Not a natural organizer? Don’t resign yourself to disorderly surroundings just yet – according to the pros, there’s plenty of easy ways to make your home look more organized at least, even if the reality is a little different.
Whether it’s piles of laundry, cluttered countertops or overflowing storage, turning a blind eye to disorderly home organizing ideas is all too easy when you live with them day-in, day-out. You may think you’re fine with it, yet studies show a neat and tidy home makes for a happier lifestyle (not to mention happier guests) so now’s the time to start taking aesthetics into account.
The good news is it’s a lot easier than you might think to make your home look more organized. Anyone can do it, especially if you’ve got ‘tricks of the trade’ to hand.
Easy ways to make your home look more organized
We’ve quizzed the pros on their top tips to save you time and effort – in more ways than one!
1. Limit your laundry
Whether it means organizing a laundry room or decluttering the bedroom ‘clothes chair’, keeping piles of dirty clothes to a minimum is essential if you want to keep your home – and your clothes – looking their best.
We’re not saying you need to up your laundry days, quite the contrary, actually. Knowing how to do laundry efficiently should result in fewer washes, meaning less clothes to keep on top of and a better eco footprint, to boot.
“Establishing two days a week for washing clothes and another just for bedding and towels can help to keep things manageable. You’re also more likely to complete the cycle of washing, drying, and putting clothes away’, says professional declutterer Emma George, Founder of organizing blog, HomeOrganizeWithEmma.
2. Toss the trash
You’d be amazed at the amount of rubbish you ‘don’t see’ in a home, and how much of a difference clearing it can make. Grab a bin bag and open your eyes to stacks of magazines, broken crockery, old receipts, bulbs that need replacing, remotes that don’t work, etc.
‘It’s so quick to do as there’s little-to-no decision-making involved. Seeing a difference so quickly will provide an instant sense of achievement – it’s the perfect way to set yourself up for a successful decluttering session’, says Gabriella Dyson, Head of Solved, Homes & Gardens.
3. Put things away – right away
Whether it’s decluttering kitchen countertops or decluttering a nightstand, keeping surfaces clear is one of the best things you can do to make any room look organized. To help you keep on top of clutter, experts recommend using the one-touch decluttering rule – don’t put things down, put them away.
It’s a simple habit, but you’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes. A five-minute cleaning challenge before bed is another common practice of the pros.
4. Store things in style
A fast track to making your home look like it’s been touched by a professional organizer? Ditch the packaging and get savvy with your storage ideas. Get toilet rolls out of their plastic wrap and into pretty baskets (like these woven versions from Target) decant washing liquids into stylish bottles and pour bulk-bought pantry staples into airtight glass jars. Not only does it look insta-worthy, but you’ll save on space, not to mention it’s better for the environment, too.
5. Employ ‘catchalls’ for clutter
If you (or other members of your household) struggle to keep on top of tidying throughout the day, setting up ‘drop zones’ can help to contain clutter so your home still looks neat. You’re less likely to lose things, too.
‘Keep a set of stylish-looking baskets in every room, one for each family member, or just the children, if you prefer. When you come across something out of place, toss it into the relevant person’s basket. At the end of the day, place the baskets outside their door – set the expectation that these need to be emptied in readiness for the next day’, says organizing expert Nancy Traylor.
When organizing a home with children in mind, assigning small tasks like this is a great way of introducing children to the concept of chores, and makes your life a bit easier, too.
6. Label everything
You may know where everything belongs, but if the rest of your household doesn’t, you’re fighting a losing battle. According to professional organizer Shannon Krause, co-founder of Tidy Nest, a consistent (and stylish) labeling system is one of the things the most organized families have in common, so take note.
‘Not only does it make it easier for everyone to find things, it also acts as a reminder to return them to their proper home after use. Labeling food and household staples (when organizing a pantry, for example) can help you to identify when you’re running low and need to replenish, saving you time, as well as unnecessary waste and expenditure’, she says.
These woven storage baskets have built in labels making it easy to designate them to individual family members.
Use a handy label maker to print labels from your phone or Android mobile.
This set of 4 black woven pantry baskets features chalkboard labels and a chalkboard pen.
7. Make the bed
Making a bed the right way doesn’t just make for neater-looking bedroom ideas, it sets the tone for the rest of the day. Studies show simply straightening your sheets can boost productivity, positivity and energy levels – the recipe for good organization. If that’s not a reason to make your bed every day, we don’t know what is!
8. Reset rooms after you’ve used them
One of the best ways to keep your home looking organized is to reset rooms straight after you’ve finished using them. This is particularly useful for communal areas, such as the kitchen or lounge as well as rooms that have a tendency towards untidiness.
For example, after cooking, take an extra 5 minutes to organize the kitchen. Make sure all the washing up is done, ingredients and cooking implements have been put away so your surfaces are left clear and tidy. Tidying as you go like this prevents clutter from building up and ensures your home is always ‘guest-ready’, says professional organizer Laura Price, founder of The Home Organisation.
9. Prep for paperwork
If you’re guilty of leaving unsightly (and stress-inducing) piles of paperwork around the house, know that it’s surprisingly easy to get rid of paper clutter. Opt in for ‘paperless’ documents where you can, then implement a simple system for incoming mail, school admin, receipts and so on.
‘It’s good to have a filing system close to your front door to catch paperwork as it enters your home. Have two trays - one ‘to sort’ and one ‘to file’ and a waste-paper bin to put junk mail as soon as you see it’, says Laura Price.
Visual organizers will find it easier to keep bills, spring cleaning checklists and other short-term documents vertically, either pinned to a pin board, a clip board or in wall mounted storage, such this 3-tier storage rack from QVC.
10. Keep on top of tidying
There’s nothing like the satisfaction of an organized-looking home, but you’ll need to keep on top of tidiness if you want it to remain that way. If you want to keep things easy, little and often is best.
‘It only takes 10 minutes at the beginning and end of the day to keep your house in good working order. Gather dirty dishes, go through mail, make the bed, fold the laundry, wipe down counters.. Create a schedule that works for you and you’re more likely to stick to it’, says professional organizer Lauren Saltman, founder of Living Simplified.
FAQs
How do I begin to organize my house?
Know that keeping your home looking organized is considerably easier if you have fewer things to organize in the first place. It may not be ‘easy’, but a thorough declutter of every room is necessary if you want these quick organizational fixes to really work, so start there – short term pain for long-term gain!
An organized-looking home is one thing, but if you want to take things a little further, why not check out our eco-friendly organizing tips for a sustainable home? They’re just as easy to implement (and just as aesthetically pleasing) plus you’ve got the satisfaction of minimizing your environmental impact in the process – win win!
