Cluttered. Messy. Scattered. Untidy.
If you use any of these words to describe your home, you’ll want to keep reading!
The consumer culture we live in means that we all collect things; gadget, clothes and even cleaning products that we often never even use. As a result, our homes are crammed full of things and we don’t know how to de-clutter them so we can live in the orderly, peaceful environment we crave.
Spend a few minutes walking around your house looking at the number of things that are taking up space and that you never use. You’ll be amazed at how much clutter DIY organization you need to do. Many of you may think the task is insurmountable. Or, you may be one of the people who will say, “Enough! I am going to de-clutter, organize and clean the house from top to bottom now, today!” Neither of these two reactions will go very far to help you un-clutter your home.
Anyone who tries to reduce clutter throughout their home in a single day is setting themselves up for failure. On the other hand, people who are so overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning the clutter that they resign themselves to doing nothing are no better off. If you really want to know how to de-clutter your surroundings, you have to think in terms of baby steps. The best way to reduce clutter permanently is to do so slowly but surely. Resolve to devote fifteen minutes of your time, every day, to clutter organization.
Pick the time of day when you are most active. Also, de-clutter homes methodically, focusing on a single room at a time. Think of ways to make the task as pleasant as possible. Work to music or treat yourself to a nice bubble bath at the end of your fifteen minutes of clutter organization, for example.
We despise clutter just as much as you do, and so we’ve created this list of our favorite DIY organization hacks. Give a few a try!
Belt Hooks
Use shower curtain hooks to help hold your belts in place. They won’t slip off and it will save a little space in your closet.
Find more ways to save space at Redbook.
Under The Sink Hanger
Say goodbye to under the sink clutter! Hang a straight curtain rod underneath your sink and hang your spray bottles from it. This will free up some room in that cluttered space.
Pop Sugar has more awesome tips for you.
DIY Drawer Divider
Old shoe boxes make excellent organization bins! Place them in drawers to organize your socks and undergarments. Bonus points if you line them with pretty shelf liner. No one will ever know that you’re using shoe boxes.
We love Real Simple for posting this fab tip!
Lid Organizer
I’d bet that you have an old CD holder collecting dust around the house. Put it to use to help organize container lids. (Just make sure you dust it off first.) DIY pantry organization will be a hit amongst your girlfriends.
You can find this hack and more at Good Housekeeping.
Mason Jar Cubbies
If you’re anything like me, your desk can get so cluttered with pens, pencils, markers and other supplies. Keep your supplies together by storing them in mason jars.
HGTV will help you stay organized.
On ‘de-clutter day’, go into the room, equipped with a trash can or garbage bag and a clean, empty box. Start cleaning the clutter at one end of the room. Pick up each item and decide whether it is useless (that goes into the trash), may be useful in the future but is not used regularly (that goes into the box), or is something you need to keep in the room. Make a list of all items stored in the box so you’ll know where everything is.
Try to organize the room by placing items that you do need somewhere that is within reach but away from the part of the room you use most. It is essential when learning how to de-clutter any space that you stop working once the fifteen minutes are up. Don’t tire yourself out; you’re going to be repeating this clutter organization process every day.
Back Of Door Shelves
This is such a space saver and can be done relatively inexpensively. Stop by your favorite store and pick up a few shelving units. Mount them on the inside of a closet door to maximize space.
Check out Life Hack for this tip and so much more.
Jewelry Hanger
Not only does this tip help keep your necklaces from tangling, but it can also look like a work of art if you hang the hooks just right.
Visit Architecture and Design for details.
Cord Holder
A few binder clips can make a huge difference. I like to use them to keep my phone chargers close at hand.
Courtesy of Women’s Day.
If you are wondering how to de-clutter difficult areas of your home like the garage or the basement, the answer is that clutter organization methods are the same, regardless of which room you are cleaning.
Don’t be afraid to clean the clutter in your garage. Follow the same system. Work steadily for a set amount of time every day. Think of all the sellable stuff that has probably been lying unused in your garage, basement or attic. That should encourage you to persist with your clutter organization efforts!
Remember to bring cleaning equipment with you so that you can clean each corner of the room as you reduce clutter. Standing back when you are done and viewing a clean, neat and orderly space will encourage you to go on.
Bathroom Organizer
Place a hanging organizer on your bathroom door and use it to store larger beauty items. You’ll be surprised at how much this will free up your counter space!
Organize your bathroom with more hacks from Cosmopolitan.
Freezer Shelves
Create instant space in your freezer by using a few magazine holders.
We are loving his hack from Make Space.
Storage boxes are excellent tools to conquer clutter. When you de-clutter closets, for instance, store non-seasonal clothing in boxes and shove them under the bed. If you are working on a living room, arrange unread magazines and newspapers in boxes to clean the clutter off coffee tables. You’ll also be using boxes for all the objects that you did not throw away, but that you are not sure you need. Keep these boxes out of sight.
At the end of twelve months, go through them and determine if you need to keep any of this stuff. Selling everything you have not used in the past year (on Amazon, in a garage sale or at a thrift store) is an excellent way of making some money to treat yourself to something nice. It should also give you a sense of satisfaction to know that someone is finally using your clutter.
Once you un-clutter your home, always remember that clutter can come back. Don’t put things off and deal with any new acquisitions immediately; put them where they belong. Also, make sure that everyone else living in your home understands the importance of keeping their surroundings neat and tidy.
Do you love these hacks? Make sure to share them with your friends.