Your home is your sanctuary. It’s your peace in, and a piece of, the busy world around you. There’s few feelings better than coming home at the end of a long day, kicking off your shoes and unwinding in a tidy, calming space. However, the chaos of that busy, buzzing world often spills into the home as well and leaves a mess. Check out these five organizational tips for keeping your space relaxing and efficient.
1. Create a ripening bin
A ripening bin sounds like it’s some sort of way to store fresh fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator, but don’t be fooled by its name. A ripening bin is a bin or box set aside for all of the items you have around the house, rarely touched and collecting dust, that you may be unsure of keeping or not yet ready to dispose of. Consolidating all of your “maybe” items into one box clears up space, and the ripening bin gives you time to think about what you want to keep, donate or toss while inspiring accountability. Write a reminder to yourself or set one on your phone for how long you’re willing to let items sit in your ripening bin.
2. Swap for Swedish dishcloths
You more than likely have way too many drawers in your kitchen packed with way too many dish towels. And don’t forget the paper towel rolls taking up space under your kitchen sink and on your counter. Ditch the paper towels, donate the old dish towels, and swap them for Swedish dishcloths. Washable, reusable and stylish, Swedish dishcloths are better for the environment than paper towels—just one can replace up to 17 paper towel rolls. They are also thin and flexible, making them easy and convenient to store anywhere in the kitchen.
3. Try mini bins in drawers
Packing cubes are gaining popularity thanks to how convenient they’ve made it to sort and locate clothes and accessories squeezed in your suitcase while on vacation. Mini bins in drawers are the home equivalent. Try different-sized bins in your drawers to better organize and utilize the space and to ensure nothing gets lost. Use them in the bathroom for makeup, toiletries and medications. Test them in the living room in the media stand, to hold remotes, movies and games. Add them inside of a kitchen cabinet to organize spices or cooking tools.
4. DIY decanting
Decanting is the organizational method of removing items from the original packaging and storing them in different containers. We’ve all seen those Pinterest-pretty pantries filled with cereals, snacks and spices stored and labeled in reusable glass containers. Now, it’s your turn to get organized and get decanting. The benefits of decanting include decreased visual clutter, maximized storage space and items that are better preserved and easier to keep track of.
5. File Fold Clothes
If you struggle to close your dresser drawers, file folding your clothing and linens is the way to go. File folding, a Marie Kondo technique, means folding clothes into small rectangles and placing them into rows, instead of on top of each other in drawers. This leaves all of your garments visible and easily accessible. Shirts, towels and, yes, jeans can be file folded, creating space for more garments than you ever imagined could fit into your dresser. File folding is also known as the KonMari folding method, and a quick search online will provide tips for how to fold each different type of clothing article. It may be confusing to master at first, but after a few practices, you’ll be an expert in no time!
