We can’t all be professional organizers, but we can all learn how to organize our homes properly. But where to start? Many home organization experts — including Marie Kondo! — recommend decluttering as a good first step.
“Decluttering [is] the act of picking what you like, picking out what you [don’t] like, [and] choosing what you want to keep,” says Michele Vig, a Marie Kondo-certified master organizer, the founder of Neat Little Nest, and the author of The Holistic Guide to Decluttering. “Declutter first, organize second.” After you’ve gotten rid of everything that no longer sparks joy, you’ll have an easier time creating lasting systems for a chaos-free home.
Once you’re ready to get down to business, use these expert-approved home organization hacks and methods that will save you time, money, and stress. Most can be accomplished for free, relying on the tools you already have at home, or can be pulled off with a few affordable organizing products that will take your closets, bedrooms, bathrooms, and more to the next level. Just remember: Even if decluttering and organizing feels overwhelming, the best thing you can do is simply start. Once you start chipping away at all that clutter, you’ll be reaping the benefits of a more streamlined life in no time.
Getting Started
Block out the time you need on your calendar.
Plotting your organizing efforts on a daily planner could be just the motivation you need to hold yourself accountable. Just make sure you’re being realistic about the amount of time you need, especially if it’s a big project.
“Don’t try to quickly get a project done that you know takes time,” says Kate Pawlowski, founding partner of Done & Done Home. “If you dismantle your closet to do a big declutter and run out of time because you have to pick up your kids, you’ll just have to come back to it the next day.”
Do the best you can with the time you have, but try to give your plan some structure so you don’t have to abandon the project before you’re finished.
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Tackle one space at a time.
There’s no denying that organization can be a stressful activity for a lot of people. Experts suggest starting small and tackling one space of your house at a time to make it less of a daunting task. “Walk around your home and assess the space that is the most unproductive,” says Wendy Silberstein of the Aesthetic Organizer. “Make a commitment to organize, and schedule it.”
Ashley Murphy, co-founder of Neat Method, finds it’s best to choose a place that you use a lot in your house. “This will make a huge impact on your day-to-day life and give you the confidence needed to move on to other areas on your list,” she tells Woman’s Day.
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Make a prioritized to-do list.
One of the best ways to maximize your time? Consider making a to-do list of the top five things you want to get done that day.
“Prioritize your tasks so that you know which one you are going to do first,” says Sharon Lowenheim, a professional organizer and founder of the Organizing Goddess, Inc. “As you get interrupted during the day by other activities, keep returning to the list and go in order of priority.” At the end of the day, move whatever you didn’t get done to tomorrow’s list.
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Use the Focus15 method.
If you’re still struggling to find time to clear your space, Vig highly recommends the Focus 15 method. Basically, you set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on doing one task in that timeframe. “You’re gonna feel this sense of freedom,” she says. “When I’m stuck, when I just feel like either I’m too tired, or I’m just tired of it — whatever the ‘it’ is — the Focus 15 can really help. It kind of gets your adrenaline going and gets you across the finish line.”
Editing and Sorting
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Take inventory.
Now it’s time for a process professional organizers call “editing,” or taking inventory. Once you’ve decided on a space, pull everything out of it and start sifting through to see what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of.
“Editing is a step in the decluttering process that helps you determine which items to keep, toss, or donate,” says Jaime Hord, founder of Horderly Professional Organizing. “After editing, you’re left with only the items you need and love in your home!”
Set up a staging area, like the dining table, then empty whatever you’re organizing so you can spot doubles, giveaways, and must-saves fast.
Learn to make quick decisions.
It’s easy to fall into the habit of hoarding things you think you may need or use one day, even if you don’t necessarily care for these items, so be brutally honest with yourself about what to keep and what to toss. “It may have once served you well, but it apparently has no place in your life right now, so let it go,” says Lowenheim.
Silberstein says there are a few key ways to “edit” your possessions. “Do not keep any garments that you have not worn in 12 months or longer, any kitchen or bathroom products that have expired, or any inventory that has not served you well in the last 12 months,” she tells Woman’s Day.
Need to make it even easier? If at least one of the following statements is true about an item, then it’s a keeper:
• I’ve used it within the last year. That’s enough time to have gone through all four seasons and special occasions. If you still aren’t sure, put the item in a “Donate Later” box, seal it and mark it with the date of one year from now. If you haven’t opened it by then, drop off the box at Goodwill without peeking inside.
• I need it or I love it. If you don’t, there’s no real reason to hang on to it. Resolve to fill your space only with things that really work, give you pleasure, or celebrate your family. Remember that you can’t appreciate what you have if it’s hiding in a dark corner of a closet. You should frame or display what you deem worth holding on to.
• It fits into the life I want to live. If something supports you and your future goals (think exercise equipment or a book about starting a business), it can stay. If it’s a painful reminder of the past (think clothes that don’t fit anymore or items that belonged to an ex), let it go.
Another great rule of thumb is to always remember the 80/20 rule. “It’s the theory that most of us only use 20% of what we have,” says Julie Isaacs, a professional organizer and founder of Uncluttered Home. “That’s a good starting point to realizing you are surrounded by a lot of things you probably don’t need.”
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Set limits.
Also keep in mind that everything you keep will need a home. For categories that can get unwieldy quickly, like memorabilia or craft supplies, assign them to a single shelf or bin, then let the designated area’s size dictate how much you keep.
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Sort like things with like things.
One of the things that can make a huge difference in how you organize your space is putting similar things together. Once you’ve pulled out what you don’t need to either throw away or donate, the next step is to group the things in your pared-down collection together based on use or occasion.
“Make sure you pull everything of the category you are working on together from anywhere it lives in your house,” says Pawlowski. “This doesn’t mean taking your coats from the mudroom to your bedroom because it’s ‘clothing,’ just that you should edit all coats at the same time.”
Seeing everything in front of you sorted by categories — jeans in one corner, shoes in another — gives you a chance to see how much of something you have, making it easier to get rid of extras.
Don’t buy storage containers until you’ve purged.
A word of warning: Do not buy new bins and boxes before you’ve taken inventory so you can assess what you truly need. The worst thing you can do when decluttering is to buy bins that will ultimately go unused. “When people want to get organized, the first thing they usually do is run out and buy storage supplies,” says Isaacs. “But that’s actually backwards.”
The point, she explains, is to evaluate why you have so much stuff to begin with — not find new ways to house your junk. “You won’t have any idea of what you really need in terms of containers or shelving until you’ve purged,” she says.
Easy Organizing
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Find a home for everything you own.
Once you’ve edited and sorted, it’s not enough just to place what you’re keeping back in containers. You want to make sure to group items appropriately, so you can easily find them and so your system is easy to keep up.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” This tip perfectly embodies that sentiment. At its simplest level, to organize is to “keep creating a home for everything you own,” says Vig.
Store things where you use them.
So how do you figure out the best home for your things? “If something gets used in the living room but gets stored in the bedroom, you’re never going to put it away,” Lowenheim says. “You’re going to keep it hanging around in the living room on a surface or on the floor, creating a cluttered look.”
While you may not think you have the space to store a certain item where you use it, finding a more convenient home can help reduce the clutter in your house because “you increase the likelihood that it gets put away,” she adds.
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Arrange items according to how frequently they’re used.
Keep the items you use every day in plain sight — or at least at eye level. “The things you use daily should be the easiest to get to,” interior decorator Christopher Lowell, author of Seven Layers of Organization, tells Woman’s Day. “While the things you only use once in a while should require a step stool.” This is where high shelving comes in handy. “Things you use just once a year should require a ladder,” he adds. (Think attics or out-of-reach shelving in a garage.)
Not only will this storage system make it easier for you to find the things you use often, but the items you don’t use regularly — like seasonal clothing, skis or camping gear, luggage, or special occasion dinnerware — will stay organized until you need them.
Take the same approach in the bathroom: Keep cotton swabs and other daily use items on the counter within arm’s reach and tools you use occasionally under the cabinet. “With the things you only use now and then separated out and away from the things you need every day, those daily essentials will be better organized and easier to get to,” Lowell says.
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User dividers in your drawers.
“There isn’t a drawer in your house that should not have container organizers in them,” says Lowell. They can be any material you want — wood, wire mesh, or clear plastic — and are available at most home goods stores. “This allows you to separate the drawers into defined areas for specific things verses throwing everything into one big space,” Lowell explains.
For the bedroom, store everyday items — like underwear and socks — in top drawers, workout clothes in the second or third drawers, and pants in the bottom drawers.
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Make it easier to put things away.
“It always surprises me how difficult people make organizing for themselves,” Kate Brown, professional organizer and owner of Impact Organizing LLC, tells Woman’s Day. Her suggestion? “Make everything a one-handed operation.” For example, keeping open containers and bins on shelves around the house can help maintain tidiness and make it easier to locate things when you need them.
Why open bins and not stacking bins? “You’re more likely to put your things back where they belong if you’re storing them in a drawer or open bin,” Sara Losonci, founder of Shelfie NYC, tells Woman’s Day. If you have to stack and unstack bins every time you want to put something away, it takes more time and energy, which you may not always have when you’re organizing. “When you don’t feel like putting something back where it belongs, you set it down on a surface and the clutter collecting begins,” she explains. Whereas, simply placing something into an open bin or tossing it into a drawer with organizers is far less tedious and takes little effort.
“Avoid lids at almost all costs,” adds Brown. “The fewer steps, the better the organizing system.”
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Color-code your bookshelves.
This organizing hack is more of a fun, aesthetically pleasing project and less of a necessary thing to do to keep your space neat. If you have a little extra time on your hands, and you’re looking for something to do, “color-code your books,” Losonci says. “Nothing is easier on the eyes. There’s a reason this tip is life-changing and talked about all the time.”
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Organize your kitchen with a towel rack.
Hanging up a towel rack in your kitchen for utensils and pans is another fun little project that’ll not only make you feel much more organized, but also give your kitchen an aesthetically pleasing touch. It helps you reduce the clutter in your kitchen drawers or cabinets, and because it looks nice, you won’t mind looking at it every day. It also makes high-use items much more accessible!
Sort your fridge like a grocery store.
Just as grocery stores have a designated place for different types of items — meats, dairy, snacks, etc. — so too should your fridge. Silberstein advises using clear bins in your fridge to keep everything in its designated place, and stacking the bins to take advantage of the height available on most refrigerator shelves.
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Buy a rotating tray.
Not only are rotating trays, colloquially known as “lazy Susans,” incredibly practical, but also they make organizing your kitchen, cabinet, or even dinner table, so much easier. You can use small ones in your refrigerator to access hard-to-reach items or as a place to store baking supplies in your pantry. Or, go big by installing a bi-level set-up in a corner cabinet. “I can’t live without them,” says Cynthia Kienzle, founder of The Clutter Whisperer of NYC.
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Get yourself a hanging shoe rack.
Instead of opening your closet door and seeing shoes messily scattered everywhere, consider getting a hanging shoe rack for a clothing rod or behind the door. “Too many shoes all over the closet floors getting dinged and dusty and separated from each other,” says Kienzle. “That is not an inviting scene. Now, imagine opening your closet and having all of your shoes stored in cubbies in hanging shoe bags.” You can organize them by type, color or season, too.
Use the walls.
Hang canvas bins from sturdy hooks, either in a row or grid pattern, to free up space on the floor. You can use them to corral board games, books, magazines, toys, and other items inside. Select a style with a soft color or patterns, and these catchalls become wall decor, too.
Tame cords with a picture ledge.
Uncross wires and gain back precious workspace by turning a simple picture ledge into a charging dock. Use a drill fitted with a 3/4″ bit to make holes in the bottom of the shelf, then hang it on the wall above your desk. Thread your charging cords through the holes so you can plug in devices quickly.
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Label everything.
Once you’ve edited, purged, sorted and given everything a home, put the finishing touch on your masterpiece by labeling. “Labels are like the cherry on top,” Marissa Hagmeyer, co-founder of Neat Method, tells Woman’s Day. “They complete the look of a space and make your system sustainable by reminding your household exactly where everything goes.” Not only will labels help you find your stored items, they will also motivate you to keep up with the organization.
Staying Organized
Assess your space when you finish organizing.
When you feel like you’ve done all the organizing that you can for whatever space in the house you were working on, “assess if you are in need of organizing solutions that will maintain the system you created,” Silberstein says. For example, maybe you need to add a command center where you have everything you need to find organized on a list.
Then, give some thought to where the clutter is coming from. Clutter doesn’t only happen in the physical sense, Vig explains. “Think about clutter in a more holistic way,” she says. “Your clutter might be showing up in your home, but it might be there because maybe you have clutter in your calendar.”
Maybe you’ve got too much going on with work or school, and you’re not giving yourself enough mental space to process it all. “There might be clutter in your head, and you’re not really focusing on the tasks that you have at hand,” Vig adds. If that’s the case, you may want to give yourself a little break, whether that’s mental, physical, or spiritual.
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Pay attention to your habits.
This life-changing organizational tip is more about getting to the root of the clutter than the decluttering itself. “When you come home at the end of the day, are you the kind of person who hangs up their coat immediately?” says Losonci. “Or do you toss it on a chair?”
If you prefer to do the former, then consider getting rid of some stuff in your closet that you no longer use to make space for the things that you use regularly. If you just like tossing your coat on the chair, Losonci suggests hanging a sturdy, large, and long hook on the wall instead of using the chair. “It’s 1% more difficult to do than tossing your coat on a bench or chair and not as stressful as going into your closet to hang it up,” she says.
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Moving forward, be picky about items in your home.
Think carefully about what you allow into your home. Consider your needs before accepting hand-me-downs or agreeing to store a friend’s kayak for the off-season. If shoes aren’t your size, skip ’em. If you do have space to hang on to something temporarily, set a pickup date so your basement doesn’t become a free storage unit.
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Better yet, apply the one in, one out rule.
This rule is simple to follow: When you bring something new into your home, you’ll have to let go of something else (preferably of a similar size).
Shopping can be a really fun and relaxing activity for a lot of people, but if you want to avoid overfilling your closet with the new clothes you buy each week, you may want to consider this rule. “If you get a really amazing new dress from the store, make sure you donate one item in your closet to make room for your new purchase,” Hord says. “This ensures that no space in your home will overflow because of new items.”
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Don’t put it down, put it away.
One thing that could make your house feel unorganized without you realizing it is that you take something out of its home, put it down somewhere, and then forget about it. “This creates clutter and also causes a problem when we go looking for it,” Lowenheim says.
So after you’re done using your extra blanket or your dinner tray, don’t just leave it where you used it. “That is one of the most significant ways clutter accumulates,” Vig says. “It’s thinking, ‘I’ll do that later.'” Then, before you realize it, you have a million things you have to do “later,” and it can feel overwhelming.
Consider spending an extra minute or two when you’re getting ready to move to another room in the house to put things back where they belong.
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Eliminate clutter hot spots.
Flat surfaces like your dining room table, entryway table, and kitchen counters tend to accumulate piles faster than any other spot in the house, explains Isaacs, who advises clients to make clearing all flat surfaces part of their nightly routine — right along with washing their face and brushing their teeth.
But if that doesn’t work, her last-ditch trick is to physically block any surface that has become a clutter haven. “For instance, if you put a flower arrangement in the middle of the dining room table and set it with placemats, you’re sending the message that the space is no longer a dumping zone,” Isaacs says.
Tidy up a little every day.
It can be overwhelming to think about cleaning an entire house in one fell swoop. To avoid that agony, you can try the “little by little” approach. Though it may seem nearly impossible on your really busy days, tidying up a little each day can do wonders. “If you do a little here and there, things will stay nicely organized and the upkeep will feel effortless,” Hagmeyer says.
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Stop buying dressers with massive and deep drawers.
Deep drawers are not your friends — not now, not ever — unless you’re storying hoodies and sweaters, but even then, they’re unnecessary, Losonci explains. The smaller, the easier they are to organize and categorize, so you may want to seriously consider shallower drawers the next time you go furniture shopping. “Give up the searching through depths of doom life,” she jokes.
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Have a donation or discard bin around at all times.
Tuck a large container or shopping bag in the corner of your closet, in the garage, or anywhere out of the way, and ask your family to review their belongings regularly and identify items they no longer want to put in it. Whenever the container gets full, drop the contents off at your favorite thrift store or trade them with a friend at a swap party. This way, unused items don’t pile up and take up valuable storage space.
“I keep a shopping bag with a handle in the front of my closet,” says Brown. “Every time I try on a piece of clothing and then take if off again because it’s unflattering, doesn’t fit, is pulled, stained, or out of style, I put it in the bag. If you’ve taken the piece of clothing off for any reason other than that it’s dirty or doesn’t match, that means it’s not right and will probably never be.”
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Remember to take a step back.
Often clutter becomes such a fixture, you look right past it. For a new perspective, imagine you’re a guest in your own home. Take note of things a visitor would notice that you’ve been ignoring, like the paper pile that has claimed the corner of the kitchen counter for months or the blankets strewn all over the couch. Then, refresh the room back to its original state by eliminating what’s making it appear disorganized. Still not seeing the junk? Snapping a picture of the room will force you to view your space through a different lens.
