Declutter Like a Pro: 9 Budget-Friendly Hacks to Organize Your Home
Clutter can be hard to control, and finding places for all the bits and bobs lying about can be even harder. Getting organized is the hardest part of decluttering, but the question of how much it will cost to make your home look neat always looms overhead like heavy rain clouds. It is safe to say that if your home needs decluttering, then you likely already have a whole bunch of items that can be repurposed to help you stay organized.
1. Shoeboxes as Dividers
Shoe and cereal boxes are a much cheaper alternative to buying drawer organizers and dividers. To create your own dividers, consider using leftover shoeboxes to separate smaller clothing items like socks and underwear or organize the stationary drawer. This allows you to customize the set-up to your needs and helps to reduce waste by repurposing boxes that would otherwise be thrown away.
2. Repurpose Tin Cans and Glassware
To help with clutter and avoid expensive storage solutions, consider using tin cans and glassware to organize and store office supplies, arts and crafts accessories, toys, batteries, and other bits and bobs around the house. Additionally, egg cartons and chocolate boxes are great for storing jewelry or small office supplies like paper clips.
3. Utilize Doors
Use the backs of doors to hang various items that clog up the closet. For example, you can hang ties, scarves, handbags, dresses, and over-the-door shoe organizers behind your doors. The over-the-door shoe organizers are relatively affordable and multipurpose. You can store not only shoes but socks as well, or if you hang one in the laundry room or kitchen, you can pop cleaning supplies, clothes, and other household items into the handy pockets.
4. Use Your Walls
Many homes have blank wall space, which can be used to create tiered storage to maximize vertical space. For example, you can build shelves using scrap wood to create bookshelves, spice racks, décor displays, and craft centers on your walls. This do-it-yourself approach allows you to customize how your shelves are built and used for your needs.
5. Storing Sheet Sets
Do you find that your sheeting takes up way too much space? Consider storing duvet covers, flat and fitted sheets, and other sheeting items inside pillowcases. You could build on this idea by storing throws and blankets in decorative pillowcases that aren’t currently in use. This is a great trick for bedding sets and other comfy furnishings that allow you to store it all in one compact bundle that looks neat and tidy while saving on closet space.
6. Hosting a Swap Party
As the seasons change and the years go by, our tastes have also changed. For many of us, this leaves us with piles of clothing, bedding, shoes, and jewelry that we no longer use or like but are still in excellent condition. If this sounds like you, consider hosting an annual swap party with friends to exchange unwanted items. Here, everyone can bring things they want to get rid of and swap for items that no longer serve someone else.
7. Rotating Seasonal Items
A great way to easily declutter your closet is to divide your clothes into seasonal piles and store out-of-season items in a canvas bag (that can be neatly tucked away at the back of the closet). By rotating your wardrobe, you can free up space in the closet while making it look neater and less cluttered. This can also be a great way to see what you have every season so that you can decide what you would like to keep or donate.
8. A New Approach to Tupperware
We all have many piles of plastic Tupperware in our kitchens and somehow that cupboard or drawer always looks like an utter mess. You can use several tricks to neaten this up, including stacking plastic containers by size and using a cooling rack to keep the lids tidy and close by. In addition, consider purchasing an affordable Lazy Susan to allow better access to the most commonly used items.
9. Create a Donation Box
Consider keeping a donation box on standby in a convenient location on an annual or bi-annual basis. This box allows you to continually access clothing, bedding, towels, and other items in the home and declutter your home as you go through the year. Then, when the box is full, send it off to Goodwill.
Sources
30 Cheap Organization Ideas to Declutter Your Home
These 9 Cheap Organizing Hacks Are Almost Too Easy
