Organizing Tips

General Tips

Before you buy something, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I need this?
- Do I already have something similar?
- Will I use this?
- Why do I want to buy this?
When you bring a new item into the house, find it’s place right away.
Use the one in, one out rule: when you bring an item into the house, remove an existing item.
Car/house keys should have a central location right inside the entrance to your home. Either a dish on a foyer table or a rack to hang them from works very well.
When storing items in cabinets and drawers, place the frequently used items in the front, and infrequently used items towards the back.
Keep a supply of trash bags in the bottom of the can for easy retrieval.
Remove Rx labels on medication containers before disposal to avoid health identity theft.
Keep a basket by the door for items that need to be returned.
Keep family members appointments visible by marking them on a centrally located calendar.
Keep extra batteries in your camera case so you don’t miss that special moment.
Mark the replacement due date on furnace filters when you replace them.
Use tie wraps to bundle electrical cords for effective cable management.
Have small spaces? Go vertical for storage with media towers, book shelves with 5 or more shelves, or install shelves on walls.
Use post-it notes as temporary labels for storage space planning.
Labeling containers & spaces leaves no doubt as to what belongs there.

Keep a magnetic pad of paper on your refrigerator, and when you find you are running low on something, put it on the list. When you go to the store, your list of supplies is at hand!
When storing kitchen towels in drawers, rolling them up uses less space.
Use single & double tiered turntables in cabinets and pantries for smaller items such as spices, sauces, and canned goods.
Check for expired products in your refrigerator, freezer & pantry each time you put away groceries.
Prepare your grocery list by aisle to make your shopping trip quicker.
Keep only the plastic storage containers that have matching lids for food storage. Use the smaller flat containers as drawer organizers.
Creating zones in your kitchen keeps everything you need for that task together.
To save kitchen counter space, install an under-the-cabinet paper towel holder.
To avoid counter clutter, only keep items on the counter that you use daily.
Install slide out shelves in kitchen cabinets & pantries for easy access to items at the back of the shelf.

If you are undecided about what clothes to keep, turn the hangars around to point the hooks toward you. When you wear the item, turn the hangar to point away from you. At the end of a specified period of time, for example, 6 months, the clothes on the hangars pointed toward you need to go.
Keep gloves in their respective pockets in the coat that matches the gloves, so you have them where and when you need them.
Decide what to wear to work the night before. If you have the room, layout the clothes. If you have kids, do the same for them if they are too young to do it themselves. If they are old enough, teach them this concept.
Storing pairs of women’s shoes heal to toe uses less space and you can see both at a glance.
Purge clothing items that no longer fit when you switch your wardrobe from summer to winter & vice versa.
Purses are like magnets, you never know what’s going to appear in there. Clean & organize your purse weekly to avoid a sore shoulder or back.

Sort laundry as you go! Get a 3 section sorting cart for the laundry room. As you bring items into the laundry room, sort them right then.
If you have the room, label a laundry basket for each member of the household, and one for the household in the laundry room. As you finish folding an item, put it in the appropriate basket. Have each family member put away their own items.
Socks have a way of disappearing while doing laundry. When they come out of the dryer, match them up and fold them inside one another.
Keep a dish in your laundry room for change you find in pockets. Use the change to help pay for laundry supplies.
If your laundry room is small, and there is no room to fold clothes, use the top of the dryer for folding.
Wash loads of laundry throughout the week to keep it under control.

‘To do’ lists are a must, but to make them more effective, schedule time in your planner to complete each task as you make your list. If you have time scheduled into your day, you are more likely to complete each task.
Determine the time of day when you are at your peak performance. Schedule tasks at that time of day that require creativity or exceptional brainpower.
Running errands – Plan your route in advance for effective time management, and to make efficient use of fuel consumption.
Perform mindless tasks such as mending clothes or clipping coupons while watching tv.
Having trouble getting started on an organizing project? Set a timer for 15 minutes & see how much you can get done in that amount of time.
Catch up on your reading in waiting rooms to make time pass quicker.

Use your inbox only for messages that have not been read, or that you need to take action on.
Create a folder for multiple messages that you receive on a specific topic. When you finish reading or acting on a message, move it to its folder or delete it.
Make your inbox work more efficiently for you. Set up rules for specific messages, such as informational messages, to go right into a folder to read at a later time. This will keep the distraction of incoming mail minimal.
A misc email folder can become equal to a junk drawer. Label all email folders with a specific category.

Create a Command Center with an expandable file in a central location. This is a landing place for paperwork such as mail, kid’s homework, and school announcements. Assign a file for each family member, and one for bills, incoming/outgoing mail, receipts, takeout/delivery menu’s, etc.
Weed your paper clutter every time you come in contact with a document. When you’re opening mail, looking for that receipt to make a return, or filing a paid bill, recycle/shred what you no longer need/want to keep.
Recycle old magazines by taking them to your doctor’s offices after removing the address labels.
A good filing system is the foundation to get your paper clutter under control, so invest in the Freedom Filer filing system for maintenance free filing!
Recycle or dispose of past copies of phone directories & magazines as soon as you get a current copy.
Keep frequently used user’s manuals with the item it belongs to so you have it where you need it.