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?
- 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
Declutter Your Medicine Cabinet
- 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
Mud Room Grab And Go Bags
- A car travel/restaurant tote filled with travel-friendly toys, quiet games, or projects the kids can do while waiting for dinner in a restaurant;
- Dry-cleaning tote for clothes that need to be taken to the cleaners;
- Library tote for your books and library card.