10 Organization Hacks to Get Your Home Free of Clutter

Who else dreads knowing someone is stopping by when your place is a mess? It doesn’t take Mario Kondo telling you a quick tidying-up is in order.

Tidiness and organization mean two different things, though. What’s organized to someone single differs from that of a couple living together. It makes you wonder if those quirky organization hacks are practical at all!

If you’ve spent time on mom blogs, Pinterest, and Facebook, you know what we’re talking about. So, what’s the best way to get your place together, so you’re not embarrassed by how you live?

Keep reading and learn ten home hacks to give everything a proper place.

Decluttering 101: Do These First to Make Organizing a Cinch

There’s no point in organizing if you’re stuffing things elsewhere. Shifting items from one room to another still means you’re smothered. And, putting something “out of sight and out of mind” isn’t an option!

Do these three things before the organization hacks:

  1. Make a plan
  2. Declutter the space
  3. Change your lifestyle

Follow these steps and make the most of your organization’s efforts.

Planning

You’ll notice that hoarding or tidying shows that people have difficulty parting with stuff. The organization is as much a mental game as it is removing items.

Here’s what you do:

  1. Set a goal (e.g., clean/organize one room)
  2. Set a date (e.g., before the move)
  3. And set a strategy (e.g., anything worn out goes)

A concrete goal, date, and strategy make it hard to back out on the decision.

Decluttering

Decluttering can happen in a few ways:

  • Sorting items into a keep, donate, and trash pile
  • Inquiring more info about professional cleanup services
  • Tracking what is and isn’t used and slow removing items

Pick whatever decluttering method works for you and spend time doing it.

Lifestyle Changing

It would help to reassess your consumer habits to avoid being overwhelmed by stuff. It comes down to ending “retail therapy” and getting the most from what you own. You aim to stop lifestyle creep before your home is overrun with stuff you don’t remember buying.

Let’s get to the hacks given you completed (or at least planned) these steps.

The Organization Hacks: 10 Household Organizing Ideas to Bring Order to the Chaos

Ready to give everything a place? Do these things.

1. Magnetize

Magnetic strips are inexpensive and versatile for hanging items in discreet locations. The strips are available at most retail stores and hobby shops for $5 to $10 per package. Some include a sticky side you’ll find great for the project.

What can you do? Try applying the magnetic strips to:

  • Small knick-knacks
  • Major jars and storage
  • Electronics’ cables

Add a metal strip to the underside of a desk or end table. Or, run a metal strip across a free area of a wall. Then, stick items and storage, so it’s off busy surfaces.

2. Clear Boxed Pantry

Pantries become a mess if you’re not doing the first-in, last-out swap. Before long, your pantry is overrun with cans, boxes, and other goodies.

What can you do?

  1. Pull all items out of the pantry
  2. Check the dates, toss what’s spoiled
  3. Organize by meal, food, or flavor type
  4. Place goods into clear boxes
  5. Slide boxes back onto pantry shelves

This organization system compartmentalizes food. As a result, you’ll never second guess if items are available, nor will you waste money rebuying stuff you have.

3. Maximize Tiny Closets

There are several ways to make the most of your tiny closet:

  • Install a collapsible rod for hangable items
  • Use chains and S-hooks to stack hung clothing
  • Attach curtain rods to the back of the door for added space

4. DIY Crevice Organizer

That small crevice between the fridge and cabinets and counters? That’s prime real estate for all kinds of kitchen goodies!

What you’ll need:

  • 4 x 1×4
  • One large ply
  • Four small wheels

Measure, cut, and frame a shallow box using the supplies. Then, attach the ply and the wheels to its bottom. Turn it on its side, and voila! You have a vertical crevice organizer!

5. Quirky Cork Boards

You can cut down cork boards and mount them around the home:

  • Behind a cupboard door
  • On the sink’s backsplash
  • Next to the front/back door

Use push pins to hang items like measuring cups, keys, and even small clothing.

6. Make Use of Low Lying Spaces

The gap under end tables, dressers, and coffee tables? These are great places to place a few items, given they stay organized. You can keep them tidy by upcycling a picture frame, so it slides in/out without trouble!

7. The Tube Hack

Your cable box is likely a jumbled mess — fix it:

  1. Toss out what you don’t need
  2. Save empty toilet roll tubes or paper towel tubes
  3. Fold and place cords inside the tubes

Now you’ve got an easy way to organize cables without getting tangled!

8. Repurpose Office Organizers

Office organizers may not look as good as home organizers, but you can touch them up if you feel crafty!

Try:

  • Magazine organizers to hold canned goods
  • Desk trays to stack plates/pans
  • Mounted folder organizers for the closet

You can save even more by shopping for these items at office closeout stores.

9. Upgrade the Headboard

Max out the space above beds by swapping side tables for single-file shelving. Then, run a board across the top. The board and shelving both add quite a lot of extra storage space in your rooms.

10. Convert the Bed Frame

You’re taking up much space with the bed’s frame and base.

Do this:

  1. Measure the bed from floor to mattress
  2. Build a wooden frame to the specifics
  3. Swap the metal frame and base for the new base
  4. Add boxes on each layer for double the storage

This project would condense your bedroom into what was once waste space!

Fewer Things Makes a More You

Doing organization hacks is more than putting things away.

The organization gives more time to do the things you love and more time with those who matter. Marie Kondo means this when she talks about tidying up’s “life-changing” benefits. It would be best to balance organizing what’s worth keeping and what you can do without.

How else can you make the most of your space and day-to-day? So why not check out our lifestyle section for more great ideas?


Yvan Lebrun
Yvan Lebrun

Yvan Lebrun is a trusted expert in the field of product & service reviews. With over a decade of experience analyzing and comparing services online, he shares his valuable experience with readers at GoodSitesLike so consumers can make educated decisions before making a purchase.

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