Home Organization Tips

Here are some organizing tips for different rooms in your home. No matter what size your home is, keep only the things you use most. Your home will be more peaceful if it is not stuffed full of things. If you haven't used an item for a year, definitely consider blessing someone else with it. You can give as a gift, donation, or venture into a resale option. A large or small place is much more pleasant to live in if it is not filled to capacity.

If you live in a small place you must be more selective with what you keep. Allow yourself open spaces. Look for a way to store things from the floor to the ceiling in a pleasant way. Look for small inventive places to store things within each room. Remember less is best. If you like books, go to the library instead of buying them. Rent videos instead of buying them. You can still enjoy items without owning them. When making a purchase, consider what you will get rid of when bringing a new item in. Measure your home. Make sure things like furniture fit the rooms before purchases.

If you live in a larger home, you can easily fill it up with items that are more than you can handle. Keep your items simple and easy to get at. Don't worry about filling open spaces.

A. KITCHEN -
1. If your top cupboards do not go to the top of the ceiling and there is a space between them and the ceiling, use large containers like flower pots or decorated cans to store extra things that you do not use all the time. I like to use washable brass colored containers so that they can be cleaned easily when needed. I like to store birthday candles, cookie cutters, and other small items that I use only occasionally.

2. Keep appliances on the counter down to a minimum. Store other appliances that you don't use very often in a separate pantry or storage area. Evaluate what you put in cupboards and drawers. How often do you use items? If items are not used at least monthly, think about donating them or storing them away from the main areas of the kitchen work space.

3. Label your cupboards and drawers on the inside with a label maker. This makes it easier for other family members and visitors to see where things go and it is easier for them to help you clean up after a big meal. It is a great conversation point also. The excuse "I don't know where it goes!" no longer applies for family and friends.

4. Look at any open spaces in cupboards or drawers. If you have plates on one shelf in your cupboard and there is half open space between the dishes and the top of the next shelf, look for some wire shelves with legs that you can put in to add more dishes. You can double stack glasses with wire shelves so that you can eliminate open spaces. Use a hack saw to make the legs of the shelf the size you need.

5. Stack bowls and pans of like size and shape together and store lids close by.

6. Make sure to put spices and seasonings in a cupboard near the stove. Turntables work well for getting at spices quickly. I use one turntable for salt, pepper, and the spices I use most like garlic powder, parsley, different kinds of pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, etc. I use another turntable for spices I use less often. The third turntable holds baking supplies like vanilla extract, flavorings, food coloring. I like to store spices in the cupboard. They last longer and stay fresher when not exposed to sunlight. If your cupboard has glass doors, I would either block the light coming through the glass or store spices in a drawer or spice cabinet.

7. Instruments like pancake turners, potato masher, soup spoons and ladles, wooden spoons should go in a drawer next to the stove along with potholders in another drawer near the stove. These things should be easy to get to while cooking.

8. If you have a dishwasher, store the dishes, glasses, and cutlery near the dishwasher. This will save time when putting dishes away after they are washed. If you don't have a dishwasher, store dishes, glasses, and eating utensils near your dish drainer.

9. Bottom cupboards work well with containers that slide in and out on a track. If your cupboards do not have slides, you may want to purchase plastic bins that fit inside the cupboard on a plastic track. It is so much easier to get to supplies by pulling out a container. This works better than pulling multiple items out of the cupboard to find what you are looking for.

10. Store basic cleaning supplies under the sink and clean them out regularly. Put restraints on this cupboard to prevent pets and children from getting at these items.

11. Store cookbooks in a cupboard or buy a small bookshelf that might fit in the dining area.

12. Set up a notebook with all of the kitchen appliance information. You can use a three-hole punch on many of the manuals and put them in the notebook. Whenever there are repairs or maintenance needs, you will have the instructions at your fingertips. Write the model and serial numbers on the manual cover for each appliance. Put the names of repair companies and places
where the products were purchased in the notebook. Label the outside of the notebook "kitchen appliances."

13. If you don't have a desk in your kitchen, you can designate the "junk drawer" as a place to keep some pens and pencils and some 3x5 cards for taking quick notes when needed. Another idea for a place for papers is to purchase a small single paper tray and place it in a cupboard for mail that is current. Along with the paper tray, have a stapler, tape dispenser, note cards and a few pens. This should all fit on one shelf. Measure the shelf first to see if these items will fit before you buy them. Important papers like invitations to a party or driver's license renewals can be taped to the inside of the cupboard doors for quick retrieval when they are needed.

14. If your incoming mail lands on the kitchen counter, consider adding a paper shredder to your counter top that is compact, can be easily emptied and is safe for pets and children when turned on. Shred junk mail as you bring it into the house and empty the bin into the paper basket in the kitchen when full.

15. I like to store canned goods and dry goods in a cabinet that looks like a bookcase that has doors if your house does not have a pantry. A lot of times you can fit this in an eating area, but measure the cabinet and room first. You can find economical versions in many stores. Store things by categories like soups, canned meats, baking goods, etc. so that you can quickly see what you have and what you might need when going shopping or putting together a meal.