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7 Home Organization Tips to Kick Off 2020

By: Decorated Life Team |

7 Home Organization Tips

Sprint into 2019 by adding these home organization tips and removing a few of the things that slow you down. By using your New Year’s motivation to get your home in order, your year will flow with seamless order. Here are 7 home organization tips to get you started and keep your home cleaner and more streamlined all year round. They could transform your whole year.

home organization

Source: pinterest

1. Junk Drawers No More

home orgnanization

Source: Buzzfeed

One of the most satisfying tasks is cleaning out your junk drawers. Almost every room has at least one junk drawer including the kitchen, bathroom, laundry, bedroom and office.

It may not sound like much but the results are always impressive. Get this out of the way, and suddenly other tasks don’t feel so overwhelming. 

zip lock bags

The best way to complete this task is to take everything out, wipe the inside of the drawer and go through each item. For some reason broken rubber bands, paper clips and business cards always live there, along with pens that no longer work. When returning items to your drawers, use small organizational bins to keep things tidy so you can easily find them next time you need them. That includes small boxes in different sizes to fit neatly into drawers. You can labels your lids, or go lid-less to view items easily. 

use little boxes to organize drawers

Source: TheKitchn

2. Create a Filing System

Papers often pile up in a variety of places in different rooms where they lay, forgotten until you need to find something in a rush. Whether you have a home office or not, the idea is simple enough, buy a small file box, label some file folders, create a few categories for bills, receipts, school papers), and fill the files with relevant paper work.

Family File Categories

Source: MommySuite

It sounds easy but why do we create a filing system and then ignore it? Sometimes we create too many files, and complicate home organization that should be easy. Have you ever created a filing system only to place books, papers and other files on top without actually adding them to the files? Instead of waiting to batch your filing, file papers as soon as you are done with them.

Paper filing Ideas

Source: Pinterest

Lastly, schedule filing, whether its once a week on a Tuesday or each day for 5 minutes. Smaller commitments to filing could see you develop a better, happier relationship with your files.  

3. Pantry Clean Out

To save money and make space in your pantry, empty your pantry and put aside all the foods that are about to expire. Plan a few menus using these items. This could be a good time to get creative and test ingredients and recipes. This is a great way to burn through some pantry items and eat only what’s in your pantry.

clear canisters for uniform tidiness

Source: House Beautiful

You will be amazed at the space you will create. Now the real work begins.

With all this space, plan and install some high-end organization options, like uniform styled glass jars and multi-level racks. There are dozens of great pantry tips you can use to make your pantry more streamlined and functional. Your 2019 cooking will be easier, faster and a lot more relaxed.

can organizer

Source: amazon

4. Organize Cords and Electronics

Cords seem to multiply, especially when left laying quietly behind pieces of furniture. Together they trap dirt, lint and get tangled. Use zip ties and washi tape to keep your cords in order. Begin by untangling your cords, then zip tie the cords in a neat bundle. Where the cord plugs into the power strip, add washi tape at the base of the cord and write which device the cord connects to. This keeps cords neat and organized.

washi tape and binder clips or toilet rolls

Source: pinterest

If you have surplus cords, tag them using washi tape. Revisit the cords again in a few months and remove them if you can’t work out what they are used for. You can give these away, or keep them. If you decide to keep them, store each one in a toilet paper roll with the cord’s use or device name on the outside. Stand each roll in a box like soldiers, stored and move on to the next task. 

toilet paper rolls for cords

Source: apartment therapy

6. Expired Medications are Not Safe

Expired medications are not safe to keep around. Remove them from your bathroom, medicine drawers and cabinets, making space for pretty accent decor. Store them together until you decide how to dispose them. That could mean taking them to your local doctor or drug store. 

7. Hanger Orientation 

There are so many things you can do to make your closet work better, look better and give you more space. The first thing is to get rid of clothes you don’t wear any more, and the easiest way to do that is to switch the orientation of your hangers with the necks facing the back of your closet.

Copper Display Rack front facing wall mount

source: pinterest

As you wear something, and add it back to your closet, the neck will naturally face the front of the closet. When you do make time to remove clothes you no longer wear, this will help you easily find those clothes by looking at which way the hanger necks are pointing. If they are still facing the back of your closet, then you haven’t worn these items in a while and it might be time to donate them.