Inside: How many times have you said to yourself, “if only I could organize my house?” It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. But if you’re tired of wasting time looking for things or being frustrated by a mess. Grab a pen and paper and do this.
Would you like to spend more time doing the things that are important to you and less time hunting for things like your kid’s soccer clothes, the bill you received in the mail, or the item you need to return to the store?
Getting your home organized can improve your mood, clear your mind, and give you more time in your already busy schedule. You may not know where to start organizing your home, let me help with the Organize My House Checklist.
Organize Your Home Room by Room
While this list covers a lot of ground, it’s important to note that you don’t need to do it all in one day or even one week. Commit to making simple changes that will help organize your home a little at a time.
Small Changes for Big Impact
In the list we’ll cover small changes you can make room by room to create and maintain an organized home. In each room, we’ll cover:
- items to declutter (because who wants to waste time organizing things they don’t like or need)
- smart storage solutions – to keep down the clutter
- and daily routines – small steps you can take each day to maintain the space and your peace of mind!
This post will mainly focus on WHAT to organize, but if you’d like some practical tips on HOW to declutter check out this post or HOW to organize, check out LINK to Organizing Principles post.
Kitchen
The kitchen is often the hub of activity in a home. People congregate in this space, socialize, cook, and eat. It can quickly become disorganized. There are a few things on the Organize My House Checklist that you’ll need to tackle.
Items To Declutter
- Countertops
- Refrigerator
- Pantry
- Under the sink
- Pots and Pans
- Tupperware drawer
- Junk Drawer
Smart Storage Solutions
- Counter Top – Fruit Basket, Mail Tray, and Soap caddy
- Refrigerator – Plastic acrylic bins for eggs, sodas, yogurt etc.
- Pantry – Plastic bins with labels, DIY Built-in Spice Rack, Canisters for baking ingredients
- Tupperware drawer – Plastic bins for lids
- Junk drawer – Battery storage, Pens / Pencils containers, and Plastic dividers for things like rubber bands, paperclips, spare change
- Drawers – group like items and store close to where they are most often used e.g. coffee cups by the coffee maker and water glasses by the refrigerator. Make sure each drawer or shelf has an assigned purpose
Daily Routines
- Clear the counters ever morning and evening
- Have family members immediately put dishes in the dishwasher
- Sort mail when you bring it into the home
- Clear out old food before you go to the grocery store or if your city has a composting service, the night before they pick up the compost.
- Do a freezer inventory every 6 months
- Do a pantry inventory every 6 months
- Nest food storage containers when you take them out of the dishwasher
- Discard containers or lids with missing parts
Looking for more Kitchen Organization ideas, check this out.
Living Room
The Living Room is often just as busy as the kitchen. Family members may watch TV, read a book, play games, or take an occasional nap in this space. It can very easily become a clutter trap especially if you don’t have smart storage solutions or solid routines.
Items To Declutter
- Media Center
- Blankets
- Games and DVDs
- Bookshelves
- Magazines
- Toys
Smart Storage Solutions
- Media Center – Hide cords. Use cord ties or plastic zip ties to group cords together and avoid a mess.
- Blankets – Use a basket to store blankets or extra pillows.
- Games and DVDs – Use boxes, bins, or cabinets to conceal your collection.
- Bookshelves – Define zones and assign a specific purpose to each area. Arrange bookshelves so that they are visually appealing. You can group by color or by height. Add baskets or trays for remote controls.
- Magazines – A drawer in your coffee table or a small tray can hold a few magazines.
- Toys – A wicker basket is helpful to collect all of the kids’ nick-nacks that often end up in this space.
Daily Routines
- Return items to their assigned space.
- Train the kids to pick up their toys each time before they leave their space.
- Remove everything that doesn’t belong on the coffee table every night so that you have an open surface to kick up your feet and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning.
Mudroom / Entryway
This is a critical space in any home. It’s usually busy with activity and must be functional to welcome people into your home or get the family out the door quickly. If you’re like me, you want it to be functional AND pretty! So, as you think about storage solutions, keep this in mind.
Items To Declutter
- Shoes
- Seasonal gear
- Cubbies/bins
Smart Storage Solutions
- Shoes – Shoe rack for the floor, hanging shoe organizer for the back of the door, or a wicker basket if you need to make use of vertical space. A plastic tray for wet, muddy, or icy shoes.
- Seasonal gear – Coat rack or hooks…make sure they are at a level where the kids can reach them.
- Hooks for keys
- Baskets for things like sunscreen or sunglasses
- Baskets or bins for larger items like hats, gloves, or scarves
- Wall file for mail or papers that need to be signed and returned for school
Daily Routines
- Have all family members put up their shoes when they come into the home?
- Each season, remove shoes that are worn out or outgrown.
- Encourage all family members to hang their coats and put up their gear in the appropriate spot.
- Make sure the floor is clear at the end of each day.
The Home Office
The home office is where you tackle many of the responsibilities it takes to keep your home and family running. You may pay the bills from this space, store important documents, or save receipts for your taxes. If your home office is organized, you’ll find you have to spend less time doing the paperwork you likely consider a chore.
While you may or may not have a defined space for your office, you likely have some space in your home where you store these important items. Here are the items for you to get in order form the Organize My House Checklist.
Items To Declutter
- Piles of paper – purge as much as possible. Check out this post for more ideas on how to declutter your paper.
- Books
- Cords
- Electronics
Smart Storage Solutions
- Paper – Go electronic where possible.
- Invest in a scanner to scan important family and home documents.
- A fireproof box or bag for documents you can’t lose.
- Inbox, for mail or paper you receive that you have yet to go through
- Organize books by themes so that they are easily accessible.
- Use cord ties or plastic zip ties to group cords together and avoid a mess.
- Set up a charging station for electronic devices.
- Go wireless where possible e.g. wireless keyboard, wireless mouse etc.
Daily Routines
- Use the rule of only touching paper once. Immediately when it comes into your house decide if you need to toss, act, or file.
- Weekly shred papers with sensitive information
- Commit to going through your mail at least once a week.
- Mark a specific day each month to spend time paying your bills.
- Plug-in devices each night to make sure they are charged and ready for use the next day.
Bedrooms / Closets
I love that bedroom are naturally a designated space for family member’s things. It’s a place that can reflect their personality and be filled with things that bring them joy, but it can also become disorganized by the wide variety of things that go into this space. Let’s look at the key areas on the Organize My House Checklist.
Items To Declutter
- Closet – Clothes, shoes, handbags
- Outdated or rarely used accessories
- Chest of drawers
Smart Storage Solutions
- Charging station for your phone. This is particularly important if you don’t have a landline.
- Night stand to set any books you may read at night, lotion for your hands, or lamp.
- Designate a space for decorative pillows when you remove them from your bed.
- Use dividers in drawers to separate intimates or socks.
- Store shoes and handbags where you can see them.
- Optimize space under the bed for extra storage
- Go vertical in your closet using space on the floor and the top shelf.
Daily Routines
- Make your bed every day.
- Daily hang up clothes or place in the hamper when you take them off.
- Make a practice of filing your clothes vertically in your dresser.
Bathrooms
Whether it’s a hectic morning or a late night, you want need your bathroom to be organized. Bathrooms can be a little tricky because you need them to store a variety of things from extra toilet paper, to towels, make-up, or medicine. Check out these tips for decluttering, storage, and daily routines to help organize your house.
Items To Declutter
- Expired toiletries
- Old Make-up or Make-up you don’t use
- Expired Medicines
- Hair appliances that are broken or that you no longer use
Smart Storage Solutions
- Plastic storage containers to create zones in your drawers for make-up or toiletries
- Hooks for towels or robes
- Roll towels or washcloths and store in baskets
Daily Routines
- Wipe out the sink after brushing your teeth.
- Clear off the counter after you get dressed.
- Wipe down the counter when done getting dressed or before going to bed.
Linen Closet
When we built our house, there was not a place to store our linens. Before the builders started construction, we had them create a space for a linen closet. I love having a dedicated space, but to be honest…it’s easy to let things accumulate there and NEVER discard. Our sheets, quilts, and old comforter sets don’t wear out per se, so I have a hard time making a decision to let go. But in reality, that doesn’t mean I should keep them all. Check out this list of things to organize in your linen closet.
Items To Declutter
- Old sheets
- Old / unused comforter or duvet sets
- Mismatched pillowcases
- Old pillows
Smart Storage Solutions
- Bins or baskets to separate the size of sheets e.g. Twin, Queen etc.
- Make use of rolling items to save on space including towels and duvets.
Daily Routines
- Annually make a practice of discarding old linens, even if they aren’t technically worn out.
Laundry Room
This is usually the room you want to spend the least amount of time in, but it’s critical to meet the family’s needs. By making sure it’s organized, you can be efficient and heck, you might even enjoy your time more in this important space! Here are a few more items to add to the Organize My House checklist.
Items To Declutter
- Any non-laundry items that have landed in the laundry room.
- Socks without a partner
- Expired cleaners
Smart Storage Solutions
- A clothes hamper in each family member’s room.
- A laundry basket for each family member. I prefer a collapsible basket that I can store in the bedrooms when not in use.
- Bin for chemicals like stain removers, bleaches, and detergents… be sure to store laundry detergent and chemicals on high shelves to keep out of the reach of kids.
- A jar to collect coins
- Trash can for lint and used dryer sheets
- A basket, bag, or bin for solo socks
- A drying rack that is either mounted or collapsible.
- An Ironing station with iron board and iron.
Daily Routines
- Wash each family member’s clothes separately so that you can save time by not having to sort.
- Involve kids in folding clothes. Square or rectangular items like towels, wash clothes, and pillowcases are easy for young kids.
- Designate a day to do laundry or a day for each family member’s laundry.
Well, there you have it! Over 30 items to declutter from every room in your house, helpful storage tips, and daily routines to maintain your newly organized space. Getting your house in order doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Even if you can only dedicate 30 minutes to an area, you can make small changes for a big impact. This checklist will help keep you on track as little by little you transform your home and reclaim your peace, time, and mental clarity!
