Organize home 101 is a two stage process. Stage 1 is getting things under control, especially clutter. Stage 2 is about regular routines so you maintain an organized house. Follow these tips for success.
#1. Keep things simple and practical. Use transparent storage bins and boxes. Use color coded labels. Paste photographs on storage boxes to represent the contents. Create a place for everything and keep everything in it's place. Store frequently used items near where they are used.
Toy Bins Organizer
#2. Declutter your storage. Pick a closet or cabinet at a time. Plan ahead and obtain any dividers or storage boxes and labels that you'll need. Pull everything out. Sort the contents into piles for rubbish, recycle, charity donation, selling and keeping. While it's empty, give the closet or cabinet a good clean. Store anything that's to be kept. Move on to the next storage item and repeat.
#3. After decluttering your storage, figure out if you need any additional storage. Be creative. Go for dual-function furniture, like beds and coffee tables with built in drawers.
#4. Set up a simple system to manage your paperwork. Red box file to store all tax documentation, blue box file to store all receipts, green box file for bills to be paid, yellow box file for all instruction manuals... and so on.
#5. Set up a simple system to manage tasks and "to do lists". Calendar with planner. Diary for scheduled actions like pay credit card bill. Keep a pad and pen in a fixed location that you can add shopping items to as you discover you are running low on.
#6. Daily routines: Review your "to do list", calendar and diary. Deal with that day's paperwork and mail. Go round the house with a basket, collecting anything that's "lying around" and return them to their proper place.
#7. Weekly routines: Do a small decluttering job, like clearing out a drawer or shelf. Dispose of all old newspapers and magazines. Check around the house for any clutter problems, especially on surfaces and floors.