Here’s a list of rooms, along with specific tips on how to get started organizing.
Bedrooms
If the first room you see in the morning and the last one you see each night doesn’t feel like your private oasis anymore, it’s time to tackle the chaos in your bedroom. You can even learn how to transform your bedroom into a dream space using items you already own. (Now that’s a win-win.) Then, go about the steps to organize your entire bedroom to make it one of your favorite rooms in the house again. Don’t neglect your closets. Transform your closet or dresser from looking like a bargain bin into looking like a fancy department store display. Go through your clothes, declutter, and create a pile to give away to a worthy charity. Then, before placing anything back in the closet, organize your clothes, shoes, and accessories. Once you’ve eliminated the mess, rejuvenate the primary and guest bedrooms with a deep cleaning top to bottom, including areas that are often forgotten. Houseguests will appreciate a nice-smelling space, as well.
Kids’ Bedrooms
The sweet, adorable little ones who live in these rooms aren’t known for being neat freaks. Fortunately, there are some organization tips just for kids’ rooms that help you tackle the layer of toys on the floor and messy beds that never get made. Having some sense of organization helps keep the mess to a minimum even when little hands want to yank today’s wardrobe off their hangers. Toys can be neatly organized in your kids’ bedrooms so that you’re not spending every day re-cleaning the same old mess. You’ll actually be able to walk into your child’s room and not feel the pain of Legos underneath your feet, even if your kid’s bedroom doesn’t have a closet.
Kitchen
There’s a lot of action in the kitchen and it’s evident by the crumbs, food stains, and general clutter. If this kitchen was in a restaurant, would you want to eat there or would you call the health department to shut it down? Fear not, because an organized kitchen is just a few tasks away. Organize the kitchen in a way that maximizes your counter space and reduces your counter clutter as well as the clutter hidden away in drawers. A clean and organized kitchen makes the entire house feel clean and organized, even when it’s not. Start with the cabinets, taking everything out and deciding how to best organize the space, as well as removing items that shouldn’t be stored in the kitchen. Store the small kitchen appliances that only see occasional use and reorganize your pantry so it is actually functional for preparing meals.
Family Room
You’re a functional family but you’ve got a dysfunctional family room. Toys, video games, remote controls, and more end up scattered about—and one of the rooms you spend the most time in becomes one you’re constantly cleaning. Do this room in stages to make the room work for you and get rid of the junk pileups. Start with a quick 30-minute organizing overhaul. Not only will the space quickly feel larger, but the sense of accomplishment will give you the motivation to power on. Next, tackle the ever-growing pile of kids’ toys. Set up areas for smaller kids to play in the room to contain their toys. The end result will be a family room that is neat and kid-friendly. Tidy up the electronics (consider hidden storage if you’re short on space) and hold your family to following your system. Thin out the room of anything that doesn’t belong there.
Playroom
That mysterious space underneath the toys is called a floor. Haven’t seen it in a while, have you? You’re not alone. Families everywhere are tired of cleaning up the room that’s been designated as the kids’ play place, but you can end playroom clutter in an afternoon. Sort toys, organize those that still get used, then donate gently used toys that no one plays with anymore to worthy organizations. Invest in—or DIY—playroom storage that will keep the room organized. Make sure your playroom stays tidy with strategies that include baskets and bins. Try to reassess what your child is playing with regularly so you’ll know what to keep the next time you swap out toys or get items ready to donate.
Bathrooms
It’s easy for the bathroom to get cluttered and dirty because you have tiny people learning how to use the potty, towels hanging everywhere from daily baths, and shampoo, toothpaste, and other personal care items that have to live in this space, too. Even homes without kids end up with cluttered bathrooms. Grab a box and clean everything out of the bathroom. Everything. Organize your bathroom by starting with a clean slate. Slowly put what you need back in and get rid of everything else. Decide what should go on bathroom shelves, in the linen closets, and within bathroom storage areas. In the end, you will be rewarded with a well-organized bathroom ideal for stress-free mornings getting ready.
Garage
The garage is supposed to be a place where we park cars and maybe work on a weekend project using a workbench. Unfortunately, in most homes, it quickly devolves into a place to store anything that doesn’t have a designated spot in the rest of the house. It only takes five easy steps to get your garage organized. Take a second look at your garage. What do you really need in there, what should be stored elsewhere, and what can be thrown out? Hang bikes on the wall so they’re not on the floor. Use storage shelves to organize the tools, beach toys, and car supplies vertically. Throw out those empty bottles of brake fluid, the car-washing brushes with worn-out bristles, and broken toys you’ve been meaning to fix for years.
Mud Room/Laundry Room
Since this area is the first stop home from school, soccer games, or work, dirty shoes and clothes are often left here. As a result, this small, enclosed room can feel like a gigantic mess. Plus, most mudrooms or laundry rooms have feet constantly walking through them because it’s the room where you enter and exit the house. You don’t want these areas to look like a drop-off point for everything from the mail to your diaper bag. Install storage areas for each family member, as well as designated spots for mail and keys. Make sure everyone understands where everything goes, and that they follow through on the system every day. Decluttering the laundry room will not only create a tidier room, but it will also make laundry day much easier.
Home Office
Whether you use your home office as a homeschool area or to prepare presentations for the board room, this is one of the easiest rooms to load with clutter. Bills end up here, file folders are strewn about, and that big desk makes the perfect tabletop for piling mail, catalogs, and books. Take baby steps to organize this room and begin with a shakedown of the things you don’t need anymore. First, corral the clutter as much as possible. Set up an effective file storage system. This includes knowing what documents you should keep and which ones you can trash (or securely shred). Then, move on to the wires and cables strewn about from laptops, routers, and printers. Once your office is decluttered, you can move on to creating a beautiful home office space that is also functional.
Hall Closet
Open your hall closet door right now. Happy with what you see? Everyone’s hall closet is different but most of us can relate to the hodgepodge of clutter that lurks behind that door. You can maximize the space and minimize the junk factor when you organize closets. Empty the closet, take stock of what you have, and make the closet efficient with hooks and organizers to keep your items neatly arranged. Organized correctly, your hall closet will even have more usable space than you thought possible. Next time you go to grab your coat, you won’t have a mini yard sale staring back at you.
Attic/Storage Room
The name of the room says it all. After all, you’ve probably made your attic or storage room the dumping ground for things you just didn’t know what to do with. You know you need to dig in and throw some things out, but the thought of opening the door and having random boxes fall down on you isn’t a way you’d like to spend your Saturday. Assess the space to see how it can be reconfigured for optimal organizational purposes. Don’t be afraid to take some items straight to the street. If you haven’t needed that box from your bachelorette pad you rented almost 20 years ago, chances are, you won’t even miss it. Chances are, holiday decor takes up much of the space. Take time to purge ornaments and garland that have outlived their use and organize the rest. Finish with a thorough cleaning of the attic or storage room.
