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Simple ways to stay organized you haven’t tried yet

You’re probably always looking for new ways to maximize the storage space available in your home, always searching up the latest organization strategies for your home. If you live in a small space, using the available areas most effectively is particularly important. Hopefully, our list of organization ideas will help keep your home nicer and neater.

Sink in kitchen
ready made / Pexels

Cabinet and drawer organization

The area under sinks is an often underutilized but valuable storage space. You can maximize this storage space in a few different ways. The simplest storage method is to place stacked drawers under the sink. Separate items into different containers based on type or purpose. It’s a bonus if they are clear, so you can see what’s inside. Martha Stewart suggests adding a small light. We recommend labeling the drawers, so you know their contents without having to check inside. For even easier access to objects, consider buying a small lazy Susan.

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You can also use the inside of cabinet doors as a storage space by hanging baskets, buckets, or shelves from them, then putting your most frequently used items in those containers. Hooks or rods also work well for hanging inside of doors. Small baskets can also be placed in drawers to separate tiny but frequently used items. Or, you can cut up a shoebox to make an in-drawer organizer.

Wicker basket on floor with blue wall
Lifestyle Travel Photo/Shutterstock

Make a donation area

Although true cleaning of your house probably doesn’t happen every day, smaller organizational tasks do. Allow the whole family to easily donate items by labeling a dedicated box or bin. Keep this container in a place that anyone can easily access and where your entire household frequents. Whenever someone finds an article of clothing or toy they no longer want, they simply place it in the donation area. This concept clears clutter and encourages your family members to get rid of things they don’t need without throwing them away. Waste not, want not!

small wooden crates hung on a wall
Lisa Fotios/Pexels.com

Repurpose objects

Similar to the containers used under a sink, many containers and other items work well as floating storage solutions — even raw pieces of wood. Your imagination is the limit when it comes to floating shelves. These can be placed on virtually any wall or on the sides of cabinets or dressers. And they can be used as more than just shelving; they can also serve as an under-sink organizer, for instance.

Beyond shelving, mason jars are great, see-through items to keep often-used items. By utilizing containers already available to you, you save money and time. Ribbons from gifts can be repurposed to keep sheet sets together. There is no need to go out and buy fancy organizers if you have plenty of organizational items already at your disposal, hiding in plain sight.

One Good Thing By Jillee suggests several ways to repurpose things one might throw out. She lists ways to reuse butter stick wrap to new uses for newspapers.

Sliding shelves

If you’re tired of bending or squatting down to take things out of cabinets, you might want to consider installing sliding shelves. Heavy items like blenders or drills can then be simply lifted off a shelf instead. This is a fantastic storage solution to implement for those with back issues. You can even find products that allow you to slide out an entire cabinet’s contents at once, though these might get in the way if you need to stand in front of the cabinet to reach something. Regardless, sliding shelves let you conserve energy for tasks more important than just retrieving items from cabinets. If the possibility of shelves (or cabinets) being slammed shut irks you, invest in slow-closing hardware.

Roll ’em Out Shelves notes that sliding shelving make life easier. They increase space, give your closet or cabinet a more organized look, and allow for easy access.

Closet with clothes and guitar in corner with plant
Zoe van Poetsprins.nl / Unsplash

Redo your closet

Closets are infamous for being breeding grounds for untidiness. They don’t have to be that way, though. By choosing only one type of hanger to use in your closet, you’ll have a closet that instantly appears neater. Regarding the storage solutions used in your closet, make sure you are using available space most efficiently. Can you fit a small dresser in your closet? If so, put one in your closet! Adding bins and baskets to shelves also serves as a simple organizational feat to be done in closets. And regarding the contents of your closet, organize clothes by type and color to quickly locate whatever you need. Clothes that you wear the most often should be closest to your closet’s door.

Organizing your home efficiently doesn’t have to be difficult. With the ideas provided here and whatever other plans you can come up with, you can have the most neatly sorted home on the block. Just remember to be practical with your storage solutions.

Deb Goncalves
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Deb's work has appeared on Moms, Babygaga, and WorldAtlas. When she's not working (that's hard to say about a Capricorn), she…
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