It’s nearly March, which means spring is practically here. If you’ve been prepping for your annual spring cleaning, then you might be struggling to get through all of the clutter you’ve managed to pile up over the past year. Dealing with clutter can be stressful, especially if you have no idea how to organize it or even get it out of sight. These ten tips should help you find the perfect way to get your house in order, so cleaning won’t take quite as long. Best of all, these tips shouldn’t cost you a fortune, so you can save your money for something fun.
1. Add Shelves
One of the easiest things you can do to get your home organized is to install a few shelves. Shelves come in all shapes and sizes, you can truly customize them to suit your home. If you don’t want to invest a lot of money into the project, then you can buy shelves that you put together for fifteen to twenty dollars. These shelves might wear down over time, but if you’re in a hurry to get organized then they will definitely do the trick. Of course, if you’re looking for something more long term then you’ll have to sink some money into your shelves. You might also consider building your own shelves. You can do so with board, nails and paint or you can think outside of the box. Some shelves simply hang from the wall, which is great for knickknacks and books. Try surfing around online for some great ideas for the shelves in your home.
2. Fold It Up
Clothes and linens are probably the biggest forms of clutter we have in our closets. These items can truly make a room feel smaller too. One of the best ways to get rid of this problem is to fold up your clothing items instead of hanging them up. There are special ways to fold just about anything you find in your closet, so you make sure you look up the most efficient methods to suit your life. You can also reorganize some of your drawers. You’d be surprised by how much space you can make simply by folding items you never expected to fold. You can do the same with your blankets, towels and other linens too. With your closets feeling a bit emptier, you’ll have space to place other items out of sight.
3. Clear Containers
Containers can play a crucial role when it comes to getting organized. However, the type of container that you use can make all of the difference when it comes to keeping organized. Clear containers are one of the best options to use, because they allow you to see precisely what is in the container at all times. This is a great way to encourage you not to just throw random junk into the container, as well. The best thing about clear containers is they do actually appear to take up less space. Since you can see through them, they are less confining even if you have a whole lot of them stacked up in the garage. You can also easily access your goods when you need them, since you’ll be able to see what you need with ease.
4. Reuse Boxes
Without a doubt, most houses have a lot of boxes that either end up in recycling or collecting dust somewhere. This can be an absolute waste because these boxes can come in handy in so many ways. Smaller boxes, for instance, are a great way to organize the drawers in your home. You can even cut up larger boxes to help create an organization system for your drawers. This will not only keep things tidy, but it will also allow you to enjoy tidier areas of the home that you might have had to shuffle through to find what you needed. Boxes are also great for storing craft items, as well as games and other items that might have numerous pieces.
5. Utilize All Your Space
In most homes, there is a lot of empty space that can be put to good use. If you have an area under a staircase then you might consider turning it into a craft or play space, instead of having it for storage. This will help open up the home a bit more, so you’re just storing things you’ll never use. Another major source of empty space is the area under furniture. More often than not, you’ll find these spaces have a large enough gap to hold many of your storage items. For instance, you can place your shoes beneath your bed. They’ll be out of sight and you won’t have to have a special place to store them. You can also invest in thin containers that will slide under most pieces of furniture. These can be filled with smaller toys, photos and so many other items. You might even hide smaller items that you don’t want children to get into under these spaces.
6. Reuse Items
Upcycling is the best way to save some money while also saving the planet. You’d be surprised by how many items around the house can be reused to help keep your home clutter free. One example is the jars you might have after you cook a premade pasta sauce. These jars can be used to store pasta and other small items in the pantry. However, they can also be used to store some of your leftovers or homemade sauces. The plastic containers that you find butter and margarine in can also be used for this purpose. This will help cut back on the clutter of Tupperware and other storage items. Plus, you won’t feel bad when a lid turns up missing. Old furniture can also be transformed into other items too. You can reupholster it or simply use it as storage in a shed. There are so many upcycling options to choose from that you’re bound to start looking for new ways to organize and tidy up your home using items you already have in the home.
7. Think Outside of the Box
Sometimes it is hard to think outside of the box, because life can be really busy and hectic. However, there are many ways you can make your home better simply by coming up with new uses for items you might not use any longer. For example, if you have a Lazy Susan collecting dust, you can always place it in the refrigerator. This is perfect for finding the condiments you need without having to pull everything out of the refrigerator. You can also use this item to store your spices, so you can quickly find what you need. A magazine organizer is another great option that can be used for many things. One idea is to place the lids of your pots and pans inside of it. This will help avoid a mess and will speed up your cook times. You might also consider using a dish rack for your storage containers or your pots and pans. Simply place it in the pantry and you’re ready to go.
8. Reduce Bulk
Unfortunately, many of the things we purchase end up taking up more space than they should. One such example is movie cases. If you choose to keep the case, then you’ll wind up needing shelf after shelf to store them. Alternatively, you can purchase a special binder that can hold up to 400 discs. This will help you find your favorite movies faster and will allow you to cut back on the amount of entertainment space that you need. Another idea is to remove game packaging. If you have a huge collection of board games, then you might need even more space to store them. Simply place the pieces in a large plastic bag and put all of your games in a container. You can easily pull the container out on game night. This will help make the home look tidier too as board game boxes often fall apart.
9. Organize
Sometimes, the best way to tackle the clutter in the home is to move it somewhere else. For instance, if your book shelves look like a total mess then organize them a bit. Try color coordinating them or placing all of your hardbacks together in order of size. You might also try moving some of your storage items to a different area, especially if they are in plain view. One of the best ways to organize is to try to find homes for the items you love so that they can be conveniently grabbed when you need them. If you can find storage places that are out of sight without overcrowding closets, then you’re certain to feel more at home in your space. It also won’t be as big of a chore to clean up the house, as you won’t have to move as much around.
10. Spark Joy Method
Without a doubt, one of the best ways to get prep your house for spring cleaning is to get rid of some of your items. We can truly gather up a lot of junk that we always want to hold onto for some reason. One of the best ways to ditch the items we think we want is to use the Spark Joy Method. This method was introduced by Marie Kondo and you can read about it in her book or watch her series on Netflix. This method requires you to hold every item you own. If the item brings you joy, then keep it. If it doesn’t then thank the item and donate it to someone else that might find joy in it. This method can truly help you get rid of many of the items you think you need, which will allow you to de-clutter your life and your home quickly.
Spring cleaning is so much easier to accomplish if there isn’t a ton of things in our way. These ten ideas will help you de-clutter your home, so you can truly be prepared for the cleaning extravaganza. These methods will certainly help cut down on stress, but they’ll also save you some money too. Once you start de-cluttering, you might find yourself eager to organize the whole home to your liking so have fun with it.
