Housekeeping Organization

Are you tired of tripping over clutter every time you get dressed? Will you lose it if you step on another kid’s toy or spend 15 minutes trying to find the can opener?

If you’re a parent, you know that time flies by faster than a supersonic jet. Before you know it, children are bigger, into new hobbies, and wearing larger clothes. As your children grow, their storage needs change, but that doesn’t mean you have to buy new containers every year.

When you don’t have much room for your belongings, efficient storage is a must. Whether you live in a small apartment or share your space with others, you need to be smart about where you put your things. So, what’s the best way to store your items when you’re short on space?

When you have too much stuff, it can overwhelm your home, your mind, and your life. Clutter makes it harder to find things, complete tasks, move around, and even breathe. It’s no wonder so many people make it a goal to declutter their homes. But with so many different how-tos and decluttering rules out there, how do you know which one is the right one for you?

The winter holidays should bring warmth and joy to everyone who celebrates them. Unfortunately, in today’s busy world, this season often feels more like an expensive, stressful balancing act than anything resembling holiday cheer. While you can’t always change the way holidays are celebrated where you live, there are many ways to cope with and minimize holiday stress.

Warning! Drooling over organized closets, pantries, and garages on Instagram could delay your organizing goals. The pristine, hyper-sorted spaces on social media make you think you need to buy a bunch of pricey bins, baskets, and storage solutions to get results. But here’s what you really need to know. You don’t have to buy containers to get organized!

For anyone working an in-0ffice job, lunch is always a looming consideration. Some prefer to eat in an employee cafeteria, while others order out. But these habits can become expensive and even unhealthy. These are a couple of reasons why the concept of meal-prepping has grown more popular.

You’re not alone if you’ve ever let the clutter in your home get out of control. This is all too easy, as basic responsibilities, work, and family commitments can make decluttering difficult. However, it’s much easier if you stick to an ironclad yearly decluttering checklist.

Some homeowners unfortunately treat their attic like it's a trash can. Maybe you’re not filling the space with trash, but you may not use everything in there. Get realistic about what you keep in your attic and whether or not you’ll ever use everything.

According to recent data, the average new home size in the US is 2,485 square feet (much larger than approximately 50 years ago). However, interestingly enough, over the past several years, the size of new homes has been shrinking. 

It’s not you, it’s your stuff being sneaky. You might be the most organized person in the world, but there are still places in your home that seem to breed clutter. Don't panic; everybody has these sneaky clutter spots, but the good news is that once you’re aware of them, you can conquer them.

Birds are chirping, and the sunshine’s about to stick around longer, but your closet’s still stuffed with sweaters, coats, and winter accessories. It’s time to bring out the sleeveless shirts and flowy skirts, but should you pack away all of the cold-weather garb?

When you have kids, it's a safe bet you also have a lot of stuff. If blocks, dolls, Hot Wheels, LEGOs, stuffed animals, and random art supplies are taking over your space, fear not. There are ways to contain kid clutter and maintain a more adult vibe in your home without sacrificing fun and play time.

Is your first thought when fall arrives about how you’re going to up the wow-factor on your famous apple pie tarts? Autumn is a prime time for baking for a lot of people. If you’re one of them, it’s time to prep your kitchen for every recipe, rolling pin, and whisk you’re about to send its way.

Proper storage makes all the difference in how your home looks, feels, and functions. If you don’t have a place for everything, clutter takes over, leading to stress and frustration. Blankets, sheets, towels, and similar items tend to accumulate, which means adequate storage is essential. Many homes feature linen closets for this very purpose, but how do you store linens without a closet?

The holidays can feel like a never-ending series of cocktail parties and family gatherings. There’s always an excuse to throw a party in the winter, and you may even plan on hosting one or more parties at your home this year. While no concrete entertaining rules exist that you must abide by as the host, there are many mistakes you should avoid to ensure every holiday event you plan is flawless.

Organizing your clothing in a way that works for you can make a huge difference in how your day goes. If it’s simple to get ready, find what you need, and your things stay nice, you save time and money. Typical clothing storage in your bedroom is usually a dresser and closet, but what should you keep in them?

With housing prices at an all-time high, many people have had to downsize to smaller homes. In some cases, a smaller home feels just as spacious as a slightly larger home. But one thing you inevitably sacrifice, is storage space. This means more and more people need to find creative places to store belongings. One great place to store bins and totes is underneath the bed. This might have you wondering how you can create even more storage space underneath the beds in your home.

Are you starting to feel a bit unsure about your current home? Maybe it suddenly seems too small, or you don’t like the kitchen. You go to your friend’s house and start dreaming about their backyard oasis and sparkling pool and how nice it would be if you had a pool. But rising interest rates and soaring home prices aside, moving is a hassle. How can you love the home you’re in right now?

A dedicated place for kids to play can be a lifesaver when it comes to keeping your home organized and tidy (not to mention calm). When things get messy, simply shut the door or draw the curtain to hide the chaos. But if the playroom isn't functional, toys and mayhem soon start seeping into other parts of your home.

You’re selling your house, and your agent tells you to clean up before they take pictures. You scrub, dust, mop, and do your best, but then they tell you there’s still too much stuff, and you need to declutter. But then, they start talking about how they’re going to stage your home, and you’re confused because you thought you were doing that already.

Life with pets is fun, rewarding, and, well, messy. Plus, having a pet adds responsibilities to your day and a lot more stuff inside your home. A well-equipped entryway designed for life with pets can make things tidier, easier, and cleaner.

After you bake your holiday cookies and quiche, remember to save the cardboard egg containers. The cardboard compartments can be used to store your small Christmas decorations. These containers have anywhere from 6 to 24 shallow pockets that can fit many of your small and breakable holiday decorations.

One of the best ways to minimize the amount of space your luggage takes up in your home is to buy a luggage set that stacks within itself. If you can find a good luggage set you love, see if they have a carry-on bag that fits within the checked bag.

One of the best ways to ensure your winter clothes are safely stored in the spring and summer is to use durable airtight containers. Large plastic and locking storage totes are ideal. For one, they are usually easy to stack, making storing clothes easier.

A messy refrigerator is a frustrating reality for many households. At times, it can feel like no matter how many shelves, drawers, and bins a fridge has, the contents inside will inevitably become a disorganized mess. While keeping this appliance and its contents clean and tidy can feel like an impossible goal, there are plenty of hacks and habits you can try that will help keep your fridge and its contents organized for good.

If you always use your kitchen to prepare meals for the household, then you know cooking isn’t always the easiest part of your day. There is planning, preparation, and precision involved in creating memorable meals at home. While you can’t change the fundamentals of cooking, you can arrange your kitchen in a way that makes it easier to cook.

You finally found the home you've been looking for, whether it's your first house, second, or third. Over the first few months, you spend days unpacking, decorating, tweaking, fixing, and rearranging. But your new house still doesn't feel like it’s yours. Did you pick the wrong place, or does it just take time for your new house to feel like home?

One great way to protect clothing from the elements and external dangers like moisture, bugs, and sharp objects is to vacuum-seal them. There are many vacuum-sealable plastic bags on the market, and many of them are geared towards storing your clothing for long periods.

It’s too easy to get behind on laundry when you're busy with work and other responsibilities. However, there’s no better time to put your laundry away than before having guests over. A pile of laundry is an eyesore to many people, even if your guests can relate. 

Bathroom closets are often catch-alls for anything and everything remotely related to self-care. We store towels, medicine, toiletry supplies, first-aid gear, massage devices, facial steamers, spare bed sheets; you name it. If you’re unsure how to organize a bathroom closet, it quickly becomes a chaotic mess, adding a snowball of stress to your day.

Small homes are cozy, practical, and often easier on the budget, but they definitely have challenges, especially when it comes to storage. If you live in a smaller house, you probably have to get creative when it comes to everyday organization. Seasonal storage is a whole other conundrum.

One of the top recommendations for decluttering your house is to first remove everything from the area you want to organize. But if you don’t plan your time wisely, you could end up living in chaos until you finish everything. Luckily, there are ways to declutter without making a mess in the process.

The art of cooking in a tiny kitchen is a feat that can take years to master. Each tiny kitchen has its unique quirks and challenges. But with time, preparation, and perseverance, great meals can come out of these very small spaces. While cooking a typical meal in a small space is easy enough, preparing a holiday feast in a tiny kitchen is a much larger challenge, and requires lots of planning and tricks to pull off without any issues.

First, take a moment to think about the idea of home organization, because the concept doesn't look the same for everyone. Some people picture a meticulously clean house with walls of bins and matching labels. Others consider finding their keys in less than 5 minutes being organized.

Dining room tables can sometimes feel like a waste of space, especially if you don’t have a large family. If you aren’t constantly entertaining, then you most likely have a small dining table, or perhaps no dining table at all. For most of the year, this likely frees up space in your home, so you can use the room for other purposes. But when it comes to hosting a holiday gathering, you will be left having to find a creative and hopefully inexpensive way to create a large dining table for festive gatherings.

Come on, you knew an article about making the most of your small space was going to have a section on decluttering. That’s simply because it is imperative to reduce your inventory when you want to maximize your living area.

Corner pantries are meant to be a major part of your kitchen’s storage. It’s usually where extra food goes, and where you can expect your other less-used kitchen tools to go. If you’re a foodie like me, that usually means that you’re a little overwhelmed when you see how much stuff you have to fit into a corner pantry. Is there any way to make organizing this easier?

The rise in remote work opportunities has increased the need for many people to create a viable home office space. If a good portion of your job happens in your house, it’s challenging to define the line between your personal and work lives. It’s tough to separate work from play when you work from home, especially if you live with others, but it’s possible.

As you prepare to place new glassware in your kitchen cabinets for safekeeping, you may find yourself pausing with a glass in your hand. You have to decide whether your glasses will face up or down.

The first reaction to overwhelming clutter is usually thinking you have to get organized. But a lot of times, the best starting point is to get rid of stuff first. So, can you organize your house without decluttering? And more importantly, is it effective?

There’s something about starting a brand-new year that makes us want to hit reset on all sorts of things, from our fitness levels to our financial well-being. Another area in which many people desire to make a bunch of changes is their homes. Whatever the reason, January has a way of turning our homes into a reflection of how we want to live, not just how we’ve been living.

One factor that can impact a product's longevity is how and where it’s applied. Using a clean applicator to use a cream or solid product will prevent bacterial growth. 

You might try to convince yourself that organizing your kitchen cabinets isn’t that big a deal. After all, once the doors are closed, you don’t see the mess, right? (Unless you’re dealing with organizing glass cabinets.) But the benefits of organized cabinets go way beyond a tidy kitchen.

If you live in a household with school-age children, you know that the end of the summer can be a very stressful and even overwhelming time of year. There are many items to buy, meetings to attend, and activities to sign your child up for. While you can't ignore these parental obligations, you can organize your life and home to help the whole family transition smoothly.

Let’s face it; our pets take over our hearts and our homes. Between the pet toys, beds, grooming supplies, leashes, litter boxes — the list goes on and on — you might feel like your pet needs their own room. Don’t give up the spare bedroom just yet. Instead, use these tips for organizing your pet’s belongings.

Hoarding begins with the best intentions. There are sentimental reasons, and of course, the far-fetched idea that maybe one day you’ll utilize something you’ve never taken out of the box. The key to maintaining an organized home is knowing when to hold on to something and when to let it go. Below is a list of everyday items that people tend to hold onto longer than they should.

Kitchen cutlery comes in every material imaginable. From silicone and other man-made materials, to aluminum and other types of metal. But when it comes to aesthetics and chef preference, nothing beats a good solid wooden spoon for stirring a sauce. But unlike other materials, wood does not last forever. In fact, it deteriorates so much over time that it eventually needs to be tossed in the trash. So, when is it time to throw away your wooden spoon and purchase a new one?

Are you trying to convince yourself that your overflowing closets and cluttered countertops aren’t a big deal? You might tell yourself the mess doesn’t bother you, until you really start thinking about what it’s costing you. That’s right. Those piles of clutter are eating away at your budget, not to mention your mental and emotional well-being.

After decluttering your house, you often feel like you can breathe more easily and things are more peaceful. It’s like you hit a giant reset button. But if you’re not careful, that reset can quickly turn into more of a replay, with everything creeping back to how it was before. 

Football season might be over, but now it’s time for soccer, baseball, track, volleyball, softball, swimming…whew! Spring sports are huge for kids, with countless options, which means tons of gear to put somewhere! Unless you want a pile of shoes, gloves, uniforms, and packs by your door, it’s time to get organized.

The winter holiday season is a whirlwind of parties, obligations, and decorating that can feel joyful and stressful at the same time. With so much to do in a short time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. If you often feel like you have too much on your plate in the winter months, you should start your holiday preparations in the fall.

Wait! Put down the paint swatches, and don’t buy that new furniture just yet. If your home doesn’t feel quite right, it’s tempting to jump to redesigning your space or planning renovations. However, before you invest a bunch of time, money, and effort into redesigning your home, consider whether what you really need to do is reorganize.

Clutter, clutter everywhere, and not a place to put it all. Does this sound about right? Are you surrounded by a mountain of stuff that you don’t even remember getting? You think, “No, problem. I just ordered a bunch of bins on Amazon, so I’ll be organized in no time.” Well, it’s time for a reality check; getting organized isn’t about the bins.

Working from home seems to be the way of the future, or at the very least, a common practice in the now. If you’re one of the many people who need a home office, you may not have the luxury of a dedicated space. Instead, your kitchen does double duty as your office space, and you’re tired of papers and electronics taking over your countertops.

Does the cabinet under your kitchen sink make you cringe whenever you open it? Is it crammed with random food containers, dish towels, and cleaning supplies? It can be challenging to organize under the kitchen sink, thanks to obstacles like pipes and your garbage disposal.

Charities are always in need of donations, especially around the holidays or after a natural disaster. When you think of charitable contributions, you likely think of essentials like clothing, water, and canned goods. While these are exceptional items to donate, there are many other products that charities gladly accept. Some of these items might even be collecting dust in your home right now.

Maybe your favorite organizing influencer’s pantry or medicine cabinet has you drooling. Everything has a place, and it seems so easy for them to find what they need within moments. You decide this marvel of modern organization must be yours, so you start trying to recreate the look in your own space.

With home prices and apartment rentals at an all-time high, many people have had to downsize into smaller living spaces. In some cases, life can feel pretty much the same in a slightly smaller home. But one room that can be difficult to navigate when it shrinks in size, is the kitchen. A small kitchen means there is less room for your appliances, and you are suddenly left with minimal counter space to prepare food. When you find yourself in a kitchen with limited counter space, how do you create more?

Hushing the house means reducing the number of items in your home to achieve a quieter, more peaceful environment. House housing, or quieting the house is a popular trend in a world where everyone seems overworked and stressed. The idea of a simpler life and a serene retreat sounds amazing.