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before and after picture of getting clothes organized

18 Clever Home Organization and Storage Tips, Tricks, and Hacks

/Updated /18 Comments/in , /by Mary Hunt

“Sorry, my place is such a mess!” If you have to pull out that one every time you welcome friends or family into your house, it might be time to get organized. Marla Cilley, known as The Flylady, calls that C.H.A.O.S. … Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome!

before and after picture of getting clothes organized

Organization is an important aspect of any home. And we’re quite familiar with the rule: A place for everything and everything in its place. Right? The challenge is finding that place and then actually following through by making sure that place is regularly occupied!

What follows is a random selection of tips and tricks I’ve received over the years from my dear readers. Undoubtedly, some will have a ring of familiarity, while others will have you smacking palm to forehead wondering “Why didn’t I think of that?!”

Reading all the way to the end just might give you an uncontrollable urge to get started. Should come up with your own organization and storage tips and tricks, which we hope you’ll share!

Cord Corral

Computer cords and charging cables make homes and offices unsightly. Camouflage the cords by threading them through a length of 1/2-inch PVC pipe you’ve attached to the wall.

Drawer Insert for the Bathroom

All of the small items that need storage in the bathroom can become cluttered and disorganized quickly To keep bathroom drawers neat and organized, look no further than the kitchen. You can use a silverware drawer insert to organize a bathroom drawer, too.

The long compartments in a silverware organizer are the perfect size for storing toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste. Medium-size compartments are great for disposable razors or clippers, and the small compartments work well for corralling lip balm, floss containers, etc.

Drainer Do-Over

Take a forgotten dish drainer that’s most likely stashed under your kitchen sink and give it a new life in the office. Use it for organizing paper, pencils, pads, cards, and envelopes. It works great and will save you a few bucks from buy buying a desk organizer.

Earring Screen

Earring organizers are all the rage in stores and boutiques. You can make your own by removing the glass and cardboard backing from a picture frame and replacing it with a piece of vinyl window screen purchased at a home improvement center like Home Depot or Lowe’s. Cut it to the same size as the glass. Tack it in place in the same manner that the screen was secured. Now you can hang your earrings through the screening so they stay organized and easy to find.

Earring Holder

The next time you come across a piece of thin foam wrap (not bubble wrap) used to package fragile items, cut a strip that will fit nicely into a drawer or a compartment of your jewelry box. It makes a handy and convenient earring holder. Simply push the shank through the foam wrap and attach the earring back to the other side. The convenience of having all of your earrings secured and in the same place is well worth the few seconds it takes to attach them to a foam strip.

Earring Organization

Clearly, there is no single way to accomplish the matter of keeping earrings organized and not hopelessly orphaned! Here’s one more:

Are you always rummaging through your jewelry box in the morning to find a matching pair of earrings? Purchase a 28-day pill organizer from a dollar store to organize your earrings. The box is clear plastic so you can easily see all of your earrings at a glance. Now they’re all organized. No more rummaging.

Donate to Drama

If Halloween costumes (old prom and bridesmaids dresses) end up in boxes in your attic or garage, never to see the dark of night again, get all of them out and donate them to a theatrical group, school, or church drama department. You’ll get a tax recipe and free up some much-needed storage space, too.

Cabinet Storage Guide

Once you have your kitchen cabinets organized, take photos of every item that goes into each of our kitchen cabinets and drawers. Then print them in thumbnail view, one page per cabinet. Tape each handy reference guide to the inside of the cabinet door and now your family is perfectly clear about what goes where. It’s a quick guide to finding what you have stored in deep or low cabinets as well.

Golf Bag Revival

An old golf bag makes a great caddy for all of those long-handled tools in your garage or garden storage shed. It looks cool, too.

Safe Keeping

For things you would hate to lose in a fire or tornado but won’t fit into a safety deposit box, do this: Put them in freezer bags and store them in the freezer. Chances are they will survive a disaster.

Storage Space Solution

If your storage space is limited and you have to stack several boxes on top of each other, make a diagram on an index card and keep it in a handy place. When you look for something, you’ll know exactly where it is. Store items that you’re more likely to use often toward the front with less frequently used items at the back.

Stop Shrinking Your Sweaters

When you put a load of clothes into your washing machine, use a dry-erase marker to note on the lid which items should not go into the dryer. That way, whoever switches the load from the washing machine to the dryer will know which items to leave out for line drying.

The enamel finish on most washing machine lids is similar to a whiteboard, and dry-erase markers can be removed easily with a dry paper towel.

Stored Cords

Tangled, unorganized cords can quickly clutter your space. But when you need to use that item, you need its specific cord, too. Use empty paper towel and tissue rolls to store appliance cords, It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll the appliance or item it belongs to.

The Law

To keep your possessions from overtaking your life and your space, declare a new personal dictum: For every new thing that comes in, something old must go out. You must obey The Law. It’ll work. In fact, there will be times that you’ll really want to bring home something new but the thought of getting rid of something of equal size or value will help you distinguish between a true need and a passing desire.

Lazy Fix

Digging to the back of the fridge to find a certain ingredient is a pain. Instead, use a lazy Susan to bring that food to you! Simply place a lazy Susan on a shelf in your fridge and stock it with condiments and other small containers. Nothing could be easier than spinning your ingredients around to find just what you need.

Flower Power

Use a terra-cotta flowerpot (super inexpensive in the garden department) to hold all your kitchen-cleaning tools under the sink. The terra cotta absorbs moisture, which will help to keep your tools dry and rust-free.

The Perfect Box

Buy milk from Costco, two gallons to a carton, and recycle the box they come in, which is perfect for storing 8-by-11 sized documents and magazines. These sturdy boxes are easy to manage because they are smaller and hold less than typical storage boxes.

 

 

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18 replies
  1. Birgit Nicolaisen says:

    I also use paper towel tubes to store my small sized garden flags. I can write on the tube what the flag is for…specific holiday or season or sports team. I keep them all together inside my bench by the front door. Makes changing out the flag a breeze.

    Reply
  2. Jane G says:

    I store my earrings in plastic ice cube trays. Two trays stack nicely in a drawer, pairs stay together in their compartments and earrings can be grouped by color in the tray so when I want gold or red, for instance, my choices are right there to see. Another plus: Nothing to dust or take up surface space.

    Reply
  3. Linda says:

    I love all the suggestions AND your newsletter, Mary!

    I keep all my shoes in the boxes they came in – or in similar sized plastic dollar store boxes. I snap photos of each pair, email the photos to myself, then print out the pictures to attach to the appropriate shoebox. Fast way to identify what pair I’m looking for!

    Reply
  4. Patricia says:

    This works great for storage. Number the boxes in storage.
    On a corresponding 3 X 5 card, list box contents. Easy to find. When packing to move, I use this system as well as a different color duct tape for boxes going to each room. Red for kitchen, green for living room, etc. Walmart has lots of great colors. To save tape, use 4-5” length around side edge so it is visible on 2 sides of the box. Make a “key” poster for the movers entry door with tape colors & rooms. Punch hole in card corner Keep cards on a big ring.

    Reply
  5. Susan says:

    I object to the name ‘lazy susan.’ I think they are ‘hard-working Susans.’ I’ve attached my clip-on earrings to the bottom of my bedside table lamp…always handy. blessings to you for your WONderful helpful hints!

    Reply
  6. Linda Roberts says:

    Hi ty for all the helpful hints they are amazing
    Here’s one I use for earrings
    Take a hanger used for skirts or slacks the one with clips then clip a non skid drawer liner the rubbery kind on the hanger I then cut the liner into equal sections you don’t have to do this but it makes it easier to attach your
    Jewelry
    Earrings get attached and you can use the hanger clips to hang your necklaces or bracelets on also across the top. You can glue on a few hooks on both sides for more places to hang

    Reply
  8. Silvyjo says:

    I think your article is fine but some of us prefer pictures to go along with it, specially us who are visual. Without pictures, you are bound to not engage your reader to even finish the article. Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Robyn says:

    I like to print out a label and adhere it to my multiple charging cords. Then they are usually stored in a clear ziplock bag.

    Reply
  13. Sue says:

    Wow, Mary!
    I had no idea your son, Jeremy was in production and he’s very, very good at it! His work is amazing! I’m going to check out his films!
    Happy Birthday to Jeremy!

    Reply

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