These Organization Hacks Will Leave You With A Clean Home By The Year's End

Then, you're ready to move into the 10 commandments of organizing. Each one is important, but together they create a framework that will help you set yourself up for continued success.

There are a few basic principles—you may even want to call them "commandments"—you need to know before jumping into organizing your home. Read them, do them, live them. Consider photocopying this information and pinning it to a bulletin board. Each time you start to organize, reread it until it sinks in. Once these commandments become habits, getting (and more important, staying) organized will become part of your daily routine. That not only saves time but also energy, stress, and money!

In other words, do a thorough decluttering and purge before you begin so you don’t waste energy and space organizing items you don’t need, use, or love. When decluttering a space, first take everything out. Then clean the space with a thorough dusting, scrubbing, or polishing. Instead of trying to decide what you should get rid of, frame the question as "What should I keep?" Touch each item, and put back only what you need and love. Have a system in place for getting rid of the rest such as a donation bin or trash bag, and dispose of them as soon as possible.

Your closet is a great place to start because it’s easy to figure out what doesn’t fit or look good anymore. Tackle the time-consuming or emotional areas like photographs later, after you’ve worked up confidence and experienced how great it feels when you conquer the small "wins"!

Keeping flat surfaces clear is visually appealing and will make everything appear neater and more organized. Flat surfaces such as tables, desks, and countertops occupy a large horizontal area so they look (and feel) airy and calm when they are clutter-free. Find ways to stow most of your items out of sight, and keep those flat surfaces as clear as possible to instantly create the appearance of organization.

Resist the urge to buy organizing supplies until you know exactly how much of an item you are storing, and where. When possible, use what you have on hand to organize first, and then purchase additional supplies only if needed.

If you do purchase bins and baskets, keep them neutral and classic so they fit with any décor, are easy to find, and allow you to add more if needed. When you hack something, you should paint, decorate, or arrange it in a way that it makes you happy when you see it. Make storage do double duty; for example, that beautiful basket on the shelf can be decorative, but it also can be used to stash unused remotes.

The common phrase "a place for everything, and everything in its place" is a simple yet brilliant mantra for keeping your home organized. One of the biggest reasons for clutter is not knowing where to put something. Once you designate a spot for an item (or category of items), it has a home. This will help you and your family to make a habit of putting it away properly.

As you organize, first consolidate everything in each category so you can see how much you have, and then store those items together. For example, if you’ve stashed batteries all over your home, gather them up and keep them in one accessible spot instead. Now you know exactly what you have and where to find it each time you need it.

Complete each organizing project or task fully before moving on to the next one. Block enough time for cleanup, as that usually takes quite a bit of effort. Be realistic in your expectations or you’ll burn out before you really begin.

Each person organizes differently. There’s no "one-size-fits-all" method that can be applied to every family and situation. Discover the solutions that best work for your family and situation.

Ready for some major inspo to get you started? Check out how one declutterer got rid of 500 possessions in one month.