Published: January 11, 2020

4 Organization Mistakes That Leave Your Home Looking Messy

You try to keep yourself and your family organized. You work hard to ensure your house is clean and tidy. We know how frustrating it is to feel that, no matter what you do, your house still looks messy or gets messy quickly. You will be relieved to know that you are not alone. In fact, the plethora of organizational tools and strategies sometimes actually backfires. We are here to help with 4 organization mistakes that either make your house look messier or make it harder to clean, along with solutions to give your home a lighter, fresher look. 

Problem #1: Pile disease

You probably already know if you have pile disease. Some of us just love to pile things up. We organize the piles based on a wide variety of criteria, and in our heads, it all makes perfect sense. If you have piles of paper, books, clothes, magazines, or anything else, it looks messy. Even if it has become invisible to you, it will look significantly cleaner when your piles are gone. 

Solution: A place for everything

The amount of stuff coming into your life on a daily basis can be daunting. If it accumulates over a week or a month, it can be totally overwhelming. If you have a place to put the incoming stuff, you are more likely to deal with it right now and avoid making piles. Sort your mail daily. Toss the junk and have a file or tray for bills so they do not get lost in the shuffle. 

Put anything you are not currently reading or using away. Avoid stacks of books or magazines on your coffee table or bedside table. Put clothes away as soon as you are done folding. Once you make this a habit, you will never go back. 

Spend five minutes each night clearing off the spaces you know you are prone to piling stuff on. If you do not let the piles get big, five minutes will be plenty of time. 

Problem #2: The refrigerator chaos

The refrigerator seems to be the nerve center of the kitchen. From random magnets given to you by 20 different businesses to inspirational quotes and from grocery lists to permission slips, everything ends up attached to the fridge. There are two problems with this system. One problem is that it looks awful. It is nearly impossible for it to look like anything but chaos. The second problem is no one sees what is there. Amid all those papers, the permission slip and grocery list can easily be overlooked. 

Solution: Organized message boards

Take all that stuff off the refrigerator and create a message board system that works for your family. You can find tons of ideas online. Large calendars with squares you can actually write in are great for busy families. Small mail trays for each person are also a great way to communicate things like permission slips and chore reminders. Best of all, you can put this all in a corner of your kitchen instead of on a major appliance. 

Problem #3: Organizing clutter

Sometimes in our excitement to get organized, we just start putting things away that we do not even need. This is how we end up with junk drawers and storage bins filled with who knows what. It makes it more difficult to clean when storage spaces are full of junk, and heaven forbid a guest might open that drawer or closet. Even if no one else sees, you will know, and it definitely weighs on you. 

Solution: Get rid of the clutter

Get rid of the clutter first. If you have a lot, take it one room at a time. Start with taking fifteen minutes each day to get rid of things you do not need. Of course, piles and junk go first, but it is also great to get rid of clothes you do not wear and decorations that you do not absolutely love. Extra knick knacks that just collect dust on your overcrowded shelves are an excellent example of clutter. Once you get rid of all that extra stuff you do not need, it will be a lot easier to create an efficient organization system for what you have.

Problem #4: Organization bins

Wait. How are organization bins a problem? Like any other tool, they have to be used correctly. In the wrong spot, they can be bulky and an inefficient use of space. Improperly sized, and they will either overflow or become a giant junk drawer. If you have too many, it can be confusing to remember which bins are for what.

Solution: Organize your organizing

Once you have gotten rid of all your clutter, you can take stock of what you have. If you are planning to use bins, try to find appropriate sizes to hold what they will contain and also fit within the closet or shelving system you have. It is also a wonderful idea to label them. It will make it much faster to clean. It is absolutely crucial to label bins for children. If they are not yet reading, try using picture labels. 

We know how challenging it can be to get organized, but you will be so glad you did. For more tips on organizing or to find out more about getting a storage unit to help clear some space at your house, please contact us.