A simple guide: Home Organization Hacks!

“A place for everything, and everything is it’s place” – I think that’s how a home should be! You should view your home as your haven, and a haven should be properly organized. I can see how this can be a challenge for some as there are sometimes things that factor in that are out of our control: large families, kids, messy husbands etc. But when there is order, there is tranquillity 🙂 . Organization is not about being perfect or having a perfectly organized home at all times, it’s about efficiency, minimizing stress and clutter, and saving time and money by improving your overall quality of life!

Do you ever wonder how your friends manage to keep their house so perfect when all you do is complain of the chaos in yours? Well, first step is accepting that clutter doesn’t appear just out of thin air. At times you end up pilling up unnecessary stuff in your house and before you know it, your home is nothing but a mess. Organizing is a practice, not a project – make it a habit!

Surprisingly, people with organized homes spend time at home too. This means you can’t keep your house organized by merely avoiding being there. If you know your house turns into a mess at some point in the day, follow these simple organization hacks that can help you control the flood of clutter in your home before it gets out of hand. Now, let’s get organized!

Spic and Span Bathrooms

The bathroom happens to be one of the most used rooms in the house. That said, for you to achieve a clean, beautiful and fully functional bathroom, you have to make a habit out of getting it AND keeping it organized at all times. Diverse products, towels, and other small appliances make their way to the bathroom and slowly contribute to clutter and mess.

So let’s look at the basics:

  • To keep the sink area tidy, opt for a soap dispenser rather than a bar soap tray.
  • If you have the option, ensure that the vanity floats off the floor. This way, your mopping and cleaning routines will be much easier, and dirt won’t pile up at the toe kick.
  • If you have it, use the space above the toilet to fit some shallow shelves for storage of washcloths and towels. I loveee wall shelves!
  • Have a medicine cabinet where you can house small items. Medicine cabinets with mirrors come in handy since they add to the organization storage options.
  • Install wire shelves or niches on the shower wall. You can use the space to keep shampoos and soaps rather than leaving them lying on the shower floor or tub edges. Keep your products out of sight unless you have some beautifully bottled skin care products that you’d like to show off 😉 .
  • Opt for drawers in your cabinetry rather than doors. This will give you easy access to the products and other bathroom appliances and you’ll be more incline to put it right back where you found it – in & out! 

A Flawless Living Room

Your living room – a place for relaxing, entertaining, dining, playing and family gatherings. For these and many reasons, the living room is one area in any home that is the most prone to clutter. Can you relate? Let’s look at a few tips that will help you reduce that living room chaos:

  • Every house has a focal point, can be the fireplace or the television set Arrange your furniture around this place to allow easy walking access.
  • Choose an entertainment area where you can keep your DVDs, Blue Ray, video games, etc. Ensure there is a separate storage space so you won’t have to deal with piles lying on the living room floor.
  • Keep the cable and cords out of sight. Use a cable zipper to enclose the wires.
  • If you have kids, make space for a playroom to avoid having toys lying all over the house. This will also help void having the kids carrying the toys around since everything will be in one place.
  • A coffee table is a great addition to any living room décor, but if you notice that clutter is accumulating on the coffee table, try adding some modern chic bins and rolling baskets under the table (just make sure they match your decor!).
  • Choose only a few photos that should be framed and place them strategically in the house. Don’t have all your photos on the wall, it can overwhelm your décor.
  • Use decorative pots for your house plants and organize them tactically to avoid that crowded look.

A Dashing Kitchen

A kitchen is the home’s center of attention. I don’t know about you, but for me, it is so much easier to cook in an organized kitchen. I clean as I cook to help me keep it together! This is easy for some, but I do know a few that make a mess out of broiling water 🙂 . For those, there are a few tricks that can help maintain an organized mess-free kitchen:

  • The depths of the pantry can be black holes if they are not visited now and then. Make it a habit to go through your pantry at least once a week and throw away anything that looks off or expired. That way you can clear up space for extra stuff.
  • Create extra space on the walls or the back of your kitchen cabinets. Do not overload your knife holder or peg board, instead leave those you use more often and put away others in a cabinet.
  • To help you find the spices while you are cooking, ensure that you label the sides or tops. Trust me this will save you so much time and frustration in the kitchen!
  • Depending of the size of your kitchen, create work zones; this will help you move around with much more ease. Also, ensure that you store everything according to their zones. You can have a cooking area, dishwasher storage area, clean-up area, preparation area, etc.
  • Organize your fridge according to the food categories. For instance; consider placing the dairy products on the top shelf of the fridge and meat in the lower section. That way you won’t have leakages from meat dirtying the fridge and contaminating other foods.

The Bedroom you ask?

To achieve a serene look in the bedroom you must have some of these common factors: a soft color scheme, a pampering bed, soft lighting and greeneries (or, as you know, my favorite option – faux flowers!). To maintain this kind of look in your bedroom, here are a few recommendations:

  • If your bedroom space is limited, maximize the under the bed storage. Use it to store shoes, sports gear, seasonal clothing and other bulky items in your bedroom. Preferably use clear boxes with handles for easy access. The Container Store and Amazon have some great options!
  • Install hooks on the back of your closet doors so you can hang belts, hats, and bathrobes.
  • If you have a large jewelry and accessories collection, give it a home in your bedroom. Look for a small pegboard and hung it on a wall (preferably in a closet or closed space). Or get a drawer jewelry organizer.
  • Utilize the bedside storage – get a stylish nightstand with drawers or doors.

There is no better feeling than being in an organized home – you’re hearing this from an organization freak! Give these tips a try and see how they help keep the main areas in your house sparkling clean and chaos free. Once you have an organization routine going, it will get easier. Remember – if you don’t LOVE or USE it, it’s clutter. The secret to getting organized is YOU! What are your organizing hacks? Share them below!

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6 Comments

  1. I personally prefer lavender scented candles, they really do calm me down and make the whole place relaxing. Also, nice to read about the tea trick on floors, I thought I was the only one who was doing this! I’ve always seen this as a quick and easy way to get some nice smells going.

    • Thank you! It’s a classic :). I love lavender as well but I’m always looking for new scents! You should check out some of my favorites I mention above, you won’t regret it!


  2. Johanny,
    Some really good ideas here. I smoke (outside the house) and we have pets and teenagers. The house has a distinctive scent that even I would like to change. We usually have scented candles and oil diffusers in the major rooms but it seems to be a losing battle. Your tip on the mint tea floor wash and as a spray for the drapes sounds like the game plan for tomorrow.
    My Grandmother’s favorite scent was lavender. Her house always had that great underlying but not overpowering smell. I remember after she passed, my Dad complaining about all the cotton balls he found hid in unlikely places. And now, I know.
    Sanders

    • Hi Sanders! Thanks for the comment. Ha, I’m so happy to hear others have the same technique! Grandmothers have awesome tricks don’t they?! I’m happy to help if you have any other questions or need additional tips 🙂


  3. wow never thought of the tea on the floor idea! i will have to try this since i have 4 animals in my house. I try to keep it as clean as i can even though i work fulltime. Thank you for the advice!

    • Hi Katherine! I know right, who knew?! The trick helps with pet odors as well, give it a try and let me know! 🙂


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