A Place for Everything – Organising Tips & Ideas

Getting organised at home is not an easy feat, you just might as well forget about it before you even begin, but you won’t; simply because you know it can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling endeavours you can set your mind on to. The constant decision to keep your house clean and organised may be tough, but there are sure-fire ways to help you commit to it. Here are the 10 commandments in home organisation for a Neatnik living.

Commandment #1 – Round containers for round bottles.

To save space, group rounded bottles, like those of vitamins and spice jars, and place them in rounded containers such as an old baking mold or dome-type canisters. If you want to go the extra mile and try some DIY, you can place an old baking tin on top of a slightly bigger baking tin with marbles in between them. It will serve as a tabletop mini version of a Lazy Susan.

Commandment #2 – Recycle bins should be present in every room.

Just as you organise everything inside your house, you should also tidy everything that’s going out. In your bathroom, place a huge bin for the empty bottles of shower gels and shampoo and a smaller bin for makeup waste. In your home office, have separate bins for ink cartridges, cards, mail, and other trash such as the box of pizza from your dinner last night. Each room should have a bin for basic trash, recyclables, and an extra bin for items that can be donated.

Commandment #3 – Division in drawers.

Utilise every single drawer found in your kitchen, office, bathroom, and living room; then strategically store items by kind. For example, spoons, forks, and table knives should be stacked higher since you are using them more often. Meanwhile, huge pots and pans which are needed only when there’s a house party or special occasion can be placed in the bottom drawer. When it comes to basic home supplies like stationary, pens, straws, and matches, make sure to put them in small trays or containers, and again, separate according to kind. And don’t forget, label, label, label!

Commandment #4 – Start a filing system.

Organising paper-related stuff can be tedious, but with a filing system, you can keep all your papers and documents in place – easily accessible when you need them. A great way to do this is by using coloured binders and labelling them accordingly – bills, letters, work, tax invoices, among many others. It’s a good idea to place wall-mounts by the entry way where you can place the file folders. This will allow you to sort and segregate letters and other documents as soon as they come in.

Commandment #5 – Maximise pantry space.

Another great decluttering tip that can really help you in getting organised at home is maximising spaces and areas. Every inch and every corner in your pantry can be put to good use and it all begins by being creative. For example, an old hanging file organiser can serve as a container for potatoes, onions, and anything that doesn’t belong in the fridge. You can hang it inside the door of your pantry, just make sure to slide a piece of cloth underneath each level before placing those crops in to prevent them from falling off or shedding tiny particles.

Commandment #6 – Recycle.

Just when you thought being organised means throwing away every piece of junk and useless items, you’re wrong. The empty bottle of soda (the colourful ones though) can be used as cute canisters for your cosmetics while an empty tin of your favourite ice cream is the perfect container for your brushes and pens. Pretty sure you have a lot of the latter which means there should be more frozen treats for the organised mum!

Commandment #7 – Create Zones.

Grouping items by their function is a really great way to declutter especially in the kitchen. For example, a stand mixer can be parked in the corner beside the fridge and then just attach shelves above it to store mixing bowls and other baking tools. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the fridge, you can set up a breakfast zone where you can put all the morning must-haves such as coffee mugs, bowls, glasses, and canisters of cereals.

Commandment #8 – L Shaped Shelves.

Also known as “wraparound shelving,” this is considered as a very clever organisation idea, especially for small kitchens. The L shaped shelves provide a continuous stretch of storage where you can store anything like serving bowls, glasses, mugs, pots and pans neatly. Just make sure the shelves are supported and secure around the corners, enough to carry the weight of heavy objects. This works well not just in the kitchen but in every corner of your house.

Commandment #9 – Vertical storage.

If your bathroom or vanity is small, consider placing vertical storage on designated stretch on the wall. You can place a tall wall-mount shelving unit above the toilet or beside the door and you will instantly have an extra storage despite the petite space. To avoid objects cascading on to the floor, opt for shelves with a mirrored door.

Commandment #10 – In plain sight.

This tip is very useful for your workstation. Use wall-mounts where you can place file folders, documents, notebooks, pictures, trinkets, and everything else. Floating shelves allow you to see these work essentials in plain sight – always. For a shared workstation, place project-and-person specific materials or zones and then label them accordingly. Make use of expandable files or document boxes so that you can transport important documents quickly and with ease. Imagine how things will be easier when all the stuff you need is in plain sight!

Getting organised at home is actually a lifestyle, a commitment you do every single day. You can’t expect it to happen overnight, and perhaps there will be occasional lapses along the way, but it is the kind of job you’d like to cling to. It’s the kind of commitment that will surely bring about great and worthwhile results. For mums, you don’t have to slave away all day and become a super strict neat freak, though. It’s the conscious decision to work on small organisation habits that will ensure your home is indeed the best place to be.

How do you keep everything in order? We’d love to hear all about it. Let us know in the comments section below!