7 Easy Home Solutions Without a Personal Organizer

There are many gadgets, drawers, tips, and other organizing systems that you can use to clean up your place. Here are a few ideas that will tidy up your home just in time for spring. 

The Four-Box Method

Put everything out in front of you that you need to declutter. Then, sort it into four zones: Keep, Maybe Keep, Throw Away, and Donate. Most items can be donated, but if they’re unhygienic or unusable, it’s best to throw it out. The Four-Box Method can be great for simplifying a task to know exactly where all of your items should go. 

Get Rid of Clutter

This includes old clothes and unused items that you thought would be useful, but actually just ended up gathering dust in your room. Does it have a purpose? Is there a reason that you own it? Or is it unnecessary causing clutter? This could include mail, papers or unwanted home decor.

Use the KonMari Method

Nervous that you’ll regret getting rid of the 50 oversized sweaters in your closet? Use the KonMari method. This is a Japanese organizational method created by Marie Kondo. Her series on Netflix, Tidying Up, is dedicated to the technique. But, the basis is simply: If it sparks joy in you, keep it. If not, bye bye sweater.

Get Rid of One Thing a Day

If decluttering and clearing a bunch of things from your space everyday overwhelms you, this method can be a great option. Have one box or garbage bag that you put things that you no longer want into. This can be something large or small and can be any item you feel you no longer need. This will add up faster than you think and soon you’ll have a clear space. Challenge yourself to a month of this method. 

One in, One Out

This method can also stop you from buying more items. By practicing this organizational method, every time you bring a new item in, you have to get rid of an old item. If you have a problem with buying too many clothes, this can help you cut down. Deciding which item you’ll have to get rid of before bringing another in may make you think twice before buying. 

Box It And Forget It

Not sure what should stay and what should go? This method involves putting all the items you’re on the fence about in one box. Write the date on the top of the box and place it in a closet, attic, or garage. If you don’t think about what’s in the box after a month, donate it all. 

Turn Hangers Around in Your Closet

Having a Carrie Bradshaw moment and unable to let go of those clothes in your closet? With this method, start by removing all of the items from your closet. (Bonus points if you decide to also organize your closet—perhaps using the Four Box Method—at the same time.)

When you put all of your clothes back into the closet, turn your hangers the other way around to face you. Then, as you wear the items, turn the hangers back to their normal position. This will let you know which items you wear and which you don’t, making the decluttering process that much easier! Set a deadline for how long you will continue this process and donate the items that you haven’t worn.

Organizing Room by Room

It can be easier to get your home organized if you start with one room at a time. When you begin doing a cleaning task and get the ball rolling, your mind will automatically start wanting to clean other parts of your home. Start with one room at a time, rather than deciding to tackle the whole house at once. Planning too much ahead of time can leave you feeling overwhelmed and burnt out before you even begin.

Break it Down to Not Feel Overwhelmed

Breaking down the work into chunks can make it easier to accomplish. Make an event out of organizing and have fun. Put on your favorite album or podcast and get lost in the act of decluttering. It’s actually quite therapeutic to clean your entire space and let go of the things which are no longer serving you. You’ll find that with clearing your space, you also clear your mind.

Organization Ideas for Different Spaces

When it comes to different areas of your house, try these different organizational techniques. 

Create Kitchen and Pantry Organization

Try using clear jars. If you have a ton of dry goods—such as rice, beans, or cereal—consider putting them in airtight jars. Not only will this keep your food fresher than the flimsy plastic bag it came in, but it will be easier for you to find the item when you’re ready to use it. No need to search for that food item because it’s laid out front and center in its designated jar. Plus, when it’s time to go to the grocery store, you will never overbuy again (especially spicy!). Taking inventory in your organized pantry has never been simpler.

Pro Tip: Create your own labels (or this minimalistic option!) to put a personalized and organized spin on otherwise boring food containers.

Increase Bathroom Storage

It’s all about containers. Rather than having Q-tips and cotton balls laying everywhere around your bathroom sink, organize them into containers. This will make them readily available when needed, while also avoiding throwing out unused, but dirty, bathroom supplies. Under your sink, place a small container with drawers for your essential hygiene products. Don’t have storage under your sink? Try adding a shelf behind your toilet. The wall is free vertical space that can easily be used with a simple addition of a shelf. 

Utilize Home Office Space

Compartmentalizing is key. Many of us are now working from home and having to bring the clutter of our work into our everyday home space. For your home office, keeping and filing your papers in a designated place is essential. Organize with file folders, boxes for specific papers and equipment and create a space for everything. With so much work to be done in this space, having a place to put everything is a productivity necessity. You don’t want to spend a second more considering where to store, or find, an important document.

Bedroom Organization Ideas

Put away your seasonal clothes; everything does not need to be in your closet 24/7. Instead, keep the out-of-season clothes underneath your bed or stored away in a basement, attic or unused closet. Having fewer items, in the small space that you call your closet, will make your entire bedroom feel less cluttered.

Optimize Living Room Space

Keep decor at a minimum. You don’t have to be a complete minimalist or lose your home decor style when you organize. However, having fewer free-standing objects in your living room means fewer places to keep tidy and clean. If you do want to showcase your decor or collections, place items on shelves. Placing the items on your tv console or other locations put them at risk of being knocked over, moved around or broken. Keep them safely up and out of the way.

Small Space Organization

Small spaces can get messy quickly if you aren’t actively organized.

Use Vertical Spaces

One crucial tip for small spaces is to use vertical space. Without much floor space, taking advantage of the unused space on the walls can be an absolute game changer. By hanging shelves, hooks and other storage systems on the walls, you can free up space that otherwise would’ve been taken up by a bulky wardrobe or table.

Declutter Frequently

We’ve all heard of spring cleaning—that yearly tradition of cleaning and purging your home from the remnants of the prior year. However, if you live in a small space, you may want to think about doing spring, summer, fall and winter cleaning. Less space means your home will get cluttered more often. Make it a point to declutter at least once a season. 

Create Rooms Within Rooms

With a small house or studio, you will need to have multi-purpose rooms. For instance, your living room may also act as your home office and, sometimes, even your bedroom. Keep the two areas separate; don’t mix your work items with your entertainment. This lack of separation—something we know all too well after a year of working from home constantly—will create stress that you simply don’t need. Instead, section the room off into zones that each have a different purpose. This will make it feel like you have more space than you do.

Get Creative

For example, you might have two closets in your bedroom. Rather than hanging up both your winter and summer clothes, have a new purpose for the closet. Is it big enough to hold a desk? Make the closet your work area. Instant separation of space!

Conversely, if you have no closet space, get creative with stacking hangers, rolling clothing racks or taking advantage of unusual spaces in your home.

Keep Organizing

Organization is a continuous process that, unfortunately, you have to keep up on. But, by using simple methods, you can make the task less daunting and time consuming. Start small and big changes will happen!