With time, every house is expected to look a little disorganized, mainly because of buying stuff that we do not need.
Henceforth, one does not have to feel bad about the clutter in the house, as a report from the National Association of Professional Organizers shows that we do not use 8% of the stuff we keep.
We only wear 20% of the clothes we own, and 80% are just in the wardrobe for emergency purposes. The situation could even worsen if one loses their car keys or mobile phone in the house.
How to Organize a House?
If you live in a disorganized house, here are some tips on how to organize a house:
How to Organize Your Kitchen
Most kitchens have shelves; if not, you can get them installed at a very affordable price.
To make it easier to find utensils, one should organize the plates on a single shelf, the cups on a single shelf, and the glasses. The arrangement should be maintained every time the dishwasher is offloaded to avoid confusion.
Always make sure that your pantry is well-organized and food is put in containers.
Some foods, such as oats and Weetabix, can quickly go bad if left in open jars hence the need to organize your pantry.
Get a spice rack that fits perfectly on the cabinet and put the frequently used spices in the front. Purchase stackable containers and put them on a single shelf with other Tupperware containers.
The countertop should be spared for items that are used daily, such as recipes and spoons. Ensure you reuse the plastic grocery bags as this could save you a nickel at the store.
How to Organize Your Bathroom
To reduce the amount of clutter in the bathroom, one should purchase a plastic tub with a top handle.
Please put all your items, including hair spray, lotion, and hair removal cream, and place them on the counter.
When showering, you can take the plastic and, after you are done, place it back on the counter.
The number of items in the bathroom will be reduced and can even be used by someone else. To organize the bathtub or shower, place the soap, shampoo, and body wash in shower caddies.
Various types of organizers are available at department stores and affordable prices. Install a magnetic strip in the medicine cabinet and place the tweezers, nail clippers, and scissors.
Throw away empty containers or items found in the bathroom. Roll clean towels up and put them in a decorative basket if there is no more space on the shelf.
How to Organize Your Closet
To ensure your closet is always clean, place some laundry baskets to put in dirty clothes and separate them from the clean ones.
Sort out the clothes and donate the items that you no longer need; these include the tiny clothes, not in fashion and have not been worn in a year.
Arrange your clothes based on seasons with the current season’s clothes coming on top.
Categorize your clothes by work, whereby if you are required to dress in official clothes throughout the week, these should then come first.
The casual clothes should then be organized separately. Install hooks in your closet to hang bags and hats. Use a shoe rack to organize your shoes.
Hang scarves, belts, and ties on a hanger or place them on a rack.
You can give away the shoes that you have not put on in over a year. Old shoe boxes should be recycled rather than leaving them lying on the floor.
How to Organize Your Kid’s Room
Kids need to be trained on how to take care of their rooms; hence one can put a basketball hoop over a child’s laundry basket to encourage them to put their dirty clothes inside.
Place two laundry baskets in the kid’s room to help them sort light clothes from dark ones.
Hang a clothing line inside your child’s room for them to place their artwork.
A fish net can be hung from the ceiling to store dolls and other stuffed animals; this will ensure they are not lying all over the room, and the kid can easily put them in the net.
Place a bookshelf in their room and help them stack up their books. You can also teach the kid how to keep the bookshelf organized.
Teach your child how to get up on time by buying them an alarm clock and telling them not to switch it off without getting up.
Evening
Ensure that you plan your next day before bed by planning what you and your family will have for breakfast and lunch.
Help the kids with their homework and ensure they have packed all their books in their backpacks.
Place your purse or briefcase in a designated area and ensure that your car keys are inside the bag you will use the next day.
Ensure that your car is fuelled the day to avoid worrying about getting late to work the next day. Have a to-do list for the next day and prioritize the tasks.
Miscellaneous
Please teach the rest of the family members how to take care of their messes and put back items where they belong after they are done using them.
Remind them, including children, that if they open something, including jam and peanut butter, it must be closed back.
Put wastebaskets in each room and place trash bags in each so everyone will have a place to throw their trash.
Put the remote controls in a decorative basket in the living room, and make sure that everyone places them in the basket after they are done.
Store cleaning supplies in a plastic caddy and carry them from room to room rather than using shelf space.
Keep baskets in each room to place kids’ toys after they are done playing. Have each family member de-clutter the house at the end of each day; this will ensure that the house is always organized.
What should be Organized First in the House?
When you organize a house, the areas that should be organized first in the house include the living room and kitchen since these are common areas and are frequently used.
One should first ensure that the kitchen shelves are cleaned and then the utensils arranged separately.
The living room should be cleaned next, and the children can help by picking up their toys and putting them in a storage box.
Always ensure that everything is in the right place. The bathroom should also be amongst the first to be cleaned as it is a common area.
The personal spaces and other small spaces such as the laundry room should be cleaned last.
Where to Start De-cluttering when Involved?
The place to start with when de-cluttering is the living room and kitchen, as these are common areas.
One has to decide what to keep, toss, or donate depending on how worn-out the item is or change in preferences.
The fewer items in the living room and kitchen, the better the common spaces will look.
