Tips for Organizing Your Home and Keeping It That Way

Having an organized home is much more relaxing and restful to the mind and body than a messy space. It may take a little time to get it that way to begin with but it really doesn't take more time to keep it clean than the time you waste trying to accomplish everyday tasks in a messy space.

The best time to organize your home is when you first move in. Organizing actually starts with organizing the boxes you pack so you know what is in each box and to what room it belongs. Pack like things together and with other items you would naturally use together. This way when you get ready to unpack, especially in kitchen cabinets or desk drawers it is easy to see what kind of size space you will need and which cabinet will accommodate what items best. Start by having everything clean, thoroughly clean your new house and clean items to be packed. If books, paintings or knick knacks, etc. are dusty then dust or wash them before packing. Why move dust and dirt from your old house to your new one. Start fresh... Also why move things that you haven't used in years so they can sit taking up space and never be used in a new home. Moving is a great time to be very honest with yourself and get rid of things you don't need. Have some extra boxes labeled, Donations, and fill those as you go with unneeded items. Starting fresh in you new home with a lighter load is a good organizational tip for both your home and your spirit. Taking time to decide how your things will best fit in your new home is the next step.

You need to decide clearly how you want to use each room. Place your boxes along with the furniture that belongs in each room directly in that room as you move in. This saves a lot of time and energy moving things a second and third time. Your back will also thank you. Of course if you have a moving company moving you, you can have them place things for you if your boxes are well labeled and you have a fairly clear idea of where you want your furniture placed. (If you are already in your home you can still use the same ideas to organize your home. Depending on how much organizing you need to do you may want to remove things from cabinets pack things in boxes and start over.) Once you have things designated by room it is then easier to organize each room as you unpack.

Take a good look at your closet space, cabinet space, pantry space, etc. in general through the whole house so you have an idea how much or how little space you have to work with in each area. If you have baths on two floors try to store extra towels, tissue, a set of cleaning supplies, etc. for each bath on the floor they are on either in the bathroom or in a linen closet near by. If you don't have enough storage in the bathroom for everything then use linen closet for all extra items and refills of personal items and only store most used items in the bathroom cabinet. If storage is short and you don't have a linen closet then maybe some type of storage can be added to bathroom either by adding a vanity cabinet to hang or add shelving over toilet. If you look at space before moving in then you may be able to add something before you move in to help where your storage is short. If you have a small hall table, book shelves or small chest of drawers, etc. that will fit in your bath they may add storage without spending money and can be decorative too with the right accessories like attractive baskets or dishes to hold soaps, lotions, etc. displayed on top. Be creative with the furniture you already own , a piece that you needed or used in a different room before you may not need now or would be better used somewhere else. This is true of décor items also. An item or items that may have been in your living room before might fit perfectly in the décor of your new downstairs bath. It's fun and economical to use what you have in a new way. If you find a need, take a look around at what you have and see if you don't have something that will accommodate the need.

Organizing the kitchen is a particularly important task because it makes everyday use so much nicer and easier. Take a good look at not only cabinet space but also counter space. Here again storage of cleansers you will use in the kitchen should be stored in a convenient way in kitchen, most likely under the kitchen sink. If area under sink is not large enough, keep everyday items there and less needed items in other storage like maybe the laundry room. Take time to neatly place things in a way that is easily maintained. Either using plastic bins to divide items or place things in rows where everything is visible and can be easily accessed. This sounds like a no brainer, but it's something many people do not put in practical use. If you have to move everything to get something you use on a regular basis or if you can't access something without knocking over other things then you need to rearrange.

The rest of the kitchen needs to be organized by how you use things. Think of the flow of movement of people and items used as you setup your workspace. Dishes, glasses, cups, etc. should be all in one area. Hopefully close to the dishwasher so unloading is easy. I like to store most foods in the pantry if you have one, but coffee, tea, spices, corn starch, vinegars, oils, items that you use everyday and as your cooking I like to store close to the stove, but not where it will be too hot. Choosing a space for your herbs and spices is a priority if you have many and use them a lot. Pick a space where there is enough room but also limited enough to where this is all you store in this particular area. A shelf on a lazy susan is perfect if you have one, or a drawer where you can lay jars down side by side so labels are easily read is also a good solution. Of course there are many choices of spice racks that can be used on wall or counter top. Whatever you choose make sure it is easily accessible to you when you're at the stove top counter area where you will be cooking. Easy access means it's also easy to put away. Easy access also means arranging herbs and spices in order so you can grab them easily when cooking. Chili powder, cayenne, cumin, etc, together, sweet spices together, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, etc. together, parsley, sage rosemary and thyme together, (sounds familiar doesn't it?). You get the idea put them in order and where you can use them easily. Organizing condiments in refrigerator door shelves use the same idea, salad dressings together, ketchup, mustards, barbecue sauces together, salsas and other misc. sauces together. No more digging and searching, you and the rest or the family will know exactly where to find what they need and also where to return it.

I like to put my coffee, coffee filters etc. in a cabinet above where my coffee maker is on the counter. Store pans for baking close to oven and skillets and pans store close to stove top. In your pantry area, investing in plastic containers is a good idea for storage of flour, sugars, cookies, raisins, nuts... any items that are messy to store in original containers. Again group foods by type, baking supplies together, canned goods divided by type and so on. Taking time to organize your space so that items are in reach and also so items in each cabinet are easy to access and use makes keeping your home clean and organized a lot easier.

Try to leave as much free counter space as possible, appliances that you don't use often should be stored in cabinets. The less clutter the easier it is to maintain. Organize drawers by what you use together and most often. Making use of utensil caddy on stove top for most used spatulas, spoons, etc. will help free up drawers. Let most of your decorative items on counters do double duty, store twist ties for plastic bags in a decorative tin or canister for example, use baskets to group small items together, use canisters for coffee, pastas, dried beans, etc....

If you apply these same principles to every room you will before you know it be organized. Try always to store things close to where they will be used and organize closets, cabinets, drawers, so that you can maintain them easily. There's an old saying, "a place for everything and everything in its place." Clean as you go, if you drip something on the floor, wipe it up. When it comes to be being and staying organized there isn't any magic bullet it really just boils down to starting with a good plan and keeping to it everyday.

Now that you have a clean organized home make it more luxurious by adding fresh flowers now and then or changing small things like tablecloths, runners, or candles with the season. Adding fragrant oils, a new plant, or some other small change will keep your home feeling fresh and inviting to you and others. It also makes everyday upkeep seem less monotonous. Do whatever makes you feel pampered and happy. Add the little luxuries that you would find in a luxury hotel on a great vacation.

Make everyday feel a little more like a holiday , then relax, and enjoy....