How To Create An Organized Home Year-Round
Have you ever wished for an organized home all year round? Well, I’m here to help you achieve this goal. I know this can be an overwhelming task to accomplish, but, I’m here to help you purge, organize, and tidy all the spaces! You can then enjoy a more peaceful and clutter-free home.
I’m sure you are ready to get started, so let’s do this.
First Step To An Organized Home
The first step is coming up with a plan to organize your home. You could choose to take on a few rooms, or maybe your entire home needs some purging. If you choose to organize your entire home, I would make a list and prioritize each space. Start with the room that needs it most. For today’s example, we will focus on the kitchen. After all, the kitchen is the heart of the home and, of course, the most used space, too.
Keep, Donate, And Toss
Next, you will want to create three categories with bins or boxes: keep, donate, and toss. I know you may have heard of this method, but, have you actually tried it? Let me explain what these categories mean when it comes time to purging and organizing. You will want to get three bins or boxes and apply these categories to each one. Then, I would sit them together, either on the counter or floor, and start the purging and organizing process.
Keep
Let’s start with the concept of keep. It’s important only to keep items that you will actually use. Take a look at things like any duplicate items that you may have. For example, if you have two crock pots or two hand-held mixers, do you really need both? Keeping the one you love and use the most will not only free up space but also make less clutter, too.
Donate
Next, let’s discuss the donate category. When you come across duplicate items, consider donating the one you decide to get rid of, as long as it is still usable. Additionally, if you have items that have never been used and are in good condition, then I would consider donating those items, too. You know these items will go to good use and allow someone else to benefit from them as well.
Toss
Lastly, let’s talk about the toss category. I understand it can be difficult to toss or trash items. I would first start in your pantry. Are there any expired food items? If so, it’s time to toss and get rid of those items. Also, are there any kitchen items that you know you no longer need or can’t be used by someone else? Then, let’s toss those items, too. Remember our goal in progress as we are trying to achieve a more organized home.
Now that you have the keep-donate-toss bins go through each cabinet, drawer, and pantry. Focus on the three categories at hand and keep purging and getting rid of things.
Organizing All The Spaces
Organizing happens to be one of my favorite things to do from season to season and year after year. For today, we are focusing on the example of the kitchen. However, this can be applied to all rooms and spaces in your home, too. If you are just starting, remember this is a long-term goal. Once you organize your entire home, then it will be easy to keep up with year after year.
Drawer Organizing
Let’s begin by simply organizing a drawer. At this stage, you should have all the cleaning out and purging done, yet there may still be some items that you can let go of. Remember, the organizing process can be practiced year-round, so it’s OK to keep tossing if you come across something else you no longer need.
One way to simplify your drawers is by adding basic organizing bins and containers. These bins can range from clear to wooden or colored, too. This allows you to show off your creativity and make it fun. I enjoy adding the clear bins with sometimes a bit of color, but you can choose what you prefer to make your home and life more organized.
Cabinet Organizing
Organizing your cabinets can be a similar process to organizing the drawers. Start by categorizing like items. For instance, you can place plates and bowls in one cabinet and cups and drinkware in another. Alternatively, organizing bins, containers, baskets, and wire shelves helps create more space and make your cabinets look neat and tidy, too. I also recommend adding a shelf liner to keep items from sliding around.
Pantry Organizing
Create Category Zones
We all know our pantry can probably use the most organizing. We visit it frequently and on a daily basis when we are home. And, of course, our kids will be visiting the pantry, too. Creating a separate zone for each category in the pantry will help provide a more organized system and also help you see what you have at hand. To help you achieve this goal, I will provide a list of pantry zone categories.
- Breakfast Items
- Canned Goods
- Pasta Items
- Dried Goods-such as potatoes or rice
- Snacks
- Baking Items
Hopefully, this list will help you to categorize your pantry into zones.
Organize Items Onto Shelves
After decluttering the pantry, the next step is to place the items back on the shelves according to where you feel they will most meet you and your family’s day-to-day needs. For example, I know breakfast will be frequently visited in our home. I will put breakfast items, like cereals, granola, and oatmeal, on the shelf we first see when we open our pantry. Of course, using containers, bins, and baskets is a great way to add organization to your kitchen pantry, too.
Corners can be a little tricky to organize. Try a basket, bin, or lazy Susan in the corner. This allows you to access items easily when they are placed in a corner.
Label Organizing
Another organizing idea is to add labels. Labeling certainly helps us to know where things go. I used my Cricut machine to create labels, but of course, you could use any label maker of your choice. To help keep track of expiration dates, I will cut the date off the packaged item and tape it on the back of the container. I have also seen where you can add erasable labels to add expiration dates, too.
Lazy Susan Ideas
Lazy Susans are great for various items that you want to find easily. I am using this for baking spices. You can also use them for regular spices or condiments.
Shelf Liner
Lastly, if you want to add a little style to your pantry, you could add a shelf liner. This not only adds a pop of color but also helps to protect the shelf and keep items from sliding, too.
Countertop Organizing Ideas
Countertops need to look neat and tidy, too. After all, the first thing we see when we walk into our kitchen is our countertops. Hopefully, you have decluttered your counters and only keep items that you will use. Keeping out appliances that are often used is OK as long as you have the countertop space. However, I understand others will want to have a designated place to store their appliances, too.
I prefer to use both of these methods in our kitchen. For instance, I do keep our toaster and also the crockpot out on the counter. However, I store a few appliances, such as an air fryer and our blender, in the pantry space. Remember, you get to decide what works best in your space.
Some of our cooking utensils are also kept out on the counter, too. I love the idea of using a decorative crock for wooden spoons. This allows for more drawer space to store the rest of our utensils.
Then, of course, cutting boards can be kept out as functional and decorative pieces, too. Certainly, you could store them in a cabinet or drawer if you have a place for them. Keeping them out makes them easy to access and ready to use.
Junk Drawer Drop Zone Organizing Tips
We all have a junk drawer or drop zone drawer. These can become quickly disorganized and a mess if we don’t have an organizing system in place. Again, various organizing bins and containers help to keep this drawer organized, clutter-free, and maintained. Every item has its own place!
Keeping an Organized Home Year-Round
Once you have organized all the space in your home, you may be wondering how to keep your home organized year-round. It’s actually a simple process. Pick three to four times a year and go through and organize spaces that need it. For example, January is a great time to organize since the holidays are over and things tend to slow down. Maybe it’s the closet or the kitchen. Springtime is a great time to organize the garage. This also allows for a great home reset, too. During the summer, you may want to purge things like closets, kids’ rooms, or maybe an office space. Right before the holidays is a great time to declutter kids’ toys and the kitchen.
Remember to pick spaces that need it most. Focusing on year-round organizing allows us to keep our homes tidy, organized, and clutter-free!
Another tip is the one-in-one-out rule. When you bring in a new item, it’s OK to get rid of another item in its category, too. For example, if I purchase a new pair of jeans, I will look through the jeans that I do have and get rid of a pair I don’t really need anymore. This helps us to maintain an organized home year-round.
Final Thoughts To An Organized Home
Organizing can be overwhelming, but it can also be fun too. Once you start, it’s kind of hard to stop! I have been organizing our home for many years. It may seem overwhelming at first. However, it’s okay to start small, purge, and organize gradually. There are many options to choose from when it comes time for organizing. Bins, baskets, and containers can help in a lot of spaces. Stores such as Walmart, Target, The Dollar Store, or Amazon are great places to find organizing needs. It’s all about researching and seeing what best fits your space and needs. You will find the perfect organizing system for any space in your home. Regular decluttering and organizing will help us and our minds feel better and also help us find exactly what we need. A clean and tidy home allows us to have a designated PLACE FOR EVERYTHING.
I hope I was able to give you some organizing tips and help motivate you, too! Happy decluttering and organizing, friends!
See more organizing inspiration in the videos below.
Thank you for visiting. I hope I have inspired you to find inspiring organizing ideas for your home, too.