37 Tips and Ideas for Tidying Up Anywhere

Good organization of space is priceless. It makes the house more spacious, allows you to do less cleaning and even helps to maintain order in life. There is only one problem - learning such an organization is not as easy as it seems. Here are some tips and ideas from experts on how to do it.

1. Correctly define what is garbage

We spend a lot of time at home and quickly get used to the things we see all the time. We no longer notice the pile of papers that grows on the table day after day, or the clothes that lie in the armchair for a week. This is becoming the norm. We understand that something is wrong only when we can’t find what we need or we buy a new thing, and then we find a similar sweater under the bed.

Space expert Beth Penn advises taking pictures. Take pictures of your desk drawers, closet shelves, and other cluttered areas, then zoom in on the photos. Do you use all the things you see? How often? Do you want to tidy up and put things away? The answers to these questions will help you understand that out of a pile of things - real garbage, which is high time to throw away.

2. Come to terms with the fact that garbage has always been, is and will be

Perhaps you now think that there is nothing unnecessary in your house. And no trash either. But space-organization expert Shauna Turner is willing to bet that such things certainly exist, and this is absolutely normal.

Life throws us more and more new things every day. We can buy an unusual figurine, and after a week ask ourselves why we did it. You will always have to get rid of garbage, which means you need to figure out how to make this process interesting and exciting. For example, turn on peppy music while cleaning or divide unnecessary into categories.

3. Don't get attached to things

In the modern world, the value of owning anything is too exaggerated. We often think that we can only enjoy a thing if we buy it.

In fact, it is enough to rent some items for a while to understand that we do not need them so much. For example, if you have been dreaming about a coffee machine for a long time, borrow it from a friend for a week. You may not use the device as often as you thought.

In addition, for everything that we already have, it is necessary to allocate a place and keep it clean and tidy. It requires energy and strength. Therefore, it is worth surrounding yourself with only the most necessary and favorite items.

4. Connect to cleaning children

Time for cleaning in the nursery is better to allocate every day. At the same time, experts advise not to say phrases like "Get out." Children perceive them as “putting beauty in the room”, so they simply diligently shove things into the nearest lockers.

Instead, it is worth explaining that each toy or book has its own place, and cleaning means that they need to be placed in these very places. Also try to teach your children to clean up the room at certain times, such as before dinner.

5. Properly sort papers and stationery

According to experts, it is better to sort and store paper in files vertically rather than horizontally. Even if you rarely work with documents and write down something, select a drawer or shelf for papers. Sort them into files every week using categories and subcategories. And don't put important documents too far away.

If you have space to work at home, try to separate the work area from the storage area. Most often, we buy stationery sets, such as 20 pens or several packs of stickers. Don't keep it all on the table. Put the supplies in the closet, leaving one or two handles. When they run out, you just get new ones.

6. Remove items immediately

When we hold a cup in our hands, it is easy for us to convince ourselves to leave it on the table in bedroom. Well, what, because you still have to go to the kitchen, and you can remove the cup later. As a result, she stays by the bed until the evening, and even until the next morning. Try to avoid this and immediately put things in their places.

7. Be mindful of functionality

According to space organization expert Pooja Naik, we often choose the visual component of the order, rather than the functional one. For example, when we sort out a closet full of clothes, we are more likely to want to arrange things so that it looks beautiful, like on Instagram blogs, and not so that it is easy to find what we need. Of course, this is the wrong approach.

The point of organizing a space is to satisfy our needs, not to put things together in nice looking piles. If the “picture” is important to you, add nice tags, labels, or other identifying marks that will help you navigate the storage system without any problems.

8. Do not rush

If you start the transformation at once in the whole apartment, interest and patience will quickly disappear. It is better to allocate half an hour every day, but do not skip cleaning. Organization of space is not an end point, but a continuous process of acquiring and applying new skills.

9. Keep order consciously

If you've just returned from the store with full shopping bags, take the time to unpack them right away. This will help reduce the amount of debris that would otherwise be left in the hallway, kitchen and other rooms.

10. Organize your closet in 3 steps

The first is to remove all unused hangers. They can be given to friends or put aside in reserve. Then you need to choose the things that require washing. Finally, set a timer for 10 minutes, or whatever time you need, and quickly sort through your clothes, setting aside what you definitely won't be wearing. These things can be donated for recycling or for charity.

11. Designate a place for each item

Before you buy something, space planning expert Regina Lark advises to have a clear idea of ​​where you're going to put it. Each item should have its own little "home" and its own place. If you do not understand where you will "live" a thing, you should not bring it from the store.

12. Competently start complex cleaning

When we have before our eyes a huge number of things that need to be sorted out, it is easy to panic. In order not to panic, first divide the cleaning into blocks, for example, by room: entrance hall, living room, kitchen, and so on. And then you can divide each room into zones.

The most important thing is to force yourself to get down to business. As soon as you start taking things apart and finding something that you have long forgotten about, you will immediately feel inspiration. You can also ask friends or family members for help.

13. Reduce the amount of things on the bedside table

Usually you can find glasses, hand cream, a charger, a book or a magazine on it. If you need something else, make your own list, but don't get too carried away. Often in the drawers of the bedside table, unnecessary trash and garbage collects.

To avoid this situation, space organization expert Rachel Rosenthal advises keeping certain things in each compartment. For example, store wet wipes and other personal care items in the top, and put the book you are reading or planning to read in the bottom.

14. Tidy up your desktop

Keeping a notebook and pen handy always helps organize your thoughts or leave small reminders to yourself. Headphones - conventional or noise-canceling - allow you to turn off external sounds and focus. And according to the calendar on the table, it is convenient to compare and supplement the schedule.

But do you really need pencils of different colors, old postcards or a few decorative figurines? If not, it's time to get them off your desktop. Use the same principle as with the bedside table - leave only the essentials. And do not forget to disassemble the drawers.

15. Pack your bags wisely

First, make a list of the things you need. It is better to save it on your computer or phone. A ready-made list will help you remember important things when packing for future trips.

Plan your wardrobe for each day of travel. Try to choose things that combine in different ways, and avoid clothes from the “what if” category. Usually it just takes up space, and you never take it out of the suitcase. You can also set a certain limit, for example, four sweaters, two pairs of jeans, and so on. This will allow you not to overdo it with extra outfits.

It is better to pack things in layers, the first of which is heavy, such as shoes, jeans or sweatshirts. And so that the clothes do not wrinkle, you can shift them with paper napkins or towels. Small items, such as underwear or small electronics, are best packed in separate bags.

Space expert Barbara Reich recommends starting packing the weekend before your trip. So you will feel calmer, besides, you will have enough time to buy something.

When travel includes air travel, use the "fractional rule": if your family has four people, put a quarter of each person's clothes in all suitcases. In case one of them gets lost, everyone will have something to wear until the luggage is found.

16. Read useful books

To learn how to maintain order in the house and life, space organization expert Andrea Hancock advises reading literature not only on cleaning, but also, for example, on time management. You can start with booksHow to get things in order: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen andpower of habit. Why do we live and work this way and not otherwise?” Charles Duhigg.

17. Reduce the amount of paper

In the modern world, almost all information is available online, which means there is no reason to keep useless papers. Get in the habit of immediately throwing away unnecessary leaflets, such as advertisements that are often put in the mailbox. Important and necessary documentation can be kept in files, but try to keep it to a minimum.

18. Keep track of memorabilia

Do not keep sentimental souvenirs around the house. Experts advise having a separate drawer or container for meaningful items - postcards, letters, and any other memorabilia. But it should also be kept in order. If you notice that the lid is already barely closing, think about what is really important to you and leave only the most valuable.

19. Avoid extra surfaces

The more surfaces in the house, the more likely it is to fill them with unnecessary things and garbage. Space planning expert Jean Marie Harron advises taking the drastic approach of removing as much furniture from the apartment as possible. Such minimalism makes it easy to keep order.

20. Optimize your wardrobe

If you see the back wall when you open the closet, then you are not using all its features. To get an idea of ​​how much space you need, try separating your clothes first by style and then by color, and hang things in the direction from light to dark or vice versa. And if you have a large collection of hats or caps, organizing expert Julie Nylon advises not to put them on the shelves, but to add stylish hooks to the wardrobe and hang hats on them.

Space expert Ann Sullivan adds that 80% of the time we only wear 20% of our wardrobe. Find your 20% and give away the excess. You can even put a special bag for charity in each closet - this will reduce the time for sorting.

21. Pay attention to the bedroom

This is one of the most "tasty" places for garbage. Here we are drawn to leave a travel bag, which we will sort out a little later, throw things that are long overdue to be washed in a corner, or spread papers all over the room. Space organization expert Lisa Zaslow advises to audit and remove everything from the bedroom that is not related to clothes, sleep, relaxation and romance. Beautiful flowers and candles do not count. The rest is better to remove to other rooms.

22. Use labels and stickers

Stickers, dividers and other "markers" are indispensable in the household. They make it much easier to find the right papers, products, things. Stickers can be attached to files with documents, drawers in the wardrobe and garage or back walls of lockers, so you can immediately understand whether you will find what you are looking for there or not.

23. Show ruthlessness

Most of us have too many things. And all because we do not know how to “let go” and give them away. As a result, there are more and more objects, and there is almost no place left for us in our own home. Experts advise to be tough and carefully select things. Make a list of what you absolutely need and give or throw away the rest.

The same applies to the products you plan to buy. Ask yourself if you really need them, if there is room for new things in the house and what you are willing to sacrifice to make room for them. If the answers are inconclusive, you should think again before making a purchase.

24. Don't scold yourself

As soon as we start cleaning, we often begin to scold ourselves. “How did I bring (s) the apartment to such a state”, “What did I think (s)”, “I am a real slob” - these are more harmless remarks from those that we release in our address.

Do not forget that restoring and maintaining order is hard work. Focus on how you want your home to look like in the future, not on the mistakes you made in the past.

25. Change your relationship with the workspace

Any items that are needed for work should be at arm's length. Try to organize your workspace so that you can find everything you need for daily tasks. This will not only clean up the desktop, but also enhance productivity.

26. Regularly sort out things in the bathroom

Every six months, check the expiration date on cosmetics and skin care products and throw away expired products. Organizers also help keep order. You can put medicines, hygiene and other accessories in them.

27. Clean up while cooking

Wash and put away dishes while lunch or dinner is still cooking, and return ingredients to their places immediately after use. The amount of cleaning after cooking will be significantly reduced.

28. Use glass food containers

Ordinary plastic containers are not always convenient. They are often cloudy, making it difficult to see what is inside. Organizing expert Nonnas Driskill recommends taking glass containers and even putting them upside down in the fridge so you can see what they're full of at a glance.

29. Keep trash cans in the right places

It is better to put them where garbage accumulates most often. For example, where you parse correspondence from the mailbox. Half of the papers usually have to be thrown away right away - a trash can nearby will not let you forget about it.

30. Attach more hooks

Hanging clothes on them is much more convenient and faster than putting them on a hanger in the wardrobe every time. Hang more hooks for yourself and for the kids so they can easily leave outerwear or backpacks in the right place, and not scattered all over the apartment.

31. Divide kitchen cabinets into zones

Space organization expert Andrew Mallen advises the following scheme. First, take everything out of the cabinets and lay it on the table. Throw away or give away things that you definitely won't eat or use.

Then divide the cabinets into zones: ingredients for baking, spices for second courses, food in reserve, kitchen utensils, dishcloths, the dishes themselves, and so on. Thoroughly wipe the shelves and arrange everything in zones.

At the end, add stickers so as not to forget what lies where - at first it will be unusual for you, but gradually you will get used to it and understand how convenient it is.

32. Do one thing at a time

The modern world is obsessed with multitasking. We try to do everything at once, and any delays and interruptions annoy us wildly. Space organization expert Sharon Lowenheim recommends a different strategy - doing tasks one at a time and in order.

For example, if you open a program on a laptop and it's been loading for five minutes, you don't have to reach for your phone to take that time. Take a deep breath, exhale and just wait. This will bring peace of mind and help you do things better.

33. trust in space

In order to keep things from filling up the house, it is important to decide in advance how much space you are willing to allocate for each item. For example, you will have only one drawer in your closet, in which you will put only sweaters. This means that you should not buy more sweaters than this box can hold. If you still bought a new thing, and the drawer is no longer closed, you will have to get rid of one of the old sweaters. You cannot move clothes to a new place. Such a strict selection principle will help keep the wardrobe in order.

34. Increase vertical space

Expert Jessica Dacker suggests adding more shelves for books and decor, placing small baskets throughout the rooms for a variety of items, and even hanging things in the wardrobe on top of each other. This will help increase the vertical space in the apartment and make it a little more spacious.

35. Disassemble bags

Admit it, how often do you painfully long dig in your bag in the hope of finding the keys to the apartment, chewing gum or antiseptic? To prevent this from happening, try to "demarcate" things. Buy several small multi-colored zippered organizers and use for different items: one for cosmetics and hygiene items, the second for electronics, the third for other small items, such as a notepad and pens. So you will always easily and quickly find any thing.

36. Move wisely

Start a “moving diary” and enter everything you need there: a list of things, tasks, contacts of companies that are engaged in transportation, and any other information. As soon as you finally move in, first of all equip the most necessary rooms: kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.

Prepare in advance the box that you will need to open first. It should contain the most basic: hygiene items, food, medicines, clothes for a few days while you settle into a new place, documents, electronics, bedding, towels, kitchen appliances and so on.

37. Take care of decor

Minimalism is great, but the surrounding space should also be filled with things that you like and create comfort. Add more plants, posters, or your own photos, books, and magazines. Beautiful places always want to be maintained in order, which means that you will not have problems with motivation.