How to Organize Any Space in 6 Easy Steps

Hi, I’m Valerie and I’m One Happy Housewife!

I am so thrilled to be writing this guest post for my sweet friend Marci! When Marci asked me to write a post for her blog, I was excited but nervous about what on earth I would write about!

On my blog I write about so many different subjects related to being a housewife. There’s cooking, cleaning, organization, decor, entertaining and life in general. Well, I wasn’t about to try to compete with Marci’s amazing decor skills, so that was out! So I figured I had to go with what I love most.

Organization!

I could spend all day organizing things in my home! But of course, cleaning, laundry (for 7!), cooking, and homeschooling get in the way! I can’t tell you how important it is to be organized when you have 5 children! When you have the right organization systems in place, it makes life a whole lot less stressful!

How much do I love organization?

When I walk into The Container Store, I hear angels sing! Really, I do. I’m that friend that comes over and starts folding your laundry if it’s sitting on the couch remotely close to me. I’ve also been known to organize a pantry or two, unsolicited! I know, I have a problem. I just can’t help myself.

I’ve loved organization since I was little. Throughout the years, I’ve come up with different systems for different things. Some have worked, and some have flopped. One thing I’ve found though, is I pretty much follow the same steps no matter what space I’m organizing. So I thought I’d share those steps with you. Following these simple steps can help you organize your pantry, closets, drawers, laundry room, and any other spot that needs a licking!

So here are my steps for organizing any area in your home.

Take everything out:

I mean everything! I really feel this step is key. Don’t try to clean and organize the space without taking every last thing out. This will not only give you a fresh start so you can clearly see what you need and don’t need, but it will also push you to finish your organizing project since you won’t want to have a bunch of stuff sitting around!

Clean all surfaces and areas:

This one is simple. Clean away! Wipe down all surfaces, sweep all floors, and make it sparkle! I love using a Magic Eraser for tough spots. I also use an all-purpose cleaner like Mrs. Meyer’s to wipe down all surfaces. Once everything is clean you can move on.

Separate things into like items:

I usually try to group things together as it makes sense to me. Think about when you use your items, and what things you use together. For example in my pantry, I have a “baking” basket, a “nuts” basket, and so on. You have to group them according to what makes sense to you and how you use things.

Purge:

Now this is the hard part for most people. You have to try to get rid of things you don’t need or use. If there’s something that doesn’t belong in the space, take it to where it belongs. If there’s something that you haven’t used in months or years, donate it or throw it away if it’s in bad shape. Try to think of the space and how organized you want it to look. If it’s crowded and overflowing, you won’t be happy with the results. Try really hard to force yourself to get rid of things that are useless to you

Corral items in containers like baskets:

Once you’re left with the items you are definitely keeping, it’s time to corral the items that can be corralled. I love using baskets and pretty plastic bins. It makes clean up so much easier and it makes the space look attractive as well. Don’t be afraid to use color either! In my pantry I used beautiful aqua containers. It gives it a ice pop of color. Also, keep in mind that not every container needs to match. I love to mix and match baskets and bins. It makes the space interesting!

Put everything back:

Now the last step. Try different configurations when putting things back. Think outside the box if you have an odd shaped space. You can even try drawing the space out if it helps you. As for me, I just start putting things back in a space and move them around until I’m happy with how they look.

Again, think of how you use things and how often you reach for them. If it’s a closet or a pantry, put things you don’t use often on the top shelves. Leave things down lower that you use regularly or that you want your children to be able to reach. This is the fun part so play around with the space until you’re happy with it! To see how I organized my pantry a few months ago, you can click here.

There you have it! Organize any space in your home in 6 easy steps.

What space will you organize next?

Thanks Marci for having me today! I hope everyone finds this post useful and gets the urge to organize a space in their home!

For more tips on organization, recipes, entertaining, budgeting, and more head over to my blog One Happy Housewife

-Valerie