Organization 101: Getting Your Home In Order

Tips and Tricks That Will Teach You How to Get Organized

Between work or school or kids—or maybe all three—you're finding that you just don't have the energy to clean things up at the end of the day, and nobody in your house puts things where they belong no matter how many times you tell them. Or maybe you've got so much on the go that it's just impossible to find the time to deal with the growing mounds of paper on your desk and the heaps of laundry on your bedroom floor. It's easy to fall behind the personal organization 8-ball, and once things start to get out of hand, they can snowball out of control in a big hurry, leaving you to wonder how to get organized without sacrificing an entire week of your life.

Organized Living Made Easy

While you can organize your home quickly, the fact of the matter is that getting organized is going to take some time no matter how you approach it. Your first step will be to go through the clutter, whatever it may be, and separate it into two piles: stuff you're keeping and stuff you're pitching. Throw out or recycle all the things you don't need, then organize everything you're keeping into whatever categories make sense to you.

Then, take advantage of the many personal organization products that can help you put everything in its right place. There are options for every room in the house:

• In the kitchen: Spice racks, utensil holders, cabinet racks, dish organizers and plastic food containers can help reduce clutter on your countertops and in your fridge, all while giving everything a proper place.
• In the bathroom: Shower caddies, wall-mounted medicine cabinets and racks for toiletries and decorative accessories will all clear up a lot of space in your bathroom. Also, look into cabinet organizers for the countertop and underneath the sink.
• In your closets: If your home is like most, your closets are the most cluttered part of the house. Fortunately, there are many different types of closet organizers that you can use to arrange everything from clothing and shoes to purses, accessories and keepsakes.
• In the laundry room: Hanging rods and shelves for organizing laundry supplies will help you deal with dirty clothing more efficiently. If you want to make the most of a tight space, try stacking your washer and dryer instead of placing them side-by-side.
• In the garage or tool shed: Organizing your tool collection with wall-mounted racks will help you work more efficiently. You can also get what are known as "master organizers" for your garage, which are larger rack units with multiple levels that can be placed against the wall to create compartmentalized space from floor to ceiling.
• In your children's playroom: Remember that when it comes to children, out of sight usually means out of mind. If you want your children to play with certain toys, leave them out on open-concept shelves and racks where they can be seen and use toy boxes for storing items that have seen better days.

Staying organized is easy once you've put in the initial work, but you've got to make sure everyone in your household is on board. Try assigning specific tasks to people on a set schedule for common areas, and insist that everyone look after his or her own bedroom. That will go a long way to making sure the effort you've put into getting organized pays off.