Over the course of our lives, most of us tend to accumulate a whole lot of stuff.
We would probably say that we own this stuff—however, as anyone who has struggled with an overly
cluttered home can attest, these objects often end up owning us instead.
Welcome to Jansen’s DIY.
In this video, we will discuss 20 Organizing Tips You’ll Wish You’d Known Ages Ago.
#1.
Get Rid of Incoming Clutter.
It’s important to focus on reducing, rather than simply trying to manage the amount of
clutter that comes into your home.
This can include unsubscribing from junk mail mailing lists and catalogs, reducing your
bulk shopping habits, and taking other measures to limit the amount of clutter you’re dealing
with.
Controlling the flow of incoming clutter is an important first step in winning the battle
against a disorganized home.
#2.
Get a White Wall Clock.
A white wall clock can be a helpful tool for organizing not only your time, but also your
kids' daily routines.
You can color-code time segments on the clock for different activities.
For example, red can indicate wake-up time, green is breakfast time, blue is school time,
etc.
This will help your kids know at a glance what they should be doing during each segment
of the day.
It's a fun way to add some visual interest to your kids' room!
#3.
Use Ice Cube Trays to Store Small Things.
If you're always misplacing small items like bobby pins, hair ties, and earrings, an ice
cube tray can be a helpful tool for keeping them organized.
Just toss these things into different cubes of the tray and put the tray in a drawer or
cabinet, where it’ll be out of sight but still within reach when you need it.
#4.
Have a Designated Place for Leftovers.
One way to reduce household food waste is to designate a place for leftovers or food
that needs to be eaten quickly.
This could be a specific shelf in your fridge or pantry.
Then, when you're looking for something to eat, you'll know exactly where to go without
having to search through everything to figure out what’s close to its expiration date.
This will help you stay mindful of the food you have so that nothing gets wasted.
#5.
Organize by Shape.
When organizing, look at how the shapes of different items can be combined to fit into
a space more efficiently.
For example, pantry items such as canned goods and cereal boxes often have uniform shapes
that can be stacked together neatly on a shelf.
Similarly, if you have a lot of shoes, try using a shoe rack so they're all gathered
in one place and easy to grab when you're heading out the door.
#6.
Keep It Simple.
Being organized does not have to involve being creative or crafty.
In fact, often the simplest solutions are the best.
If your kids' coats and backpacks are constantly ending up on the floor, invest in some hooks
so they can easily hang everything up as soon as they walk in the door.
Not only will this save you from having to pick up their things on a daily basis, but
it will also teach your kids the importance of being tidy and organized.
#7.
Start Small.
If the thought of organizing your entire house is overwhelming, start small.
Choose just one area—a closet, a drawer, or even just a countertop—and focus on decluttering
and organizing that space.
Once you've conquered that area, move on to another one.
You'll be surprised at how quickly things start to shape up when you take it one step
at a time.
#8.
Replace a Dresser with a Shelf with Bins.
One of the biggest challenges of parenting is getting your kids to keep their room clean.
If you're struggling with this, one solution is to ditch the dresser and opt for a shelf
full of bins instead.
This way, your kids can easily see where everything goes when it’s time for cleanup—and they
can even help with the laundry!
Not to mention, getting rid of the dresser frees up some much-needed floor space.
#9.
Use a Bookcase as a Shoe Rack.
If you have a small closet or simply don’t have enough space to store all your shoes,
consider using a bookcase as a makeshift shoe rack.
Just line up your shoes on the shelves and voila!
You've got an instant storage solution that looks chic and stylish, too.
#10.
Turn Wine Crates into Rustic Storage Pieces.
Wine crates are not only great for storing wine, but they also make beautiful storage
pieces for your living room or any other space in your house.
You can use them to store books, magazines, throws, or even to display plants!
And because they're made of wood, they add a warm, rustic touch to any room.
#11.
Keep a Glass Jar in Your Laundry Room.
We've all been there—you're doing your laundry and suddenly realize that your pockets are
full of things like coins, receipts, or lipstick.
It can be tempting to just leave these things on top of the washing machine, but eventually,
they'll pile up and become a cluttered mess.
Avoid this by keeping a clear glass jar in your laundry room so you can quickly toss
these items into it.
Then, on a regular basis, go through the jar and put the items back where they belong (or
throw them out).
#12.
Reduce Digital Clutter.
In today's day and age, it's easy to let digital clutter take over our lives.
We subscribe to too many email lists, have way too many social media accounts, and download
every app that sounds remotely interesting.
But all of this digital clutter can be a huge drain on our productivity—and it's not doing
our mental health any favors either.
You can reduce digital clutter by shutting off app, social media, and email notifications
on your phone.
This way, you'll only see the information you actually want to see—and you won't get
overwhelmed by an avalanche of notifications every day.
#13.
Have a Designated Place for Devices.
If you're anything like me, you probably have at least one mobile electronic device with
you at all times—whether it's your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
While it's great to have access to all of this technology at our fingertips, it can
also be really frustrating when we can't find where we left our devices when we need them.
To solve this problem, designate a place for your devices in each room of your house so
you'll always know where they are.
#14.
Start with One Room.
If you're unsure of where to start because every room seems to be full of clutter, just
pick one room and dive in.
Sort through all the clutter in that single space, whether it’s the bathroom, kitchen,
or bedroom.
Make piles for what you want to keep, donate, or throw away.
Once you’ve finished clearing out one room, pick another one and repeat the process.
#15.
Designate a Place for Different Categories of Items.
To keep your home organized, it's important to categorize your items and store them accordingly.
For example, create a small area in your entryway for coats and shoe storage, so when you or
your family members come home, you know exactly where to put things away.
Having a designated place for your keys will prevent you from losing them; having a designated
spot for cleaning supplies will help you clean more efficiently.
In general, this method will make keeping your home tidy much easier.
#16.
Purge Your Home of Unnecessary Belongings.
A cluttered home is often full of things that we don't need or use anymore.
To become more mindful about what you truly need, it's important to purge your home of
unnecessary belongings on a regular basis.
Schedule some time every season to go through your things and donate or discard anything
you no longer need or use.
This will not only declutter your space, but also make spending time in your home more
enjoyable!
#17.
Clarify What Is Important to You.
The concept of being organized extends beyond the home—ideally, you want your whole life
to feel organized and uncluttered.
The first step to organizing your life is to take a good hard look at what's important
to you.
What are your priorities?
What do you value?
Once you have an understanding of what matters most to you, you can make decisions accordingly.
If family is important to you, make sure you're spending quality time with them regularly.
If your health is a priority, make sure you're eating right and getting enough exercise.
This will also make it easier to figure out what doesn't deserve your time and attention.
#18.
Say No to Freebies and Bargains.
In our culture of consumption, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we need
more stuff.
But the truth is, most of us have more than enough stuff already.
That's why it's important to be selective about the things we bring into our homes.
Just because something is free or on sale, doesn't mean you need it or that it will add
value to your life.
Next time you're tempted by a freebie or bargain, ask yourself if it's something you really
need or if it will just end up as clutter.
#19.
Get a Lazy Susan for Your Fridge.
This may seem like a small tip, but it can make a big difference.
Placing a lazy Susan in the back of your fridge allows you easier access to items that tend
to get pushed to the back—and therefore, they’ll be less likely to go bad before
you have a chance to use them.
No more rummaging around behind stacks of food trying to find that elusive container
of leftovers!
#20.
Keep Essential Items Close.
This tip applies whether we're talking about physical objects or the tasks on your never-ending
to-do list.
If something needs to be used urgently or often, keep it close at hand so you don't
forget about it—this could mean setting a reminder on your phone or keeping the item
in plain sight on your desk or countertop.
Feel free to put less-used things away in a drawer or cabinet until you have time for
them.
Just make sure you don't forget about them completely!
And that's all for now...
A little bit of organization can go a long way in making your life happier overall.
Taking some time now to get organized will pay off big time in the long run.
We promise!
Thanks for watching, and we'll see you in the next video...