An organized home gives a family security and peace. Without confusion and frenzy each family member can find what they need without 
bothering each other in a panic searching for their needed item. “Everything has a place and everything in its place” is an old adage that few find important enough to implement.Creating order in your home is establishing a principle that has been proven from the beginning of time. Without order, there is chaos. In chaos, there is no peace. Without peace one cannot rest and renew energy.It takes focus, time, and work to organize an unorganized home. However, the initial investment of time will pay in dividends of more relaxed free time to enjoy your relationships. Disorder consumes time in the same way paying interest consumes profits.It is not my intention to provide you with a comprehensive book on organization. I want to simplify the process of organizing your home with short-cut ideas for each room in your house. By reading my ideas and creating your own, you can become inspired to apply what you already know is important.
General Rules for Your Home Organization Process
1. Organize one room at a time.
2. Maintain the order of that room for at least one week before organizing another room.
3. Instruct your family on the new order of that room. Show them where things are located as if they have never been there before. Make your children feel like an important part of the team in managing the order of your home together.
If necessary, instruct them on how to put things away and where to put them. Make it fun.
4. Prepare to re-organize by collecting the appropriate supplies.
5. Divide a big job into small sections.
6. Use three bags, boxes, or laundry baskets and label them Give Away, Throw Away, and Put Away. I like to use a box for give away and a bag for throw away. I prefer to use a laundry basket for put away so I can see the items and easily carry them from room to room. Also, a box labeled in your garage for “garage sale” helps you to be generous as you rid yourself of those precious things that you never use.
7. Schedule a time to begin. Move quickly. Run a race with yourself. Set your timer and see what you can accomplish in 30-minute segments. You will be surprised!
Supplies You Will Need:
Organize it by containing it is Devi’s motto
• Plastic trash bags
• Boxes
• Baskets
• Pail of water and cloth
• File folders
• Notebooks
• Markers and labels
• Turn tables
• Drawer Organizers
• Zip lock bags
• Small containers; shoe boxes or small plastic bins, etc.
• Hand held broom or dust-buster
• Feather duster or wool duster
Keep your supplies in one place while you are on your re-organization mission. Contain them in a box or basket so you can easily move them from room to room. You will also want to store them together until you complete your project.Re-organization must be done in increments and your supplies should be readily accessible to you during this process.
Let’s Begin Room by Room
Front EntryYour entrance is your “welcoming” center for everyone who enters. A clutter-free, colorful entry will make your family and friends want to stay. You should be able to accommodate coats, book-bags, boots, shoes, and mail with ease from your front entry. Whether your family takes their things to another room or stores them nearby, they should know exactly what to do with their “stuff” when they enter the door. Your guests will want to stay if you have prepared a place for them to be comfortable.Consider the following tips for your entry:
• If closet space is limited and you have room for a wardrobe cabinet in your foyer, this works perfectly for children’s backpacks, shoes, and jackets.
• Only larger homes have front entrance foyers and they are usually furnished for receiving guests. In this case the only organization needed is to prepare the coat closet to be used and viewed by guests.
• The closet nearest the front door should be used for the frequently worn coats. Most homes have limited storage space; therefore, seldom does one have the luxury of a “guest closet only.” On the above shelf, in the closet, provide bins or nicely covered boxes for gloves, scarves, and hats. Also provide a set of stacked bins on one side of the closet for children’s gloves and hats.
• If children use this closet, provide hooks, positioned at a comfortable height, for their coats.
• Leave room for a few heavy weight hangers for guest coats.
• Every thing not hanging should be in a container.
• If you need a place for boots, provide a container for the boots. Do not just put them on the floor. They will always be in a heap.
• Ceramic decorative containers (usually used for plants) are great to use to sort your mail. Hang them in your foyer. One for your husband, one for the teenagers, and one for yourself.
• Sort the mail as you bring it indoors:
• Your husband will take his to the office (if he pays the bills).
• Put the remainder of the mail in your container and sort mail later at your “home information center.” That is the place where you keep your daily calendar, and important paperwork.
• Immediately throw away advertising mail that you do not want.
• Do not lay your mail on the foyer table or the kitchen counter.
Living/Family RoomThe living/family room is the place where you live. This multi-task room is vulnerable to chaos. Multi-faceted activities such as reading books, magazines, and newspapers, watching television, doing homework, eating refreshments, enjoying conversations, and taking cozy naps are all part of life in the family room. Lots of clutter can accumulate. Following are some ideas to help you maintain an orderly and warm environment.
• Contain your current magazines in a basket beside your chair. Tear out articles and file the ones you want to keep. Keep your “to be filed” folder in your basket so you can tear as you read. Discard the magazines and catalogues that you have read.
• Nap blankets should be part of your décor. Drape them across the arm of the sofa or chairs for easy use and easy put away.
• Store a nap pillow under the sofa, behind a chair or in an enclosed side console table. Trunks or chests make good coffee tables and are excellent storage for your cozy pillows and blankets. This also extends the life of your decorative pillows.
• Use CD organizers that are decorative and have easy access. If you have enclosed storage space, use a box or boxes and store by categories; vocal, instrumental, inspirational, worship, jazz, pop, classical, Christmas etc.
• Coasters should be part of the décor and easily accessible at all sitting areas.
• Small napkins can be incorporated in your décor also, having them readily available at all times.
• Hide a lighter or matches in your magazine basket for your candles. Light a candle before you sit down. If you have young children look for another convenient safe place.
KitchenThe kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home. Every family member does some kind of work in the kitchen—cooking, putting dishes away, setting the table, emptying the trash, or just “raiding the refrigerator”. Therefore, organization is essential for efficiency in the kitchen. When you organize your kitchen think function, convenience, and space. Consider how your kitchen is used most. Are you a baker? Do you prepare fresh food? Do you cook in a hurry? Your primary function will determine how you set up your kitchen. Some kitchens I have been in need to be completely re-assigned. Something as simple as changing the storage place of your cooking utensils could give you new inspiration to cook and to prepare special times for your family from the kitchen. Remember: “. . . think function, convenience, and space.”
Function
• Store items close to where they are used. Potholders should be near the stove and oven. Glasses near the sink or refrigerator, knives near your cutting area and so forth.
• My favorite way to store spices is in a drawer. I like to lay them on their side and line them up in alphabetical order. If you have both canned and jarred spices use one side of the drawer for the cans and the other side for the jars.
• The double layer silverware drawer organizers are wonderful if they fit your drawers. If they do not, buy the individual module organizers and fit them according to your space.
• Store all flour and meal items in airtight containers to avoid infestation. Decorative canisters should only be used for frequently used items such as sugar. Packaged items like tea, sweeteners, or cocoa can be stored in the smaller ones.
• Similar items should be stored together. Baking goods, canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned soups, canned milk, cereals, dry foods (beans, pasta, rice) sauces, spreads, oils, vinegars, seasonings, etc.
• Under the sink. Because the space is tall, place an 8-gallon trash can to the right of your plumbing fittings. To the left, use a wire-coated shelf to store your dish detergent and cleaning agents. Slide a shallow dishpan under the shelf like a drawer. Store rubber gloves, sponges, and dishwasher brush in the dishpan. Put hooks on the inside of the door or on the side of the cabinet wall to hang a damp dishcloth. Or a tension rod mounted under the sink works great to dry damp towels and cloths.
• Convert a deep drawer into a file cabinet for recipes, coupons, shopping ads or warranties. Cut file folders if necessary.
• Create a message center. A chalkboard or white board with a cork section is ideal. Leave written messages for each other and pin up important reminders. Each family should check the message center when arriving home.
Convenience
• A wire basket mounted under your top cabinet makes a great place for storing fresh fruit or potatoes and onions.
• Place hooks everywhere. My measuring cups and spoons hang on hooks inside my baking cupboard.
• Store your cooking spoons and spatulas in a decorative container near or on your stove. This will save you lots of digging time. Your choice is in front of you.
• Use baskets or plastic containers inside your cupboards. Store your rice, beans, and bagged pasta in a basket. You can pull this out from a lower shelf as if it is a drawer. I do the same for baking goods. This eliminates the need to unload items in order to reach items in the back of the cabinet. Just pull out the basket and you can see everything.
• If you have room, store each pot with its own lid. Lid racks mounted on inside cabinet doors help also. Store your pots and pans near the stove.
• When loading the dishwasher, group your items together in the order that they are put away; forks, spoons, knives. If you use more than one style of flatware, sort them in the dishwasher.
• Place several replacement trash bags in the bottom of your trashcans under the liner bag. When you remove the full one, you have a spare in the bottom to re-line your can.
• Turntables help to bring rear items to the front of the cupboard. They are great for canned goods. It is amazing how many cans you can stack and spin on a 12” turn table. Do not buy the multi-level turntables for canned goods. They are inefficient. They only work for short small items and tend to be unstable. Most cabinets do not have the height to accommodate the two-tier turntable. Turntables are also good for bottled items like soy sauce, vinegar, steak sauce, olive oil, etc.
Space
There are many innovative ways to find space in a crowded kitchen. Here are several suggestions.
• If your cabinetry is small you can mount exterior shelves and stack canned goods of like kind arranged with a small ivy plant.
• Potatoes and onions can be displayed in a basket.
• Make use of wire-coated shelf racks for maximizing the use of your space. These work well in some cases for dishes.
• The backs of cupboard doors make good storage space. Watch for appropriate racks to attach. I have an organizer for my foil, plastic wrap and Ziploc bags mounted inside a door.
• Clear your counter spaces and make them pretty. Store seldom used appliances in the cupboard.
• A cutting board that fits across the sink expands your work counter area. I store my cutting boards under the sink standing along the wall.
• Use your wall spaces for hanging things to save counter and cupboard space. The microwave, hand mixer, can opener, and even the coffee maker can be mounted.
• Pots and pans can also be hung on the wall or on a rack suspended from the ceiling.
• I converted a hall closet just outside my kitchen to a pantry using a door mounted wire-coated rack. I placed a ready-made shelf unit inside.
Organize the Refrigerator
• Refrigerators need to be cleaned out and wiped down regularly. The best time to do this is when you are low on food. I clean and reorganize my refrigerator every other week as I am putting away my groceries from my bi-monthly shopping trip.
• Your freezer section also needs to be evaluated. Check dates. Remember freezing just slows spoilage--it does not prevent it.
• After throwing away old items, wash shelves and sides of the refrigerator. Don’t forget the door. Also, wash meat and vegetable drawers.
• Line your vegetable drawer with a double layer of paper towels. This helps to absorb moisture from your washed vegetables.
• Group the items in your refrigerator and designate the shelves. Using my “store it by containing it” method, group items in containers. On top of my vegetable drawer I place a flat basket to hold additional fresh vegetables that do not fit in the drawer. I can pull this basket out as if it is a drawer.
• Use container trays for cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise and small dairy products; whipping cream, half-n-half, etc. My daughter uses a flat plastic tray with 2-inch sides. I use a small-scale cleaning caddy. It is divided and has a handle. I can lift the whole container to my counter if I am using several items. Or I can pull it out like a drawer to see what I have. I also use this drawer idea for jarred items; pickles, condiments, jams, etc.
• The use of vinyl placemats on the glass shelves makes the inside of your refrigerator colorful and easy to remove as you clean between your big cleaning times. On older wire racks they are great also because spills do not drip down to the next level. The mat catches it and you can easily wipe it clean. They also camouflage the not-so-good wire rack.
• Eggs stay freshest if stored in their original carton.
• Keep all lunch-making ingredients together in a container; lettuce, sprouts, meats, cheese, etc. Just pull them out for easy lunch making the night before.
• Use turntables in your refrigerator. This helps to reach jars that get scooted to the back.
• Post a “to buy” grocery list on the refrigerator for all family members to add their needs and preferences. Your final shopping list will be easy to make. For maximum efficiency, organize a final list according to store layout.
Bathrooms
The bathroom is the most difficult room to keep clean in the house. Personal hygiene items are stored there. Too often, partial bottles of lotions, creams, gels, tonics and sundry items collect, only to take up important space for what you really use.
• Remove everything from the cabinet under your sink. Use a hand held vacuum to remove hair. Using a soap and water mixture, wash inside your cabinets and drawers.
• Only replace the items that you use every day. Throw away all cosmetics and creams that are more than one year old. They can carry bacteria and create skin problems.
• Designate drawers for each person. One for your husband and one for you. If you share with the children. Assign one drawer for all of the children if your space is limited.
• Store similar items together. Hairbrushes, combs and hairdryer for example can be stored in a plastic bin under the sink or in the same drawer.
• If you are short on storage space, display the bath towels rolled in a large basket. Hang a small half basket on the wall near the tub or shower for the face cloths.
• Box all first aid items in a sealed container and store out-of-reach of children. Perhaps in the linen closet. Label the container.
• Toothbrushes can be kept standing in a decorative container on the counter for easy access.
• Use drawer dividers.
• Suspend a tension rod from wall to wall in an enclosed shower a few inches from the wall. This will serve as a shelf for shampoo and body gel.
• Store basic bathroom cleaning supplies under the sink for easy access. Buy smaller amounts and have a set for each bathroom.
• Use hooks for children’s used towels.
• Designate an area for each person’s used towel to hang so they can reuse that towel.
• Keep laundry baskets in each bedroom closet and make the rule that bathrooms must be free of personal items at all times since they are shared space. Toothbrushes must be put away and soiled clothing taken to their rooms.
• Store a laundry basket on the floor of the linen closet for soiled towels and washcloths.
• Keep a squeegee in the shower stall for quick easy cleaning. To swipe down the water prevents mineral build up and mildew. Even if you are the only person who does this, one time per day is enough for easy maintenance.
• Use containers to group items that are stored under the sink. Small stack bins are available in office supply stores.
• Colorful plastic stack bins can be placed beside a small sink cabinet to be used in place of drawers. My daughter is the stack-bin queen. Her basement utility/bathroom is designated for her teenagers. The space is very small and the red stack bins keep handy face cloths, toothpaste, hair supplies, etc. She also mounted a decorative wall shelf unit which holds supplies that are displayed intermittently with decorative items.
Children’s BedroomsThe décor and the organization of a child’s bedroom need to grow with the child. The place where the little tea table sat may now need a desk. Sort and revise as needed in this new reorganization plan. In today’s home, children’s bedrooms need to be multifunctional. Consider the function of the room and organize accordingly.
• Start with the closet. Remove all out-grown and worn out clothing. Use the throw away/put away/give away system.
• Add stack bins in children’s closets. They can be used for socks, underwear, shoes, t-shirts, pants. It is much easier for children to help themselves from bins than to open and close heavy dresser drawers.
• If possible, add shelving to the ceiling of the closet for seldom-used items.
• Utilize hooks inside doors and on walls.
• Mount high shelves on the wall of the room for display of photographs, trophies, stuffed animals, and collections.
• A painted bookcase unit works for containers of small toy pieces such as Lego’s, puzzles, animal farms parts, etc. These containers can act as bookends to books.
• A small desk will be helpful for school-age children. Store their art supplies and train them to do their art projects at their desk. Store their supplies; crayons, paper, glue, glitter, scissors and the like in small wire bins or colored boxes. You can even cover shoeboxes in color coordinating paper. If space is limited, stack them beneath the desk. Be sure to label them.
• A hanging shoe bag is a great sorter for small items. It works for shoes too. The floor of the closet should only have containers on it. There should be nothing uncontained on the closet floor.
• Store toys in a plastic laundry basket. It is easy to move from room to room.
Teens’ Rooms
• In teenagers’ rooms, remove the chest or dresser. Use bins in closets for boys and retain a dresser for girls. Create a sitting area for a friend other than on the bed. You can place the bed in the corner against the wall and bank it with large pillows on two sides for a sofa effect. To take their same-sex friend to their room gives them a sense of ownership of their space. Help them keep it tidy but do not do it for them. Remember, you are training them.
Master Bedroom
• Reorganize your husband’s drawers first. (You’ll earn points!)
Then do yours.
• Fit dividers in the drawers. If you must, you can use shoeboxes.
• Discard all old socks that are stretched out and have holes in the toes.
• Throw away all stained underwear.
• Rid yourself of anything that you have not worn in one year. Other than evening clothes, chances are you will not wear it again.
• Equip a walk-in closet with bins or wire cubes. This will get everything off of the floor.
• I hang my clothing by color rather than by item. But you can decide your own system. Most women organize their closet by item; slacks, tops, skirts, suits, dresses, etc. But I like to arrange by color, I tend to mix and match more this way. For example: All black clothing hangs together. My black slacks may be to the left; black tops next, then skirts, then jackets and finally dresses. Each color section will hang in this order.
• Hang all of your clothing the same direction.
• Try to collect the same type of hangers. I like the clear hard plastic with the swivel wire hook. They are available with clips and without. Stock lots with clips, they come in handy. I try to buy at least one package (2 hangers) each time I shop at a “mart” type of store. This keeps my supply replenished.
• On your dresser-top provide a pretty dish for your husband to dump his things. On the nightstand keep a few pens in a small glass and a notepad nearby the phone. I keep a pretty candy dish with a lid on my husband’s nightstand for his change. It is amazing how quickly it accumulates.
• Other items to have handy. Matches or lighter for candles; tissue; a drinking glass or a small tray to set a bottle of water on.
• Under the bed can be a good place for storage containers to hold seasonal sweaters, seasonal hats/gloves, and skiwear, or extra bedding; blankets, quilts, and pillows. There are containers designed especially for under the bed and are labeled as such.
Dining RoomThe dining room generally does not require a lot of organizing. The obvious china hutch, if you have one, will store your necessary dinnerware. However, I will give you a few innovative ideas for your dining room storage if you do not have traditional dining room furniture.
• If you do not have a buffet, use a low chest with drawers in your dining room for storage and a server.
• A “sofa” table will fill in as a buffet.
• Open shelving can hold stemware, tea sets, and even china.
• Hang seldom used linens on hangers and store in a near-by closet
• Fold frequently used linens flat and store in a drawer or on a kitchen shelf.
• Line a drawer with a soft towel and store your cups and saucers in the drawer. Stacked cups and saucers are not attractive in a china hutch and take up too much space.
Laundry Room
Caring for your family’s clothing is an essential part of homemaking. Clothing is expensive and if it is not cared for properly it can be very costly for the family budget. Using proper supplies, good organization, and family cooperation can make this sometimes-dreaded task hassle-free. The time and effort expended in training family members in laundry basics are well spent. Listed are a few suggestions that will make your task easier.
• Keep your laundry area orderly.
• Store laundry-cleaning supplies where older children can reach them. Depending on your space, you can use a utility cart, plastic stacking crates, or a mounted wall shelf.
• Provide sorting containers. Use plastic laundry baskets from the dollar store. They are lightweight and stack in a confined space when they are not being used.
• Enlist young children’s assistance, sorting by color. You can begin as young as pre-school.
• Label bins according to clothing type; denim, silks, towels and work/play cloths. When family members bring their baskets from their closet, they should then sort their clothing into the labeled baskets. When the basket is full, the designated family member should wash, dry and fold that load. Older children should be assigned the load that requires more care and younger children can wash and fold towels, face cloths and kitchen towels. Train them young to do laundry.
• It is helpful to hang charts or information on laundering where others can check procedures before acting. Mount the charts on the front of the washer with a cute magnet. The following items may be included:
• Stain removal chart
• How to read clothing labels
• Guide for selecting water temperature
• List of basic steps to good laundering
• Provide appropriate supplies
• Laundry detergent (use amount that is suggested on the container)
• All fabric color-fast bleach
• Fabric softener
• Stain remover
• Toothbrush for small stain scrubbing
• Cloth to wipe clean the washer and dryer
• Trash basket to dispose the lint from the dryer
• A hanging device: hooks or rack that is mounted on the wall or over the door or on the back of the door.
• A few hangers
Laundry Tips
• Sort clothing properly.
• Check all pockets.
• Zip zippers.
• Do not wash towels with clothing. The heavy abrasive nature of terry cloth will break down the fibers of lighter weight clothing and will wear them out faster. The lint from the towels can create pilling on other fabric as well.
• If red clothing has never been washed, wash it alone to ensure that it does not fade. Some red fabrics will fade a little every time it is washed. Be very careful.
• Even when using a spot remover, most stains need to be rubbed a little. Be cautious not to over rub. You could damage the fabric and remove the color.
• Do not over heat your clothing while drying. Only towels can be dried with high heat. All other clothing should be dried on medium to mild heat, depending on the fabric.
• Fold your clothing while it is warm if possible. This eliminates wrinkles. If you forget a load in the dryer, when you are ready to fold it, turn the dryer back on for five minutes to warm your clothing.
• Do not overload your washer.
• If your clothing is not getting as clean as it should, check these items:
• Is the agitator in your washer working?
• Are you overloading your washer?
• Change detergents.
• Presoak heavily soiled clothing and socks before washing.
• Check your water temperature chart and follow it. Most washers have one printed on the inside of the washing machine lid.
• Be careful with stains. The wrong water temperature can set a stain the first time it is washed so that it can never be removed.
