In this blog article I have gathered Ordna´s top 10 organizing tips, that hopefully will get you started to simplify your home and your everyday life!

Declutter First

Always start with decluttering. There´s no way around it. To organize clutter makes no sense at all. It doesn´t have to be complicated, just grab a trashbag and start with trash and then look for donations. Get the trash out of the house and put the donations directly into your car. Don´t keep donations in your closet or basement! You will forget about them, or the donations might get mixed up with other belongings, and you will have to start all over again.

Declutter layer by layer (like you are peeling an onion), and with every layer, you´ll get more and more clutter out of your home.

Work With What You Have

I know. They are so pretty and functional. But try and resist to buy containers before you have decluttered. Start with bins and containers you might already have at home. You will save time and money if you can use containers (a shoe box can also work as a container!) that you already own. IF you really need or want to buy organizing containers – it´s much easier to know how many, and what kind of containers to buy, AFTER you have decluttered the space.

Clear Kitchen Counters

Keep your kitchen counters as clear as possible. Only store the household appliances that you use at least daily on your kitchen counter. Other appliances you can store in a cabinet in the kitchen, or if you only use them a couple of times a year – in the basement.

Five Minutes Matters

If you feel overwhelmed or stuck, set the timer for 5 minutes and get started! Sometimes you will only work in one space for this short time, and that’s fine! Another time when you use this technique, you might get motivated and get more done. Either way, progress is being made, and that’s what’s important, right?

Streamline Your Morning Routine

Put only the items that you use each morning to get ready in on spot. This will make your morning routine smoother and you don´t have to look for what you need in different areas of your bathroom cabinets or drawers.

Store Like With Like

When you are organizing – take everything out of the chosen space (for example the drawer or the cabinet) and put like items together. You can use adjustable drawer dividers or containers if you want to organize it even further. It may seem obvious, but to make your life easier – store the items where you use them! Coffee mugs goes in the cabinet above the coffee mashine, and handtowels in or close to your bathrooms, for example.

One In, One Out

Use the one in, one out rule if you need to buy something new. Or even better, to make it more effective – do one in two out! This will make you consider what item(s) you need to get rid of before you purchase anything new. It might even end up with you not buying anything after all.

Divide House Hold Tasks

Home chores are a never-ending story. But if you divide them into weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks, it gives you an overview. Some cleaning tasks, like dishes, needs to be done daily, others can be a part of your weekly, monthly, or even yearly cleaning routine instead. You might decide that every Sunday you will wash all your bedding, while an organizing task like decluttering and cleaning out your wardrobe may be better to do every new season, and cleaning your windows once a year. I love a nice cleaning and decluttering list to follow, it makes it less overwhelming.

Use a «Maybe» Bin

If you aren´t sure about letting go of something – use a «maybe» bin and give it a set time limit (it can be 2 weeks, 1 month or 6 months – you decide!), before you come back to it. Put a post it on the box and a reminder on your phone, so you don´t forget! If you haven´t missed the items in the box – you can donate the whole thing.

One Step At a Time

If you want to organize your entire home – break it into more manageable tasks. Make a list, decide where to start, and go from there. If you want some support, you are more than welcome to subscribe to my monthly newsletter and get Ordna´s Whole House Declutter Guide, with a new area to declutter every month – click here to subscribe!

Remember that organizing every room and area of your home takes time. Do it at your own pace, and work your way through your home by tackling one small project at a time. It is a lot of work, but the feeling of a tidy and organized home is definetly worth it.

Happy organizing!