9 Simple Strategies For Home Organization

9 Simple Strategies For Home Organization
By Karen Fritscher-Porter, Fri Dec 9th

Home organization means being able to find your stuff when youneed it, not after an hour or more of searching. But homeorganization doesn't necessarily mean you're neat or clean. Itdoesn't even mean you're not a pack rat. Home organization justmeans everything has a place and you know where that place is inyour home.

Of course, when you practice "home organization" and "clearingclutter" together you do inevitably get a neater and moreorganized home. Why? Because you can find your stuff when youneed it AND you're not tripping over your stuff. So instead ofallowing yourself, or your family, to consistently put yourshoes in the entryway (where you do know their location), youdesignate another spot such as a shoe rack in the foyer closet.That's blending home organization with clutter clearingtechniques. Here are 9 strategies for home organization thatalso may help you clear clutter in your home:

1) CLUSTER LIKE ITEMS - When you organize an office storagecloset at home or work, put the different types of paper besideeach other on a shelf. And what goes with paper? Envelopes. Putthe different types of envelopes adjacent to the paper. Adjacentto that you might put writing instruments used on paper likepencils and pens. And so forth. Organizing holiday ornaments?Keep bins of Christmas supplies together. Keep bins of Easterdecorations together. Then put all of these holiday storage binsin one clustered area in your garage or attic. You can also usethe cluster mindset for toys and sports equipment.

2) MAKE THINGS CONVENIENT - This simply means put mostfrequently used items toward the front of shelves or on shelveswithin arms reach or at eye level of the user (whether that'syou, your spouse or your children). Put infrequently used itemsin those hard to reach cabinets in corners, cabinets above yourrefrigerator, in the attic, etc. Put shelving or otherorganizers in convenient places such as put shoe racks, umbrellastands and hanging baskets for gloves in a closet near theentryway you use most often.

3) LABEL IT - Invest in an inexpensive label maker. You'll havefun labeling items (e.g. home recorded DVD tapes) or labelingplaces where items should go so they always get returned to thesame spot. For example, label specific garage shelf spaces forhand tools or power tools. That way nobody in your family willever forget where they got an item they're using and they'llknow where its exact "home" is.

4) DON'T KEEP AN ITEM IF... - ...you can find it elsewhere. Somuch research, forms and other paperwork is easily accessedthese days through the Internet. Just keep a simple list ofWebsites and useful phone numbers and then you'll always knowwhere to return to or who to call in order to access thatinformation again.

5) HANDLE IT ONCE - And handle it now. That's how the organizingprofessionals suggest you handle paperwork, whether it'sincoming mail or something on your home office or work desk. Ifyou can't handle it now, then put it in a tickler file labeledwith a specific intention (e.g. holiday cards to mail by month,bills to mail by week).

6) MAKE IT YOUR SYSTEM - I once knew a woman who placed labelsinside her kitchen food cabinets. So cans of green beans andpeas always went on their designated label or row and a can oftuna went on its labeled space. When you could see the labelthat just meant it was time to buy more tuna or green beans. Wasthis a bit over the top with detail? Not for her. The systemsuited her personality. It worked for her. Lesson learned: Ownyour home organizing system. You can use other people's homeorganizing tips but only if they suit you, they suit yourthought process and they mesh with your daily routine. You'rethe ultimate user of the home organization system. 7) BEFLEXIBLE - If your entire home organizing system, or just partof it, is not working, change

it. Try a different method. Putsomething in a different spot. Observe other peoples homes andwork spaces for ideas. Look at photos in home decoratingmagazines for ideas. Don't be afraid to admit temporary homeorganization failure and start again as often as needed. It'sokay!

8) BE PATIENT WITH OTHERS - You know the cliché...you can'tchange other people. Unfortunately, that cliché is usually truethough so many of us choose to learn it the hard way. Don'texpect everyone in your family to start immediately singing yourhome organization tune. They may never do so. But you can tryfor compromise and understanding. And you can make subtle politerequests like "honey, will you put your shoes in the closet forme so I can vacuum that area" or "will you put the car keys herewhen you get home so I can find them in the morning withoutwaking you."

9) GET HELP WHEN NEEDED - Not everyone is good at clearingclutter, especially quickly; nor is everyone good at thinking inan organized, almost analytical, way. And that's okay. But ifthat's you, consider calling in a paid professional homeorganizer (search online or in the phone book). Even if you justhire an organizer for a few hours or a day, he or she will atleast be able to help you brainstorm about organizing your homein a manner that suits you. Then you can take that next steptoward home organization on your own. And keep stepping untilyou get it done eventually. You will!

About the author:Karen Fritscher-Porter writes about home organization athttp://www.EasyHomeOrganizing.com. Visitwww.EasyHomeOrganizing.com to read more than 50 FREE articlescontaining dozens of home organization ideas and solutions. Plussubscribe to the FREE newsletter updating you about the latesthome organizing products sold in stores.