Your Top 20 Organizing Questions Answered

Taking a little bit of time every day to organize is the key to a perpetually clean home. Prevent little messes from turning into clutter catastrophes by completing these six simple tasks every single day. 

While not all of us are lucky enough to have an entire room to dedicate to sewing, you might have a spare closet or cupboard. Use the extra space to store your needles, thread, and fabric in specially designed shelves and racks. Try our tips for creating a sewing closet or crafts cupboard.

Create an “unloading” station for each family member with a peg rail for coats and accessories and a labeled bin for shoes, backpacks, and other items they would normally trail through the house. A boot tray near the door keeps grime from shoes in its place –- simply fill a metal tray with a few stones (found at garden centers) so wet messes drain to the bottom and your shoes and boots don’t sit in a puddle.

Corral gardening supplies with hanging U-hooks and a labeled pegboard so everything is in its place when you need it.

Display your favorite accessories while keeping them organized at the same time. Install a few hanging paper towel holders on a wall or the back of your closet door to neatly hang scarves and avoid wrinkles.

Organizing is about creating a system that works and training your family to maintain it. Try using expandable organizers in larger drawers to give everything a place. Combine standard flatware trays and bigger sizes for cooking tools to create a perfect fit. Labeling the compartments can help remind your family to put each tool in the proper spot.

Keep your extra cords from resembling a pot of spaghetti with a few simple steps. When cords are in use, keep them contained in wire baskets you can hang under desks or entertainment units. When storing them for later, wrap the cords in foam tubing cut in 10-inch sections. Label each tube so you can find what you need when you need it.

Appliances you use only occasionally should be kept out of sight but still be within reach. Install sliding doors in deep lower cabinets to maximize the space.

For bags that can be hung, install a pegboard on one unused wall of your closet with hooks for everything from handbags to belts. If you don’t have wall space to dedicate to bags and totes, consider installing a high shelf to keep them all organized and protected.

Bulky comforters, wool blankets, and extra pillows may need 18 inches of shelf space. Stack these linens at the top of the closet, since you probably only reach for them a few times a year. Store blankets and comforters in zipped plastic bags that allow you to remove the excess air for more compact storage. A large plastic bin that you can store is also a good storage solution.

To help little ones keep their toys in place, use clear labeled boxes and bins (use photo labels if your children can’t yet read) divided by type of toy.

For a more stylish approach to organization, sew pockets onto a quilt and hang it on the wall for instant storage. 

Instead of a one-size-fits-all solution, create customized “junk drawer” storage with a variety of clear plastic bins and metal boxes with lids. Using multiple sizes and color-coded labels will keep everything in its place.

Get Martha’s Tips for Organizing the Junk Drawer

Reclaim the darkest corners of your cabinets by installing sliding drawers or a lazy Susan that allows you to see what you’re keeping in the back. 

Keep tablecloths and other linens neat and organized by labeling the shelves or drawers where they’re kept (that will also prevent the need to unfold every tablecloth looking for the one you want!).  You could also affix fabric labels to a corner of each tablecloth with a safety pin for an easy reminder.