\nBy Michelle Ullman\n
While it\u2019s true that a well-organized home is more functional, peaceful, and attractive, that\u2019s only true when it\u2019s well organized. You might think that everything is fine as long as the place is clean and there aren\u2019t teetering piles of clutter scattered about, but actually, there are a few organizing mistakes that reduce the form and function of your space, rather than improve it.\n
\n
Here are nine common mistakes that turn your good intentions on their head. Luckily, it\u2019s easy to fix them and gain the organized home you\u2019ve always dreamed of.\n
Just because you\u2019ve neatly stacked all of that unfiled paperwork on your desk, the multiple plastic storage containers sans lids in your cupboard, or the magazines you definitely intend to read \u201cone of these days,\u201d that doesn\u2019t actually count as organized. You\u2019ve merely made clutter less overwhelming. Instead, file or toss those papers, read or dispose of the magazines, and get rid of excess storage containers, along with any other items you\u2019ve \u201corganized\u201d by stacking.\n
\n
Sure, you could store all your cleaning supplies on the service porch, in the garage, or under the kitchen sink, but if your home is large or has multiple floors, that\u2019s a lot of trekking back and forth come housework day. Instead, keep cleaning supplies in or near the room where they are actually used: toilet and tub cleaner under the bathroom sink, kitchen-cleaning products under the kitchen sink, and general household cleaners stashed in a tote that\u2019s easy to grab-and-go when you need it.\n
\n
Many homes have closets and cabinets loaded with dusty items being stored \u201cjust in case\u201d they are ever needed. But unless that item is actually used at least once a year\u2014holiday decorations, for example, or seasonal sporting goods\u2014it\u2019s actually just taking up space that could be put to better use storing things you do need and use regularly. Be honest with yourself, and sell or donate those \u201cjust in case\u201d items that you know deep down inside are never going to be needed.\n
\n
Your kitchen counters might look Instagram worthy without the coffee maker, toaster, or knife block out on display, but if you use those things every day, it makes more sense to keep them out than to put them away and pull them back out each and every morning. Instead, store small appliances and kitchen gadgets that are used on occasion, while leaving out only those items that truly are used regularly.\n
\n
Far too many people become so enthusiastic about the idea of organizing that they hurry out and buy an overload of boxes and bins which wind up becoming clutter themselves. If your garage, kitchen cabinets, or coat closets hold a plethora of storage boxes packed into other storage boxes that you\u2019re holding onto in case you need them at some indeterminate date, then it\u2019s time to let those extra organizers go.\n
\n
A well-organized bedroom closet definitely speeds up your mornings, but only if that organization works for your actual lifestyle and needs. Just because you admire a gorgeously organized closet on Pinterest or Instagram doesn\u2019t mean that\u2019s the best solution for your own home. Sure, your dressiest shoes and garments might look spectacular up front and on display when you open the closet door, but if you rarely wear those items, it makes more sense to store them towards the back of the closet, and instead move the shoes and clothing you wear most often up front where they are easily accessed.\n
\n
It\u2019s possible to have a well-organized home that still feels cluttered. No matter how large your space, it has a maximum storage capacity beyond which you enter the \u201ctoo much stuff\u201d zone. The solution is simple, although not necessarily easy; you need to be honest with yourself about each and every item residing in your home. If it isn\u2019t useful, beautiful, or loved, it\u2019s taking up space best used by something that does fit those requirements.\n
\n
Ideally, clean and organized go together, but one does not necessarily indicate the other. It\u2019s entirely possible to have a clean home that\u2019s very cluttered, or an organized home that\u2019s actually grungy. However, once you have your space organized properly, it does become a lot easier to keep it clean, as you no longer need to maneuver around clutter. Still, don\u2019t confuse the two; you need to both organize your belongings and clean your home on a regular basis.\n
\n
Organizing your home is never a \u201cone and done\u201d activity. It requires regular\u2014usually daily\u2014attention to putting things where they belong, getting rid of belongings that no longer serve a purpose in your life, and adapting your methods as necessary to maintain a clean, functional, and attractive space. Luckily, for most people it only takes a few minutes a day to accomplish this. Don\u2019t make the common mistake of procrastinating on your organizing efforts, as all too quickly what was a small task becomes a major project that is hard to face, thus leading to further procrastination.\n
\n
\n
\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Michelle Ullman Real Organization Makes Your Life Easier While it\u2019s true that a well-organized home is more functional, peaceful, and attractive, that\u2019s only true when it\u2019s well organized. You might think that everything is fine as long as the place is clean and there aren\u2019t teetering piles of clutter scattered about, but actually, there\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[39,46,6,31,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-10035","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-home-organization","9":"tag-life-hacks","10":"tag-life-style","11":"tag-tips","12":"tag-tricks"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Black-and-White-Classic-Vintage-Business-Mens-Fashion-Facebook-Cover-5.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10035\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}