We all want our homes to be more organized, but sometimes I feel like there just isn’t time to put the organizational tools in place that are needed. Do you feel that way, too?
Here are five home organizing tips for busy people (and aren’t we all busy?!?). These tips are designed not only to make organizing go faster, but also to make finding things easier (and thus faster).
(1) A Little Goes a Long Way.
When I’m busy, the thought of tackling the organization of an entire room is daunting and seems impossible. So, rather than deciding to tackle a whole room, decide to tackle one thing in that room. For example, rather than trying to organize the whole home office, just organize the desk. Then, another time, tackle the files.
To be even more efficient, set a timer. That way, you only spend that amount of time on the space and then you move on to another thing on your to-do list!
(2) Get in the Zone.
When tackling the organization of a space or room, create zones within that space. For example, here’s my pantry (from our old house):
Keeping like items together in designated zones makes those items easier to find.
The same is true when organizing a whole room. For example, here’s my kitchen:
On the left side, all the glassware is together. On the right side, all the baking supplies are together. In the cabinets, I keep like items together, too. The cabinet to the right of the stove is all pots and pans. The one to the left is all kitchen storage containers. You get the idea. Zones make finding those items easier.
(3) List It and Love It.
When I’m busy and focused, I can’t remember anything other than what I’m working on at that moment. Keeping lists ensures I don’t forget things.
My to-do list from when we moved. For real.
You can keep a list on paper (I can’t live without my spiral notebook!) or on your smartphone. Either way, lists are great ways to stay organized and on top of what needs to be done.
(4) Put It Where You Use It.
When organizing your home, make sure you put things where you use them.
That picture is of my laundry room. On the bottom shelf, I put a big package of toilet paper. Great, right? Plenty of room, great storage idea? Wrong! Why?
Because no one uses toilet paper in the laundry room. I needed to put it where people needed it – in the bathrooms. So now, when I buy a big pack of TP like this, I split it up and put rolls in each bathroom, where we use them. Not only is the toilet paper where it needs to be, but now I have a free shelf in my laundry room for stuff that actually belongs in the laundry room!
(5) Tricks for Keeping Track.
Keeping our clothes closets organized seems to be our biggest challenge. At the end of each season, it’s hard to remember what fit and what didn’t, what was and wasn’t worn, and what needs to be tossed.
Here are some time-saving tricks to keep your clothes closet organized:
- Organize by color and, within each color, by sleeve- or leg-length. This makes clothes easier to find, which is a time-saver on hectic mornings!
- Turn all of your hangers one way. Then, when you wear an item, turn the hanger the other way. At the end of the season, the hangers that aren’t turned hold the items you didn’t wear. Donate them if they are in good shape; toss them if not.
- Keep a bag or box on the floor of your closet and immediately discard anything that has stains or holes.
What time-saving organizational tricks do you have? Share them in the comments below!
