An organized home is something most of us would like to have. You walk in, things are neatly in place and it’s always ready for guests. I’m here to tell you, you can have that clutter-free home if you follow the five rules outlined below. No need to go out and spend a ton of money on organizing supplies or throw out everything you own. If you take the time to find a home for your belongings, put things away and straighten up on a daily basis, your dream of having an organized home can become reality!
1. A place for everything and everything in its place
This is by far the most important rule to live by if you want your home to be organized. If you stop to think about it, it makes complete sense. When things have no home, they end up thrown on a table, the floor, shoved in a closet, etc.
Clutter is created when items do not have a home.
Make sure every item you have in your home has a place. Take for example an overstuffed coat closet. Coats being worn do not get hung up and it’s difficult to see inside because it’s so full. To rectify this problem, go through the closet, remove coats that are outgrown, out of style, or simply not worn. When only coats being worn are hung, there should be room to see what’s in there. If you want to keep some coats that are not being worn at the moment, find a new area to store them for when needed. Keep a few empty hangers in there for guests’ coats if you can.
I’m always one to advocate for minimalism. I start all of my organizing by going through and thinning out my superfluous items. This by no means has to limit you in terms of the number of items you have in your home. If you love books and can’t bear to part with any, simply find a way to store/display them where every last title has a place. This goes for anything else you have an abundance of. Shoes, mugs, handbags, clothes–keep as much as you like as long as you have a home for it.
2. Don’t put it DOWN, put it AWAY
You’ve followed rule number one and created a place for all of your belongings. Now, to keep the system running smoothly and stop the buildup of clutter, rule number two is here for you!
In an organized home, things are put away. There’s no clutter on the counter, papers are not piled up in corners, and everything has a place. In order to keep your home looking neat and tidy, it helps to learn to put things away immediately instead of leaving them strewn about.
We’re all guilty of breaking this rule. You come home, kick your shoes off, drop your bag on the floor, scatter the mail you grabbed on your way in all over the kitchen counter. Think of the mess that just created! Sure, you will straighten it up later in the day–or maybe you won’t? Regardless, there’s now a bunch of clutter you have to look at and take care of at some point.
The better scenario is that you come home, put your shoes in the shoe bin, hang your bag on the hooks by the door and throw the mail in your paper bin for review later. Your house is neater, you don’t have to straighten anything up and you’ve set a positive example to the rest of your family.
3. Have opening and closing ceremonies
Most of us already have some sort of household straightening routine we follow in the morning and again in the evening without realizing. Take stock of what you do at these times and how you can improve upon your organization by incorporating additional tasks.
My opening ceremony consists of the following tasks:
- Empty the dishwasher / reload with any dishes in sink
- Start a load of laundry / fold anything left in dryer
- Make my bed
- Straighten the house (fold blankets, fluff pillows, gather trash & dishes)
- Clear off and wipe counters & kitchen table
If anyone were to walk in after I had finished my opening ceremony, they’d see an empty sink, clean, clear countertops & kitchen table and a straightened living area. It takes me less than a half an hour to complete those tasks.
My closing ceremony consists of the following tasks:
- Load and run the dishwasher
- Fold any laundry left in the dryer
- Bring laundry upstairs/put away
Because I have more time in the mornings to do my opening ceremony, I have more tasks on that list. In addition, I’m usually tired at night so I’d rather leave the house messy and clean it up first thing. You may have less time in the morning and would rather do some of the things at night so that you wake up to a clean house. As I always say, there are no rules, so do what works best for you.
4. Create ‘Drop Zones’ for areas that tend to get cluttered
Any place where people tend to drop their stuff and leave it should be considered for a ‘drop zone’. Creating organizing systems to corral the messes that gather in certain areas is a great way to ensure that your home stays neat. Once there is a place in the area for the things that tend to gather there, it will be easy to keep everything organized and accessible.
Entryway Drop Zone
- Shoe Rack
- Hooks for coats & bags
- Receptacle for keys, wallets, phones, etc.
- Consider your personal needs: do you need a charger by the door, a place for your umbrella, gym bag, etc.?
Counter or table-top Drop Zone
- Paper Bin (read my post Get Your Paper Clutter Under Control for an in-depth explanation)
- Receptacle or drawer for keys, wallets, phones, etc. (if you’d rather have that here)
- Consider your personal needs: address other issues in this area
Hallway Drop Zone
- Keep a decorative bin or basket in the hallway to gather items that do not belong and rehome them at the end of the day
- Consider your personal needs: address other issues in this area
5. Communicate to household members
Every member of the household needs to be on the same page with the organizing systems for them to work. You must communicate to your housemates what you want to do. Ask for their input and assistance in getting everything where it needs to be.
If there’s always a mess on the counter from your husband dropping his belongings and papers when he gets home, talk with him to come up with a solution he can get behind to stop that. If you make new places for things, let everyone know where the item is now located and that you expect it to be there when you need to use it. Listen to your co-habitants and work together to find the best way to get your home organized. Be willing to reassess and adjust if things aren’t working.
Having a clean and organized home should not be a struggle. If you set yourself up for success by following my five tips above, you should be well on your way to having the neat home you desire. If you have any tips or tricks for organizing or want to share your story, I’d love to hear it! Drop a comment below, post on Facebook or send me an email.
Product recommendations
Note: The links below are my Amazon Affiliate links. I receive a small commission for any purchases made from these links. However, I will never recommend items I have not personally used myself or had experience with in some capacity.
A complete matching entryway drop zone can be achieved with this coat rack shoe bench set. It comes in three different colors and would be ideal to store shoes, keys, bags, umbrellas, etc. Add bins in the top cubbies for more storage or use them for decorative accents as seen in the picture.
If you are short on space and looking for something a little bit smaller, this key hook shelf could do the trick. It’s smaller, but still has space for keys, phones, sunglasses, wallet, umbrella, mail & some decorative accents.
This large storage basket would be perfect to keep around as a rehoming bin for items that are out of place. At the end of the day, gather up those items in the basket and put them where they belong. It could also be used for toys, blankets, towels, or whatever else you need to keep neat.
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