Home Organizing 10 Home Organization Hacks That'll Make Your Space Feel More Relaxing Cut through the chaos with these easy—but impactful—organizing tasks. By Morgan Noll Morgan Noll Instagram Morgan Noll is a digital associate editor for Real Simple covering home, finance, career, and travel. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 17, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email In This Article View All In This Article Declutter Your Home Create a Designated Space for Everything Utilize Vertical Space Use Baskets and Containers Make Use of Wall Space Utilize the Backs of Doors Use Hooks and Pegboards Invest in Multi-Purpose Furniture Make Use of Labels Keep a Cleaning Schedule Photo: Kostikova/Getty Images Homes get messy—that's just a part of life. But that mess, as normal as it is, can quickly get out of hand and become a seemingly insurmountable problem. An excess of clutter and mess can affect our ability to feel comfortable in our own spaces. That's why having methods for home organization is so important. By implementing some home organization hacks, like utilizing multi-functional storage, designating a space for everything, and labeling items clearly, you can transform your home into a more relaxing and peaceful environment. And even when things get messy again (which they will), you'll be better equipped with solutions to get your home back in order. So, keep reading for our some of our best home organization ideas to help you make the most of your space. A Clean and Tidy Home Can Boost Your Mental Health—Here's Where to Start What You'll Need Materials Patience A free afternoon or weekend Storage containers, bins, and multi-purpose furniture Instructions Declutter Your Home Clear the counters. One of the fastest ways to remove clutter from your home is to clear your countertops and surfaces of anything that's unnecessary or out of place. Walk around your house with an empty bin or basket and collect these miscellaneous items, and putting them back where they belong as you go. Get rid of items you don't use. The next step requires a bit more time and energy, but it's worth it. Empty your drawers, cabinets, closets, and more spaces where you store clutter and take inventory of the things you really need—and the things you really don't. Put the items you no longer use or need into bags or boxes designated for donating or throwing away. How to Declutter Every Room in Your Home—Fast Create a Designated Space for Everything Take everything out of drawers, cabinets, and closets. It's going to get worse before it gets better. You've probably heard it before, but that age-old saying is especially true when it comes to home organization. But in order to truly organize all of the cluttered and chaotic areas of your home, you need to first take everything out of the spaces where things tend to pile up. So, completely empty your drawers, cabinets, and closets (you do different rooms and areas at different times), so that you can see what you're working with. Put like items together. Now that your storage spaces are emptied out, you can start putting things back. Make sure to put like items together and give each category of items a designated shelf, drawer, or location. For example, in the kitchen, it makes sense to put all of your glassware in the same area, so you know exactly where to go when you're thirsty. And in your closet, it helps to hang all your jackets together, so you can see all your options at once when you need to pick an outer layer. Utilize Vertical Space Utilize walls, ceilings, and the back of doors. To truly optimize the space you live in, consider every square inch of your home as a storage or organization opportunity. Look beyond your existing built-ins and furniture to think about different ways you can use your wall space, the back of closet or cabinet doors, and even the negative space between your ceiling and your floors. For example, hanging a rack for pots and pans from the ceiling or on an empty wall is a perfect solution to that overcrowded and unorganized cabinet in your kitchen. Invest in vertical storage solutions. A hanging pots-and-pans rack, a wall-mounted hat and coat rack, an office wall organizer, and more vertical storage items like this are worthwhile investments to clear up space in your home. 12 Vertical Storage Ideas to Make Your Space Feel Less Cluttered Use Baskets and Containers Corral loose electronics and supplies. Go around your home and identify the items that are haphazardly stacked, piled, or clustered on your shelves or in cabinets. (These would be the functional non-decor items—like extra chargers and electronics, or medical supplies—that you need, but don't have a great way to store.) Collect these items and start arranging them by category to see how many different storage containers you need. Find baskets and containers that match your decor. Organization doesn't have to be an eyesore. Invest in quality storage baskets or containers that align with your decor style so that you can seamlessly incorporate organization strategies throughout your home. Use these containers to give a home to those items that were loose or untidy. Make Use of Wall Space Add floating shelves. Wall shelves can be a great asset for both added storage and decor. You can use them display knickknacks and books, and you can hang them in areas where you don't have much-needed cabinetry or shelves. For example, if there's unused wall space above your washer or dryer, consider adding a shelf above to store supplies. Mount racks and hooks. Empty wall space is also a great opportunity to make up for closet space that's lacking in your home. For example, if you're missing a common-space closet, or don't have enough room in your bedroom closet, you can utilize wall-mounted racks and hooks to hang extra items. Utilize the Backs of Doors Organize clothing accessories. Over-the-door organizers can be particularly useful for those extra clothing items that don't have a clear home, like purses, scarves, belts, and more. Adding one of these to the inside of a closet door can help utilize extra closet space and will keep clutter hidden when the door is closed. Corral bathroom supplies. An over-the-door towel rack is a common way to use up back-of-the door space in smaller bathrooms. But, that space can also be especially useful for organizing extra bathroom supplies when you're short on cabinet space. We especially love this customizable storage rack from The Container Store, which provides a spot for extra toilet paper rolls, cleaning products, hand towels, and more. Use Hooks and Pegboards Declutter entryway tables and surfaces. Entryways quickly get cluttered with all of the items we unload and toss to the side when we get home. Utilizing hooks and pegboards—especially ones with designated areas for hanging keys and purses, or setting down mail—in the entryway can be a great way to keep some of those items from cluttering up nearby surfaces or the floor. Hang miscellaneous supplies and tools. Hooks and pegboards can also be useful in often overlooked spaces, like storage and utility closets. Use hooks and hanging wall organizers to create a more tidy system for things like brooms, mops, trash bags, and more items that tend to pile up without order. Invest in Multi-Purpose Furniture Add storage to your entryway. Your furniture should work double duty—especially in the entryway. A multi-purpose furniture piece, like a storage bench with a spot to put on and store shoes, can help streamline your routine and make your home look much less cluttered. 7 Smart Entryway Storage Ideas for Any Size Space Incorporate seating and stools with hidden storage. Just like a clever storage bench in the entryway, storage furniture can be incorporated all throughout your home. Consider adding an ottoman with hidden storage in the living room, or investing in a bed with added storage for off-season clothing. The 25 Best Storage Furniture Pieces for Every Part of Your Home Make Use of Labels Shop for labels that work for your storage containers. Different storage containers will require different labels. For example, your plastic food containers may work well with standard sticker labels. But the woven baskets you may use to corral laundry supplies, may need a clip-on option. Use broad labeling categories. Don't get too specific when labeling storage bins. For example, you probably don't need to dedicate an entire container to just "Fabric Softener," so it might make more sense to label that container with something more broad, like, "Laundry Supplies." That way, you can use it to store fabric softener, detergent, dryer sheets, and any other laundry supplies you may want all in one place. Similarly, with your food storage containers, it may make more sense to label something with a more general category, like "Cereal"—rather than the specific type or brand—so that you can reuse the label and container as you swap out your groceries. Keep a Cleaning Schedule Divide chores into weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks. Home chores can feel constant, and never-ending. While some cleaning tasks, like dishes, need to be done daily, others can be a part of your weekly, monthly, or even yearly cleaning routine instead. For example, you may want to designate every Sunday as your day to wash all your bedding, while an organizing task like cleaning out your closet may be better to do seasonally, every few months. Having a routine schedule for different cleaning and organizing tasks can help you stay on top of everything, and keep these chores from feeling too overwhelming. What to Declutter Every Week, Every Month, and Every Year Organizing every room and corner of your home can take time. So, go slow, and work your way through your home by tackling one small project at a time. It may seem like a lot to deal with at first, but payoff of a tidy and organized home is so worth it.