Skip to main content

Home-organizing strategies from the professionals

Getting organized. It’s a common goal among homeowners and renters alike, and it’s no wonder. A disorganized home will cost you time spent looking for items when you need them, and it will cost more time trying to find places to put them when you’re cleaning.

But while getting and staying organized may seem like a monumental task, it doesn’t have to be. There are simple steps and easy-to-follow tips that will completely change the way your home looks and how it makes you feel, giving you more uncluttered space, more free time, and hopefully even a little more money to do the things that make you happy.

Organize and clean your space like a pro with these amazing tips straight from the professionals who do it best.

Woman organizing her clothes closet
New Africa/Shutterstock

Organizing systems: What sets apart the amateurs from the pros

What’s the single biggest organizing system trick of professionals? Working on a single room or organization project at a time. Trying to do the entire house in one weekend will likely leave you exhausted and frustrated. Instead, tackle your home room by room. Start by organizing your busy home office, for example, then move on to the kitchen when you’re done. Taking smaller bites of a bigger project will make you more likely to succeed and want to continue until every room is a showpiece of organization.

The organizing process: 5 steps to a clutter-free home!

When beginning any home-organization project, you may initially feel overwhelmed, but follow these five simple steps and you can organize your entire home like a pro!

Step 1: Sorting

Create piles by categories. Let’s say that you’re beginning your home-organization project in your master bathroom — make piles of cleaning supplies, makeup and toiletries, towels and washcloths, etc. Some professional organizers actually lay out a king-size sheet on the floor to house the piles of items and make the sorting stage a little easier to manage. 

Step 2: Toss, keep, donate, or sell

Every item falls into one of four categories:

Toss: Broken, badly stained, torn, or expired items should be tossed into the trash. You don’t need these things, and they won’t hold any value or use to anyone else, either.

Keep: These are the items that you will continue using, and some may have even been forgotten or lost in the back of a closet or cabinet, so hooray for you for finding them again!

Donate: Items that are still in good condition but no longer hold any use for you can be donated to one of many local or national charities. Note: Animal rescue groups or shelters will often take towels, blankets, and sheet donations regardless of their condition.

Sell: While sorting, you may come across items that have never been used, look as good as new, or even items that have value to collectors or antique dealers. There are many avenues available to you to resell your items, from local consignment shops to online sites such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, and others. As the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” so your unwanted items could end up netting you some cash!

Jeff Sheldon/Unsplash

Step 3: Placement and putting away

Evaluate the items you are keeping and assign each of them a home. Once everything is sorted and you’ve eliminated some items, you’ll be better able to gauge how much space will be needed for each grouping of items.

Now that you’ve designated the items you’re planning to keep, it’s time to put them back into cabinets, drawers, shelves, and closets. Put the things you use most often within easy reach, while things that don’t get used on a regular basis can be slightly less accessible.

Step 4: Shop, yes we said shop

For some items, you may need to purchase a few well-chosen organizers to help keep things neat and tidy. You can find lots of bins, baskets, trays, and containers at your local dollar store, all of which can help you keep up your newly organized lifestyle.

Step 5: Maintain

The trick to staying organized is getting in the habit of putting items back into their newly designated “homes” after each use. By using the mantra “A place for everything, and everything in its place,” it shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to get every room put together and tidy each and every day.

That’s it …. five steps to organize any room, anywhere — straight from the pros who do it best. Now get ready to get organized!

Editors' Recommendations

Should you power wash your house in the fall? Here are 5 things to wash at the end of the season
Power wash your house in the fall - you'll be happy with the results
Man spraying roof with power washer

The fall season is a prime time to check some of those pesky household chores off your to-do list. With the kids back in school, autumn is a time to wrap up all things summer and prepare for winter. This includes fall floor-to-ceiling cleaning, which is tedious but necessary work. Take solace knowing there's at least one quick task, and maybe even a little fun: power washing your home's exterior. With just five quick power washing projects, you can have your house sparkling clean and prepared to survive the winter.

With end-of-season projects in mind, check out the five most important power washing projects you should undertake to keep your home clean, protected, and ready for winter. You'll be surprised how satisfying power washing your house in the fall can be, and we promise you'll love the results.

Read more
9 ingenious storage tricks for small bedrooms with no closets for anyone running out of storage space
Storage ideas to free up space in your bedrooms with no closets
Woman storing folded clothes

Bedrooms are not just places to sleep, even though that's their main intention. Bedrooms also store clothes, shoes, and other personal items that you don't keep in other rooms of your home. But what if you have a small bedroom without a closet? Where should all the stuff go without having a cluttered and disorganized room?

A cluttered room can cause unnecessary stress and an overall sense of discomfort, which is the last feeling you want from where you're supposed to rest. If you have small bedrooms with no closets in your home, don’t worry. We have nine brilliant storage ideas that are also stylish so you can declutter and relax.

Read more
3 affordable home dry-cleaning kits that actually work
Try one the best home dry-cleaning kits
Woman loading dryer in the utility in the room

Have you ever considered adding a home dry-cleaning kit to your laundry room arsenal? Sure, sometimes a professional dry-cleaner is your best option, especially if your clothes are made of leather, fur, or suede. Or perhaps you managed to get some really tough, set-in stains, or you just can't fit the item inside your washer or dryer. But, let's face it: Dry-cleaners can be expensive and inconvenient. Aside from these specific situations, it's not uncommon to want a nice, dry-cleaned suit or dress without all the hassle. Wouldn't life be a lot easier if you could just clean your items at home? Well, sometimes you can if you invest in a home dry-cleaning kit.

Thankfully, there are plenty of kits to choose from! Though, knowing which will be right for you and your needs can be challenging. How do you choose the best at-home dry-cleaning solution? Luckily, we're here to point you in the right direction toward some easy-to-use products to spruce up your clothing, refresh your drapes, or remove stubborn stains from your carpet.

Read more