10 Things To Organize In Your Home At The Start Of The New Year
When January kicks off, many people see it as a time for a reset. It’s a chance to do better, get stronger, become more organized, and tackle goals. If your resolution includes organizing your home, set achievable goals instead of trying to overhaul your entire house at once.
Focus on the pantry, fridge, and freezer to get your kitchen ready for a new year. Your bedroom closet, bathroom cabinets, and linen closet are other hotspots when it comes to resetting after the holidays. Finally, tackle the junk drawer and paper and digital clutter to streamline systems and start with a clean slate.
When the new year begins, you might see it as a fresh start. It’s an opportunity to prioritize tasks and maximize efficiency by setting up your home to make life run smoother. To improve your success rate, focus on the areas that cause the most stress or tend to get messy throughout the year.
10 Places To Organize First In The New Year
You don't have to spend every weekend cleaning or buy a bunch of storage containers to get organized. Sometimes, a little sorting and a few simple changes can make a big difference. Here are 10 things to organize in your home at the start of the new year.
1. Kitchen Pantry
One of the main things you do during the holidays is eat and cook; at least it seems that way, doesn’t it? This means with all the parties, meal prep, potlucks, and baked goodies, your pantry becomes a catch-all. The odds are good you have food in there you’ve forgotten about. Start by taking everything out of the pantry, checking expiration dates, and tossing anything that’s past its prime.
Group similar items together to know what you have (and what you need). Put things back in a way that makes sense for your household. For example, keep frequently used items on the shelves that are easiest to reach. Before buying more groceries, check what you already have to avoid buying duplicates.
2. Fridge And Freezer
Just like the pantry, the fridge and freezer can also become the final resting places for leftovers and bygone holiday treats. The beginning of the year is a good time to clean out these hardworking appliances. Take things out and check expiration dates, throw away old leftovers, and wipe down the shelves and drawers. Pay attention to condiments, salad dressings, and other items that tend to hide at the back.
Look for freezer-burned food and items you no longer remember buying. If you have several packages of the same food, group them together. Mystery items with no date? Immediately toss. Once everything is clean, organize food by category. Keep breakfast items together, group frozen vegetables in one area, and so on. Place foods you need to use soon where you can easily see them.
3. Bedroom Closet
Closets tend to collect a lot of stuff, especially after holiday gift hauls. You end up with clothes and shoes that hardly see any action. Maybe you have things you no longer wear, perhaps hoping to use them again one day. But you also end up with random items, usually because you’re not sure where else to stash them. If you try to conquer the entire closet in one day, it can seem overwhelming.
Instead, work section by section to keep things more manageable. Tackle shirts one afternoon, pants the next, and finish with shoes and accessories. As you go through your clothes, ask yourself: Do you wear this? Does it fit? Is it comfortable? Would you buy it again today? If something no longer fits your lifestyle, consider donating it.
Throw out clothes that are stained, damaged, or worn out. Once you sort through everything, group similar items. Consider moving seasonal clothing to another area if you need more space, so you can keep everyday clothes more accessible. The goal is to make getting dressed easier, not to create a perfectly styled closet.
4. Bathroom Cabinets
Bathroom cabinets tend to get crowded throughout the holidays. You frantically get ready for parties and get-togethers, leaving a mess in your wake. Or maybe you took advantage of one too many free giveaways at the makeup counter during Christmas shopping sprees. Now you have a ton of lotions, lipsticks, samples, and mysterious concoctions stuffed into every nook and cranny, plus all the older products you already had.
Take everything out of the cabinets and drawers, check expiration dates and product labels, and safely dispose of anything you no longer need. Keep everyday products together, so you can find them without digging through several drawers. Donate unopened items you won’t use, and avoid overstocking on backups. A few extras can be helpful, but too many of the same thing just makes it more of a hassle to navigate your inventory and get ready.
5. Paper Clutter
Papers are often the hardest to get rid of because they feels so important. You worry you’re going to toss an essential document you can never replace. However, mail, school papers, insurance documents, receipts, and bills can pile up quickly. If you don't have a system in place, it becomes harder to find what you need, leading to a lot of stress, missed deadlines, and headaches.
Streamline papers for the new year by sorting it into items to keep, need action, go into the trash or recycle. Store important documents, such as insurance information and tax records, in a safe place. Toss the obvious stuff, like junk mailers, old catalogs, receipts for items past the return date, or items without warranties.
Remember to shred papers that contain personal information before throwing them away. For papers that need attention, create a simple folder or basket to contain them in one area. This can also be your spot for paying bills, completing forms, and scheduling appointments.Â
6. The Junk Drawer
First, there’s nothing wrong with having a junk drawer. In fact, everyone deserves one place to stash the little things that don’t really have a designated home. But that doesn’t mean it should be so cluttered, you can’t even close it. The beginning of the year is a good time to give this popular catchall a fresh start.
Take everything out and sort through the contents. Throw away broken items, dried-out pens, and anything that no longer serves a purpose. Group things you plan to keep into categories, so the drawer makes more sense. For example, keep batteries together, put small tools in one area, and gather loose office supplies such as rubber bands and paper clips.
Use small containers or drawer dividers to keep it all in place. You don't need to purchase anything fancy. A few small boxes that you already have, or even an old muffin pan, work well. Before putting everything back, make sure each item belongs in the drawer. If something has a better home elsewhere, move it.
7. Linen Closet
The linen closet is another area that can benefit from a fresh start, especially if you hosted a lot of overnight guests during the holidays. Between extra towels, bedding, blankets, and cleaning supplies, it can become difficult to find what you need. Start by emptying the closet and sorting everything into categories.
Group towels together, keep sheets organized by bed size, and separate blankets from other items. Check for worn-out pieces. If you have more than you need, donate things that are in good shape. When putting it all back, keep frequently used items within easy reach. You can also store sets together by folding the sheets and placing them inside a matching pillowcase. This makes it easier to grab a complete set when changing the beds.
8. Mudroom Or Entryway
The entryway is likely the first place you (and guests) see after entering your house. It also often becomes command central for many households, accumulating shoes, bags, jackets, and mail. A messy entryway can make the whole house feel cluttered, even when the rest of your home is clean. Not exactly the fresh start you’re hoping for in the new year.
Remove anything that doesn't belong. Put away shoes, return bags to their proper place, and clear off tables or benches. If you have a coat closet, take out anything that no longer fits and organize remaining jackets by season. (Check pockets, too!) Create a simple spot for everyday essentials that makes it easy to put things away in a pinch.
You might have a tray for keys, hooks for bags, and a small basket for mail. Dedicated landing zones help keep things from multiplying and spreading all over the house. If you have children, well, kids come with clutter, too. Consider giving each person a spot for their shoes and belongings. Having a designayed area makes it easier for everyone to put things away.
9. Cleaning Supplies
Stay on top of messes year-round by prepping your cleaning arsenal at the start of the new year. Cleaning supplies get scattered throughout the house. You might have products under the kitchen sink, in the bathroom, in the laundry room, and in a closet. Check bottles for expiration dates or signs that a product is no longer usable.
Dispose of unwanted products according to their labels and local disposal guidelines. Group similar items together, such as bathroom and kitchen cleaners and laundry supplies. If you keep cleaning products in multiple locations, consider creating a small cleaning station in each area where you use them most.
Alternatively, use a cleaning caddy for your essentials if you prefer to keep products in one place and bring them with you as you clean. Make sure to store products safely, especially if you have children or pets. Keep chemicals in their original containers and never mix cleaning products. Once it's organized, you'll have a better idea of what you need to replace.
10. Digital Clutter
Digital clutter is a real thing. At the start of the year, get your digital footprint under control. Photos, downloads, emails, and apps pile up just like physical things stack up in the closet. A good place to start your cleanup is your phone. Delete apps you no longer use, remove duplicate photos, and organize important pictures into albums. Next, take a look at your computer.
Sort through your downloads folder, delete files you no longer need, and create folders for documents you want to keep. You may also want to clean up your email inbox. Unsubscribe from newsletters you no longer read and delete unnecessary messages. Back up important files or photos. A digital declutter can be overwhelming if you try to do it all at once. Break it up into sessions, doing a little at a time to make your digital spaces easier to use.
Make Organization A Habit This Year
Getting organized at the beginning of the year doesn't mean your home has to be perfect by January 31. The best way to make progress is to start with a few manageable tasks and build from there. Choose the area that bothers you most and work through it little by little before moving on to the next.
You can also make organizing part of your routine. Spend 10 minutes putting things away before bed, clean out the refrigerator before grocery shopping, or sort through mail as soon as it comes in. Small habits can help prevent clutter from building up again.
Most importantly, remember that your home should work for you and your family. Create spaces that are easy to use, comfortable, and manageable. With a little effort at the start of the year, you can simplify tasks and enjoy a more organized home all year long.
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Stacy Randall is a wife, mother, and freelance writer from NOLA that has always had a love for DIY projects, home organization, and making spaces beautiful. Together with her husband, she has been spending the last several years lovingly renovating her grandparent's former home, making it their own and learning a lot about life along the way.
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