20 Effective Tips to Organize Your Home

An organized home is one that's pleasant to live in. Things run more efficiently in an organized home. People can locate things they're looking for. A home free of clutter not only operates more efficiently, it looks better, too! Here are 20 tips to help you organize your home:

1. Put things in logical places. For example, place your keys on a peg or in a basket close to the door. Store your pots and pans under the stove and your dishes and utensils close to the sink or dishwasher.

2. Use vertical space. Try wall shelves in living rooms and bedrooms. In the kitchen, hang the pots and pans you use the most.

3. Purchase a fireproof safe box for important documents like birth certificates, vehicle titles and other vital information.

4. Go from room to room with 3 boxes labeled keep, toss and donate. Take care of the toss and donate boxes right away. The last thing you need are boxes full of worthless clutter lying around.

5. Try organizing your child's room into activity centers. For example, there can be a reading center, a doll or stuffed animal center, an art center, a clothing center, and so on.

6. When storing seasonal and holiday items, use clear, labeled and stackable totes. It will be so much easier when you're ready to find and use these items than it would be if you used large cardboard boxes.

7. Try a mini-muffin pan or egg carton (cut to size) and slid into your "junk" drawer. Now, all your tiny items like buttons, paper clips, rubber bands, nails and other miscellaneous things have a home and there will be no more frustrated rummaging through a messy drawer.

8. When organizing your home office, make use of hanging file folders. Many computer desks have drawers that easily accommodate hanging files.

9. To easily organize your mail, have one file or box for urgent pieces of mail like bills, and another file for pieces that aren't as urgent like personal letters or advertisements. Deal with the urgent pile first, then get to the not so urgent pile when you have a little spare time.

10. For closets, try the various closet kits on the market today. With these easily assembled organizational kits, you can make room for clothing, shoes and more in even the most cramped closet.

11. Use a computerized financial software like Quicken or Microsoft Money to keep track of all your family finances. Switch to online bill paying whenever you can, which cuts back on a great deal of paper clutter and can automate the bill paying process.

12. Implement a shower caddy in which to store your shampoo, conditioner, body wash and soap. Store extra towels on a hanging towel rack or use an attractive basket.

13. Utilize bursts of time when decluttering your home. Every day, set five or ten minutes on a timer and collect all clutter in a large basket or box. Then, simply put each item in the box back in its proper place.

14. For young children, try color coding. Install shelves in different bright colors like blue, red, green and yellow. Then place a sticker in a corresponding color on the bottom of each toy. All your child has to do is look at the bottom of the toy to see which shelf it goes on.

15. Implement a menu plan for your family. By planning all meals in advance, everyone in the family will know what to expect. With a menu plan in place, your grocery shopping will go more smoothly and you won't have to stress over what to cook at the last minute.

16. Alphabetize your canned foods and non-perishables. You'll save time when looking for a particular item, and your cabinets will look better.

17. To keep your refrigerator tidy, keep all leftovers in labeled containers. Write what is in the container and the date it needs to be discarded.

18. If you have a large book, movie or music collection, keep a spreadsheet that tells you each title and where it is stored in your home.

19. Clear computer clutter once a week. Go through all your saved files, throw out anything you don't need, clean your email inbox and clear all cookies. Your computer will function more efficiently and you'll be able to find what's really important more easily.

20. Get your family involved. Staying organized is a team effort, and by recruiting all the members of your household in your quest to declutter, you're more likely to be successful in your efforts!