whole lot easier to accomplish.
Minus Items from Mudroom and Entryway
Take away items in your mudroom or entryway that shouldn’t be there. We all have them. Stacks of books we checked out from the library, toys, or extra jackets. To keep this area clutter-free, you’ll need to make sure only one or two pairs of shoes are there for each family member, and that applies to jackets, beanies, and coats as well. The last thing you want is someone coming into your home and seeing a mess right in front of them. Remember to only keep on-the-go necessities here.
3 More Brief Ways to Stay Organized
Keep Clean by Reinforcing Habits
After you’ve finished all the organization in your home, you’ll need to reinforce those cleaning habits so your home will maintain a clean appearance. This can happen through assigning time and days where you pick up after yourself or simply picking up right after you create a mess from cooking, playing, eating, etc. You can also place cleaning supplies in close proximity to the dirtiest spaces of your home, from your kitchen to your bathrooms.
Don’t Overbuy Items
This is a preventative to creating clutter. By only having one or two of the same item in your home, you’ll more likely have a place for them and your drawers, cupboards, and closets won’t be overflowing.
Reward Yourself
Don’t forget to reward yourself in one way or another once you finish a task, no matter how big or small. That could be in whatever way you decide, whether that be through food, sleep, hobby, or something that makes you celebrate! That way, you’ll look forward to getting a task done instead of dreading it.