15 Underrated Organizing Hacks That Will Change Your Life!

One of the best things you can do when organizing your home is just go back to basics!  Sometimes the most effective tips for organizing aren't really all that exciting.  I've come up with 15 organizing hacks that I think are super underrated because they can be totally life changing!  Keep reading or watch the video here to see if there's something you haven't tried yet!

1.  Declutter First

This is key!  You never want to waste time organizing clutter.  If you get rid of something, then you never have to maintain or touch it again, and you don't even need to find a place for it!  Definitely take care of anything that needs decluttered before you organize what's left.

2.  Use Photoboxes

I LOVE repurposing bins and boxes.  I use photoboxes for almost everything besides photos LOL!  They're smaller, so they're the perfect size for all sorts of little things.  They fit in your purse, in drawers or in the glove box/consoles of your car.  They're so versatile, and they're cheap!

3.  Give Every Item a Home

This seems obvious, but so many times stuff makes it into my home that I really do need.  But if I don't find a place for it, it will sit in piles.  It's not because I'm being lazy.  It's just that I don't really know where it goes, so it's hard to put away!  If I find. home for everything, tidying goes MUCH faster!

4.  Use the Same Type of Bin Everywhere

I've mentioned this before, but I use only one type of bin and one type of drawer organizer all throughout my home!  I love how easy it makes it to change things up or add or subtract from any given area.  I can keep a few extra bins, and I'm not keeping extras of six different kinds.  It's also easier if you move or if circumstances or needs change, which they inevitably do!

5.  Use Multipurpose Bins

My absolute favorite bins are the multipurpose bins from the Container Store.  They come in 4 sizes.  They're so versatile, and I use them in literally all rooms of my house.  They're also surprisingly affordable, especially for the Container Store!  I even did a whole video here dedicated to my love of the multipurpose bin LOL!

6.  Try Reverse Organizing

For an in depth description, check out the video here.  But basically reverse organizing is when you take everything out of a space and just put back what you need.  You naturally gravitate toward the most used, and then go from there.  Mentally it's easier to choose what to keep instead of what to get rid of, so it helps you have more success decluttering!

7.  Don't Buy Seasonal Colors

It can be so tempting to buy pretty colors of bins…but if they're seasonal, they might not be in stock regularly or come back again ever!  If you need or want more, you won't be able to find them.  That's why I always recommend sticking to the neutral colors.  It also makes it easier to keep the bins consistent across your whole home.

8.  Use Bead Boxes

This is the same concept as the photoboxes– I store everything in them but beads!  These are much smaller (and super cheap on Amazon)!  I use them for all kinds of little things like paperclips or bandaids.  Check out my video here to see everything I store in them.

9.  Create SOPs for Your Home

SOPs are Standard Operating Procedures.  They're used in business often because SOPs (meaning doing something the exact same way every time) make everything run more efficiently.  If you do something the exact same way every time, you just launch right into it without having to think.  This works well for something like cleaning a bathroom.  You don't have to get crazy and write things down, but you do need to have a standard plan for how to do things you do repeatedly.

10.  Use the 3 Bucket System for Planning Your Days

I have a much more in depth video on this here.  I used to write myself a to-do list for the day.  I would NEVER get it all done, and it was always long.  I didn't realize it then, but I was really writing a WISH LIST of things I could get done if things when PERFECTLY and I had  zero interruptions or distractions.  This wasn't very helpful for me.  The planner I created is designed to use the 3 bucket system.  Now I put that  to do list into three buckets every day:

1. The top 3-5 priorities– If I got nothing done other than these things, I'd consider the day a success.
2. Appointments– This is pretty easy because we know when we have appointments.  These are any times we need to physically be in a certain location.
3. Wishlist– This is where the rest of that to do list goes.  Some days I get a few things crossed off here.  Some days I get nothing done from this list.  But the day is still a success if I completed bucket one!

11.  The Container Principle

Sometimes this is referred to as the one-in-one-out method.  It basically means that you have a container to store whatever it is.  For example I have one bin for my Christmas lights.  Once the bin is full, I can't buy any more.  If I do, I must get rid of something so it will all still fit in the bin.  A container puts boundaries on how much of something you can keep.

12.  Take a Picture of Something Rather than Keeping it

Sometimes I'm able to let a physical item go if I take a picture of it first.  It doesn't work for everything, but perhaps I want to remember clothing that no longer fits or a piece of artwork my child made, but the glitter is falling off everywhere.  Or perhaps there's a cookie jar a friend gifted me, but I don't really store cookies on my counter.  There are all sorts of things where a picture will suffice for keeping the memory alive if you're ready to let a physical item go.

13.  Lazy Susans

These are fantastic organizing tools!  Some have high sides to keep bottles from tipping over, and others are just trays.  They rotate so you can get to all the items, and they are just so useful in so many spaces.  Don't forget about them!

14.  Use Vertical Space

If your space is really tight, then you need to make the most out of every inch.  Don't forget the vertical surfaces!  You can hang hooks on the wall or put shallow shelves behind a door.  I also use shoe organizers for maximizing vertical space on the back of a closet door.  Think creatively and use all the space you do have!

15.  Label Everything

Labels aren't just for making things pretty (although they totally do that, too!).  They also help you put things back where they go.  Even if the bins are clear so you can see where an item goes, there's something about a label that helps us mentally.  We're less likely to just stick something in a labeled bin if it's not actually where it belongs.  It's just more clear, and it's a mental trigger to find the right place.

Hopefully this has given you a few new ideas– but first things first– decluttering!  If you haven't tackled that then decluttering is definitely the place to begin!  If you need a little extra inspiration, you can watch my decluttering playlist here.

Organization that actually sticks for busy, happy lives