Organizing Your Home with Simple Life Hacks

Jamie Novak, a professional organizer, reveals tried-and-true life hacks for keeping your home organized. Learn how to decide what to retain and what to throw, as well as how to arrange it all.

Find Unused Storage Space

Think beyond the box to optimize your home’s storage space, whether it’s in the rafters of your garage, between joists in your basement ceiling, within a cabinet, and so on. For example, one of the most ingenious home organizing hacks we’ve seen comes from Family Handyman reader David Ojala, who uses gutters as storage shelves on the side of kitchen cabinets.

Rain gutters made of vinyl are quite inexpensive and ideal for storing little goods. They come in 10-foot chunks, so you can split them up and construct numerous shelves using a power miter saw or hacksaw. I just snap an end cap on each end, drill a couple of holes, then use wood screws and finish washers to secure them to my cabinets.

Dry Measuring Cups: Keep or Toss?

Keep dry measuring cups that:

• Nest together, conserving space
• Our stainless steel (which is heat resistant and lasts longer than plastic)
• Have these four basic measurements: 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup
• Have an offset handle to allow you to more accurately level off dry ingredients

Toss the ones that:

• Have measurements that are no longer legible (over time the print can wash off, making them less useful)
• Are hard to clean
• Damaged, bent, plastic, peeled, melted, warped, and stained cups
• Rarely used single measurements, like 2/3 cup (two scoops from a 1/3 cup works just as well)

Avoid Cluttered Walls

To keep the wall from feeling cluttered, stick to the common two-thirds formula: Frames or other items on the wall should fill two-thirds of the space over a piece of furniture. If you hang multiple frames, aim for 2″ between each, and always try to group in odd numbers.

Declutter Your Medicine Cabinet

Keep only these must-have medical supplies for kids:

• Child-safe insect repellent
• Child-safe sunscreen
• Infant and/or child thermometers (both digital and ear or rectal)
• Rehydration fluids for children with tummy trouble
• Children’s and/or infants’ acetaminophen and ibuprofen, as recommended by your doctor, to relieve fever and mild pain
• Phone numbers for your pediatrician or emergency contacts

Storing Important Documents

Keep seven years’ worth of business-related backup documents to support your tax returns, like final budgets, receipts, and contracts. You can toss non tax-related items such as old conference materials, first drafts of final documents, and outdated business cards and brochures.

Mud Room Grab And Go Bags