5 Fool Proof Tips to Home Organization
The vast majority of people, some 73%, enter their homes through the garage. This means that most people do not use the front door of their homes to enter and leave. The front door is often left for special occasions or when official visitors arrive. And this touches at the heart of one of the fundamental principles of home organization, keeping it natural.
If you truly want to create order in your home then you are going to have to think about all of the different ways that you can organize your extra space to make use of empty areas in your home. This means that you will need to pay attention to things that people often forget about, such as where the light is coming from, unused space in the least expected of places, using illusions to create space, making your home "smart" and many other things that will help to keep your home clean and tidy.
Use Vertical Space
Vertical space is one of the most misunderstood and underused ideas when it comes to home organization, because so few people are actively using up the available vertical space in their homes. Very often, items end up cluttering on available shelf or table surfaces. Certificates and diplomas languish in drawers; photographs and half-filled albums lay cluttered all over the floor.
There are many practical ways to use your vertical space! Here are just a few:
- Take any photographs you really like and have them framed to create picture galleries around the house on walls that are not used for anything; frame your diplomas and certificates as well
- Make use of safety nets, storage racks and different types of hooks to create vertical storage space in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and even living areas
- Install floor to ceiling bookshelves and use stepladders instead of buying conventional bookshelves
There are many more steps you could take to increase your use of vertical space in creative ways.
Do You Really Need It?
People often find that they have a lot of clutter in their homes, but very seldom are they able to let go of things. While it is certainly true that it is worth keeping many things and that objects can be reused; many homes end up looking more like storage because we find the need to keep these extra items. If this is the case for you then you will need to do some serious soul searching and ask yourself whether you truly intend to reuse something or not.
Things that can make organizing your home easier and discourage thrift:
- Create a "Donations" box near the most commonly used exit in the home; this will encourage your family members to get rid of things they do not want any more
- There are many home appliances that you probably do not (or should not) use all that often; consider renting instead of buying when you want to use one (Blu-Ray/DVD players, gaming consoles, barbecues); this also encourages moderation, especially if you have children with video gaming problems
- If you are not likely to use something more than once or twice a year, consider getting rid of it; if it's something of sentimental value then this does not apply
If you are really at the point where you cannot get rid of anything, then it is time to explore ways to create extra space in your home.
Using Illusion to Create Space
One of the unfortunate side-effects of creating extra space vertically in your home or making efficient use of space is that things end up looking even more cluttered than before. Aside from having space-saving and efficient storage racks or safety nets installed, you can also use a number of illusory devices to help increase the apparent space in your home:
- Use full length wall-mirrors in bathrooms, garages and living rooms to create the illusion of more space.
- Install a large bay window in a kitchen or other communal area to bring in plenty of light; install skylights where appropriate for even more light.
- Use plants to make areas that look cluttered look more natural; you can even have a "plant area" in an underused but bright and sunny room or you can use creeper vines to decorate bookshelves and picture frames.
Keep Things Interesting
Home organization is not just something that you do a few times a year. People tend to have this illusion that they only need to commit to some "spring cleaning" and then everything will be great. Ask yourself though, would you be reading advice about home organization if this was working for you? Organizing a home is literally a mindset. Your home will stay organized because you want it to if you have the right attitude.
If you want to spice things up at home and keep them interesting then it is often like anything else in life, move things around! Every few weeks, move the furniture around to different places. Keep a small savings account for improvements on the home and when it gets to a certain amount once a month spend it and buy something new for your home! This type of mentality will do a lot to help you keep your home.
Keeping It Clean and Tidy
Cleanliness and tidiness is also another way you can keep your home organized and you should commit to at least having one day per week when you do the vacuuming, clean the bathrooms and do the laundry. During the week, you can do everyday tasks as needed, such as washing dishes.
If you are looking for some great space-saving and organizational items for your home, then take a look at the SafeRacks website, sr-store.eagleindustrialgroup.com!
Contact SafeRacks today to find out more about garage storage solutions for your home. Call us today at (877) 655-3443 or email us at support@saferacks.com. You can also check out our FAQ page for more information.