You’re late for football practice — again! — because your kid can’t find his boots. Though you’re tempted to scold your little striker, you can admit you’re a bit clueless about how to organise your home.
Being organized is critical in moments like these. With a busy family it’s important so that everyone can get where they need to be, on time, with all the things they need. Organisation should give the family more free time in the long run and less stress.
When the thought of organising your home feels completely overwhelming, you have to start somewhere. Focus on one area that has a daily impact on your life, so you can really feel it every day. Here are some ideas to teach you how to organise your home:
- Create a game plan. Walk through each room and write down what needs to be done.
- Find a printable checklist to organise your home.
- Declutter before you organise. Ask yourself, “Would I buy this again today?” If the answer is no, toss it.
- Include the kids by having them fill a bag with toys to sell or donate.
- Schedule a family organising day. Tackle one space together.
- Check out local charity shops that will haul away your unwanted stuff.
- Assign organisational chores for kids along with daily chores.
- Have a drop bowl or hook for keys in the entry way.
- Keep a shoe basket by the front and back doors.
- Keep a bag packed for each child’s activity. Hang it in the hallway so they can grab it and go.
- Add a row of low hooks so kids can hang their own coats.
- An over-the-door shoe bag can contain mittens, hats and pet items.
- Recycle junk mail as soon as it arrives.
- Move all your bills to digital to reduce paperwork build-up.
- Keep appliance manuals together in a binder.
- Keep one small bin of toys for children in each room.
- Keep memorable school and artwork in a binder or filing box.
- Place a basket at the foot of the stairs for items that need to be carried upstairs at the end of each day.
- Affix a sturdy envelope to the inside of the pantry door for takeout menus.
- Keep sticky labels and a pen next to the fridge to label leftovers with the contents and date.
- Use clear glass containers in the fridge so you don’t forget about items.
- Place plastic grocery bags in a wall mount dispenser, or hang reusable tote bags on a hook in the pantry.
- Short on kitchen drawer space? Stash dish towels in a pretty basket on the counter.
- Affix cork sheets to the inside of kitchen cabinets for the week’s recipes.
- Label pantry shelves so family members who help with putting the groceries away can keep it organised.
- Keep a plastic basket under the sink for dirty dish rags.
- If your kids do homework in the kitchen, hang a wall pocket organiser to prevent papers from taking over the table.
- Contain art supplies in a pretty rolling cart.
- Keep cleaning products in a caddy that you can tote from room to room.
- Don’t stash toiletries or cleaning products you’re not using under the sink. If you don’t love it enough to use it now, you don’t need it.
- A two-tiered fruit basket can maximize space in a small bathroom.
- Don’t hoard linens — two sets of sheets per bed and two towels per person is plenty.
- If you don’t have a linen closet, create one using an armoire.
- Have a hamper with a removable bag in every bedroom.
- Similarly, keep a rubbish bin in every room.
- Keep three small baskets in your laundry room: one each for items to hand wash, bleach and mend.
- Utilize the oft-forgotten storage space under beds for linens or Lego collections.
- Use pictures cut from a magazine to label toy bins for young children.
- Or print your own picture labels with help.
- Use open-top container in toy rooms so kids don’t have to struggle with lids.
- Store puzzles in zippered storage bags.
- Separate kids’ outfits in the closet by the day of the week.
- Keep a storage bin in each child’s closet for items they grow out of. When it’s full, donate.
- Keep unruly jewelry contained with a tiered stand.
- Contain gift wrap neatly in a repurposed wire trash can.
- A sock divider can double as tie storage for Dad.
Lastly, remember that organizing your home isn’t a one-time job. You need to incorporate small organising tasks into your daily routine so it doesn’t become an overwhelming job. If you need help, check out housekeepers near you on Care.com.