Home Topics Storage & Organization

13 Ideas to Make Your Home Cleaner with Organization

Nick GerhardtUpdated: Mar. 20, 2019

Get organized and watch how much cleaner your house will look. Check out these tips on how to make your home cleaner with organization.

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builtin-shelves organizing your basement

Use Empty Space

Put that empty space under the stairs to use with a built-in storage solution. If your basement is finished, use the space to store toys or movies. If your basement isn’t finished, see what it takes to finish a basement so you know what to look for during a remodeling project. Or if you feel like hiring the work out, learn how to hire a contractor.

Photo: Courtesy of Houzz

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cubbies toy storage

Add Cubbies

Add some cubbies to store toys, books and art supplies. You can add some bins to hide items, such as remotes and cables that you may not want to see displayed. Depending on your space, you can also use the design as a media console.

Photo: Courtesy of Ana White

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Toss Old Clothing

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Toss Old Clothing

Clothes you haven't touched in two years need to go. The two-year rule accounts for warmer-than-usual winters or unseasonable summers when you may not wear something you'd usually wear. It also accounts for clothes you've been saving for chores like yard work or painting, without letting you hold on to these items indefinitely. If you're not willing to take the time to try something on to confirm that you still love it, then you can let it go. Learn about Swedish Death Cleaning and if you can apply some of the principles. Just be careful what you donate, there are a number of items you should think twice about donating.

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Storing Important Documents

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Storing Important Documents

Keep seven years' worth of business-related backup documents to support your tax returns, like final budgets, receipts, and contracts. You can toss nontax related items such as old conference materials, first drafts of final documents, and outdated business cards and brochures. Check out how to get your home office organized to avoid clutter.

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shelves-for-kitchen-wall open

Hang Items from Shelves

Do you have some open shelves in your kitchen? Try hanging items from them. Think utensils you use all the time or coffee mugs.

Photo: Courtesy of Best Decor Things

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baskets-above-cupboards organizing your kitchen

Use Baskets for Organizing

If you have some space above the cabinets, try organizing your kitchen using baskets or bins for a clever kitchen organization solution. You may not be able to reach this high, so use the baskets for things you don’t use every day.

Photo: Courtesy of Woohome

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kitchen-island-storage

Kitchen Island Storage

If you have a kitchen island, is there a way you can add some shelves under the countertop? This would be a great place to store cookbooks and decorative bowls and platters.

Photo: Courtesy of gettickets

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Storage Bin Index

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Storage Bin Index

Like a lot of other people, my wife and I love large plastic bins. But remembering what's inside each bin is tough, and reading a small label is nearly impossible when your bins are stored high on garage shelves. We solved both problems by labeling our bins with large numbers. Each number corresponds to a page in a binder that lists the contents of each bin. It's simple to change the list, and it's a heck of a lot easier to find what you need by checking the binder than by rummaging through each bin. — reader Gerald Naumann Editor's Note: When it comes to bin I.D. tags, we like adhesive storage pouches that let you slip index cards in and out easily. You can find these at office supply stores or online retailers. Find out another reason why three-ring binders come in handy around the house.

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Get a Cooking Caddy for Convenience

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Get a Cooking Caddy for Convenience

Here's a kitchen storage and organization ides: Keep condiments and spices in an easy-to-carry rack to free up countertop space. You always want salt, cooking oils and your favorite spices next to the stove because you use them every day. But they don't have to take up valuable counter space full time. Place them all in a caddy that you can instantly stow in a cabinet after cooking. You'll find caddies in various shapes, sizes and prices at any store that sells kitchenware.

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Concealed Message Center

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Concealed Message Center

Don't let shopping lists, phone messages and to-do notes clutter up counter space. Mount a dry-erase board and a plastic bin on the inside of a cabinet door with double-sided foam mounting tape. The bin will protrude into the cabinet, so be sure to position it where it won't collide with shelves or the stuff inside. Get the board, bin and tape at a discount or office supply store.

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Tidy File Center

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Tidy File Center

Countertops are a landing pad for paper—mail, news clippings and other assorted notes. Get that mess off your counter with folders and a file holder. The one shown here (from an office supply store) mounts with screws or double-sided foam tape. If you don't have suitable vertical surface, get a file holder that sits on the countertop. It will take up less space (and look neater) than a stack of papers. If you're short on space and could use a home office, read up on how to turn your closet into a makeshift home office!

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Keep Your Spray Bottles in Line

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Keep Your Spray Bottles in Line

Hang spray bottles from a rod to keep them upright. It can be hard to keep spray bottles from falling over and making a mess under your bathroom and kitchen sink. To keep them upright, hang them from a short tension rod (about $12 at discount stores) in your cabinet. An old rod can come in handy in a number of spots in the house.

Originally Published: January 26, 2018