Staying organized is an important part of keeping your home looking its best, not to mention, it helps our daily lives to run smoother. Throughout our lives, we acquire items- from clothing to sentimental mementos of the past- and over time, those items can really start to add up. The more we have, the more efficiently we need to utilize our available space. That’s where these helpful storage tips come into play. Having the right tools for the job is important, and organization is no exception. Purchasing new furniture can be expensive and impractical, so how can we make what we already have more useful?
- Cut down on clutter– The first step in maximizing your storage space should be minimizing the amount of stuff you need to store. This applies to nearly everything in your house, from Christmas gifts you never used, to clothes the kids have outgrown, to tools that have outlived their usefulness. Don’t think of it as minimalism- think of it as trimming the fat off of what you live with. Discard or recycle worn items, and re-gift or donate items that could still be useful. If you have the time available, you could even make a few dollars reselling stuff you don’t use anymore! Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist make reselling easier than ever before.
- Make a plan- Sort your items and figure out where you want to keep them. Keeping cookware in the kitchen and tools in the garage or shed might seem like common sense, but sometimes things end up in the strangest places. Catch-all drawers in a desk or cabinet can certainly be convenient and useful, but they can easily become inefficient when you can’t remember what you have stored there!
- Break a space into smaller sections-Think outside the box when it comes to storage. A drawer can be broken into smaller sections, keeping like items together and organized. Pens and pencils can be bundled together with a rubber band or hair tie, keeping them secure in one spot. Make sure that small items, such as thumbtacks, are kept secure in a container, so you don’t end up with a pointy sharp objects free floating inside your space.
- Repurpose boxes– Let all those boxes from recently online shopping work for you. Placed on their sides, these boxes can help divide the space on a shelf, while also helping protect individual items from being knocked over. Some items like shoes come in sturdier boxes and can be used to stack on top of one another.
- Don’t let your hanging space go to waste– Doors can be a great spot to hang a pouch or basket to keep items stored and organized in the bathroom or kitchen. If you don’t have a dedicated spice rack, multi-pouch hangers can come in handy. Similar setups can be used to store soaps and shampoos in or near your shower.
- Hang with hooks- They could be your best friend. Install a few underneath your cabinets, and you have a convenient spot to store a few mugs, small pans or lids, and oven mitts.
- Minimize clothing space- Clothing can take up a lot of space. Out-of-season clothing can be stored in suitcases: not only are you storing two things in the space of one, but you’re also protecting the clothes! A set of hooks can be useful for keeping hats organized, and will come in handy for jackets once the weather begins to cool.
As you begin the organizing process, it becomes apparent there are many ways to organize everything. With a little creativity, you can probably come up with many other simple ideas for creating more storage. Having an organized home means that you’ll have more space to do the things you love!
