Tag Archive for: organizing and adhd

25 Simple Ways to Keep Your Home Organized Every Day

25 simple ways to keep your home organized every day

I am celebrating 25 years in business! Throughout the year I will be sharing 25 tips on many different topics. 

 

Keeping your home organized doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a few practical and easy strategies, you can create a calm, functional, and welcoming space. Whether tackling a single room or the entire house, these 25 tips will help you bring order to every corner of your home.

1. Start Small

Begin with one drawer, shelf, or corner. Small wins build momentum for larger organizing projects.

2. Declutter Regularly

When you feel overwhelmed, it is time to declutter. Use that feeling to edit and declutter. Take one minute to drop what you no longer need or love into a donation bag. Just that small release empowers you to release more.

3. Use Clear Bins

Clear containers make it easy to see what’s inside, which saves time and frustration. Make it easy to see what you have and know you have it, which is also money-saving.

4. Label Everything

Labels keep your storage system clear for everyone in the household. A label maker is an easy, efficient, and clear product that helps you label. Or you can take your labeling to the next step with lovely labels purchased online at Etsy or Amazon. You can buy a set for a specific space like a pantry or other area of your home.

5. Designate a Home for Everything

When everything is out, there are not enough homes for specific items. Ensure each item has a designated spot to return to after use. The best place to create a home is at the designated point of use. If that spot does not have adequate space, it is time to declutter.

6. Tackle Paper Clutter

Sort mail and paperwork daily. Take the next steps always and create a specific home for the papers once sorted. That might be a file system or simply one box for the year. Use a filing system to manage important documents.

7. Use Vertical Space

There are spots you might not be using for effective storage. Install shelves, hooks, and over-the-door organizers to maximize storage potential. Shop online for products to help with these creative storage spaces.

8. Rotate Seasonal Items

It is common for us to use additional, secondary storage. Store out-of-season clothes and decorations in labeled bins or an additional hanging rack to free up space. Turn the hangers backwards to see what you wore that is stored in this space. Cull out what has not been worn in several years.

9. Organize by Category

“Kondo” your organizing by using categories to organize. For easy access, that is to group similar items, like kitchen utensils or office supplies. Think of creative categories that match the way you think to create zones and an organized space.

10. Invest in Drawer Dividers

A drawer can be a big hole when it comes to organizing. Use dividers or baskets to prevent drawers from becoming catch-alls and keep items neatly separated. Be sure to label the spaces inside the drawer as well.

11. Create a Donation Box

The easiest way to declutter is to have a donation box. Keep a box handy for items you’re ready to part with and donate regularly.

12. Utilize Under-Bed Storage

When you think about access and extra storage, think about under-bed storage. Store less-used items in bins under your bed to save closet space.

13. Make Use of Hooks

Hooks make it easy to see what you have and easy to maintain a space. Hooks are perfect for organizing bags, hats, and coats in entryways or closets. Command hooks or decorative hooks create a nook for you to use as a landing strip in your entry.

14. Corral Cords

One of the ugly side effects of technology is the many cords around us. Use cord organizers or zip ties to manage electronic cables and chargers. Set up a common charging station to minimize cords.

15. Organize the Fridge

The inside of your refrigerator is like any other cabinet. Use bins to group similar foods and clean out expired items weekly on trash day.

16. Create a Cleaning Schedule

A tidy house is easy to organize. Creating a cleaning schedule and assigning family members to help make it easier to clean. Break down cleaning tasks by day to avoid overwhelming catch-up sessions.

17. Optimize Kitchen Storage

Add storage to your existing cabinets and drawers with a little help from organizing products. Use shelf risers, lazy Susans, and stacking containers to maximize cabinet space.

18. Designate Drop Zones

A drop zone for essentials saves time and frustration. It is as simple as setting up trays or baskets for keys, wallets, and mail near the entrance or on a dresser in a bedroom.

19. Sort Toys by Type

Toy rooms are overwhelming to both kiddos and parents. Use labeled bins or baskets for categories like blocks, dolls, or art supplies to make cleanup easier. Apply the same effort to game stations.

20. Purge Expired Products

Purchasing in preparation can lead to lots of expirations. Go through pantry items, toiletries, and medications to eliminate expired goods at the beginning and end of each season.

21. Maintain Closet Order

Love the look of order in your closet but get behind in getting dry cleaning or laundry back in order? Make it easy by hanging clothes by category or color and using matching hangers for a uniform look. Set aside a weekly time to reset your closet back to order.

22. Keep Counters Clear

No need to be a minimalist, however, you can limit counter items to essentials to reduce visual clutter. In the bathroom, set a tray with what you use regularly including a small dish for jewelry. In the kitchen use a tray to lay keys, wallets, and other essentials. When items stray off the tray, it is time for a reset.

23. Store Linens Smartly

Cull out extra linens and use shelf dividers or baskets to keep sheets and towels neatly stacked.

24. Embrace a weekly reset

Life is busy! With little time to put things away, your home gets out of order. Set a weekly time each weekend to prepare for the week ahead with a reset of getting everything back in order.

25. Involve the Family

Teach everyone in your home these organizing habits for shared responsibility and maintenance.

 

Start with one small step to implement organizing in your home. Remember, only you know what is best for an organized home that works for you and your family. Start small, stay consistent, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a tidy and efficient living space!

 

Organizing Your ADHD Family

 

organizing your adhd family

 

Your family may have one or more family members who have been diagnosed with ADHD.  Diagnosis continues to grow each year. There’s clutter, time and stuff lost, and frustration.  Organizing is not the first thing anyone wants to do and those in your family with ADHD find organizing painful, tedious and unending.  Help is here! There are some basic strategies to help you and your family get organized and stay organized.

 

Building your Team

Families that work together and play together do better together on communication and cohesiveness.  Get started with a family meeting.  The family meeting is the time to model organizing skills with a month at a glance calendar.  Each member brings their own calendar too to update with dates and activities.  Write everything down on the calendar so everyone can see what is going on.  Be sure you can hang your calendar in the kitchen, even if you print out your digital calendar later.  Discuss your family mission at your family meeting. What do you stand for as a team? This creates a foundation for all you do as a family. End your meeting within 20 minutes with family fun.  Simple physical activities like bike riding, going to a park or making an ice cream sundae.  For an ADHD family, this meeting is where everyone pulls together.

 

Family Routines

Co-ordinate your ADHD family’s daily schedule by starting with routines. These are activities in sequence that help keep order throughout the day.  It includes getting up, getting ready,  picking up and getting to bed. A checklist is a great way to share these routines.  The checklist reminds everyone of their personal responsibilities and avoids nagging and negativity. Be specific with your routines to help your family understand expectations.  Being specific can mean setting a day for a responsibility or setting a time to have it complete.   Be sure to include specific times to get kids’ backpacks ready and pick up each evening to avoid being overwhelmed. For an ADHD family, including some white space with down time helps people feel more in balance.

 

Home Clutter

Clutter can be overwhelming in an ADHD family.  Start small and work together. Starting small may mean a small area or a small amount of time such as working on a drawer in a desk or setting a timer for 30 minutes.  Breaking decluttering into baby steps adds to your success.   Working with a partner means that someone is lending energy to the decision maker and withholding judgment on decisions.  That can be difficult for a parent or a child, but most important for eliminating items.   Add incentives for what matters most to your family.  Incentives can include money, time on a video game, or time to read.  For an ADHD family, be sure everything has a specific, labeled spot  and set a time daily to return it to that spot.

 

Paper Clutter

All too often the most difficult clutter is paper clutter.  Start by going digital with online bill pay and as many papers as you can.  Add a command center to consolidate papers and triage these daily to eliminate as much as possible.  At your command center, create a station with products for processing the mail and other papers that come to your home.  Use an expandable accordion file to keep papers longer term.

 

 

Tools and Tips

Organizing planners and products can make a difference for your ADHD family. Clear bins labeled with cute, uniform labels are great organizing products.  Uniform containers in shoe box, sweater box, and 66 quart sizes can be used throughout your home to corral stuff.  Consistent colored containers add fun too! Label all areas of your home, including inside drawers for clothes, in your pantry for food, and in your media area with boxes for videos, games and music.

Plan your work and work your plan with your ADHD family.  Making organizing a consistent priority with time spent daily will yield great organizing results.

 

What helps your ADHD family get organized?

 

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