28 Steps to Home Organisation Bliss

Feature image: Delikatissen

Getting organised at home is tough – everything seems to get in the way. We’ve compiled a simple guide with actionable tips for every room to help you get, and stay, organised.

 

 

Contents

The Process – Simplify, Clean, Organise

Week 1 – The Kitchen

Week 2 – The Dining & Living Room

Week 3 – The Bedrooms

Week 4 – The Bathroom

 

 

Introduction

Home is the place where it feels right to walk around without shoes, and let’s be honest, between the daily demands of work and your well-earned play, your home can end up looking, well, lived in.

This guide aims to teach you how to pull your house into order, bringing balance to your personal space and providing the inspiration necessary to help you rediscover what it is you loved about your home when you moved in.

During the first part of this guide, you will discover a process I use to work through each room in my home. With this process in mind, I’ll walk you through a series of projects broken down by room, and by the end of the book, the clutter will be gone.

 

The Process – Simplify, Clean, Organise

Okay, let’s kick off with a few simple rules that apply to any room you choose to tackle:

1. You have 30 minutes to declutter one section of a room.
2. The section you choose should be the highest priority point of the room.
3. When the timer hits zero, you have to stop immediately and take a picture of the room. If you’re a fitness freak, you’re already very familiar with the progress selfie, right? Well, this is the same concept. Hold yourself accountable!

 

Simplify each room beforehand with ease

This is time to detox your room.

That bread maker, have you ever even used it? Is that jar of hot sauce ever going to get opened? Those bottles of shower gel that always comes in the gift sets your Aunt buys you every year… you know where this is going.

Purify your room, and remember, this should be liberating not stressful. By the time you’ve finished this process you will find space you never knew you had – the kind of space that turns a cluttered room into a Pinterest favourite.

 

Divide your room into key sections

I suggest doing this in order of most cluttered to least – that way you’ll find space that you never knew you had, ready to reorganise later down the line.

Start with one corner of the room that you plan to target first, then zone in on one shelf or cupboard in that corner.

For each area you clear out, make a decision – you either love it, recycle it, bin it, donate it or relocate it.

When you’re struggling to part ways with an item, ask yourself the following:

• Does this hold sentimental value?
• Have I used it in the last year?
• Do I have more than one or an improved version of this item?
• Would somebody else find it useful?
• Can it be recycled?
• Does it belong in this room?

 

Use the four basket technique to declutter (pro tip box)

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find items that need to move on but it just doesn’t feel right to throw them away. A simple technique is to place four containers in another room and assign each one a different purpose. You will need one for rubbish, one for recycling/shredding, one for stuff that you need to relocate, and one for donations. Try to categorise as you go along to save yourself a job later.

 

Cleaning supplies at the ready

This step is pretty self explanatory and it will do wonders for your sanity. Whether you are the ‘dive in and go for it’ kind or an expert procrastinator, this is where you will start to feel like you are making progress.

• Notepad and pen – for jotting down ideas and needs
• All purpose cleaning solution
• Dust cloth
• Paper towels
• Bleach
• Scrubbing brush
• Sponge
• Glass cleaner
• Dustpan and brush
• Furniture polish
• Mop and bucket
• Vacuum
• Timer

 

Organise

Living more simply doesn’t mean being dull. Have fun with the way you organise what’s left. Throughout the rest of this guide we are going to share all the tips necessary to refresh your home.

 

Image: House Beautiful

 

Week 1 – The Kitchen

 

Step #1: Split your kitchen into function hubs

UK homeowners spend almost 12% of their lives in the kitchen. That’s around 2.8 hours a day that we spend cooking, eating, cleaning and if you’re anything like me, repeatedly checking the same cupboard for a ‘goodie’ as if it’s contents are suddenly going to change!

For many, the kitchen is the heart of the home with a number of different functions. Start to think about how your kitchen should function and consider what percentage of space you want to dedicate to each function hub:

• Dry food storage
• Cold food storage
• Food preparation
• Cooking
• Hot drinks
• Cutlery storage
• Crockery storage
• Cooking utensils storage
• Documentation and planning

 

Step #2: Clear the clutter from your kitchen worktop

Start by clearing all items from the tops of your workspaces and placing them in the appropriate basket – in my house, the culprits are old letters, keys and the iron. Ask yourself if they are going to be used in a function hub, rubbished, recycled, relocated or donated.

Once your surfaces are cleared of clutter, give them a clean.

 

Ceramic tiles

Wash down with warm, soapy water or use an all purpose cleaner. If there is any thick grout, use a toothbrush and mix a solution of one part bleach to four parts water. Finish by wiping over with a damp cloth and exposing to the air to dry.

 

Natural surfaces such as wood or granite

Wipe down with warm, soapy water or use an all purpose cleaner. Remove stains by scrubbing extremely gently using a solution of bicarbonate soda and water.

 

Stainless steel

Stainless steel surfaces are prone to fingermarks. Using a dab of either cooking oil or baby oil, rub the whole surface until the smear marks are removed.

 

Step #3: Deep clean your sink

FYI, your kitchen is probably dirtier than a toilet seat – I kid you not. Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona conducted a study on 1000 sponges and dishcloths, here’s what his team discovered:

 

Sponges and dishcloths

About 10 percent out of the 1,000 sponges and dishcloths had salmonella. The most E. coli and other fecal-based bacteria were found on a sponge or cleaning cloth.

Try to replace your dishcloths every week and throw the sponge into the dishwasher. You can also microwave it on high for 30 seconds.

 

Cutting board

Dr. Gerba goes on to say that “In most cases, it’s safer to make a salad on a toilet seat than it is to make one on a cutting board. There are 200 times more fecal bacteria from raw meat on the average cutting board in a home than a toilet seat.”

Use a separate chopping board for your vegetables and meat. It’s your choice whether you use wood or plastic, but wood is known to have antimicrobial resins.

 

Sink

Bacteria feed on the food that people throw down the sink making it a hotspot for E. coli.

As a benchmark, around once a month your want to give your sink a deep clean. Begin by soaking some paper towels in white vinegar and then lining your sink with them. Allow to sit for around 20 minutes before disposing of towels and rinsing your sink thoroughly with warm soapy water.

 

Step #4: Empty one kitchen cupboard or drawer at a time

Start with a single drawer or cupboard and begin simplifying it.

At this point, you’ll likely find dusty items that you haven’t used in over a year, maybe some odd items that were once part of a set or perhaps goods that don’t work well with your kitchen’s current accent colour.

As you place items into your organisation baskets, look at all the space you’ve made available and now think carefully, about how you like to do things in the kitchen.

 

Image: The Every Girl

 

Often restaurant consultants will map out the touch points that are needed to complete a dish. How can you use this strategy with your own workspace? The first step is to begin to consider how each item will work with your function hubs:

• Cooking – utensils, spices, oils, pots and pans.
• Cleaning – dishwasher tablets, washing powder, trash bags.
• Preparation – knives, cutting boards and any gadgets you use regularly.
• Storage – containers, cutlery, plates and glasses.
• Food – store cupboard items

Now that you have your items packaged up, think about how to work from one side of the kitchen to the other when cooking or cleaning and start to identify the most logical place to set each group of items.

 

Further reading:
How to organise your kitchen like a chef

 

Step #4: Organise your dry store cupboard, spices and pantry

Begin by clearing out items that have passed their expiration date. You can use this fantastic food storage cheat sheet by RealSimple to quickly identify what can stay and what needs to go.

Once that’s completed, begin categorising what’s left based on your function hubs. I like to categorise food based on type such as ‘Simple carbs’ and ‘Cans’, but you could also categorise based on meal type such as ‘Breakfast’, ‘Lunch’ and ‘Snacks’ – your choice.

 

Hub #1: Baking supplies

Keep all of your baking ingredients here such as:

• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar and granulated sugar
• Pure vanilla extract

 

Image: Brit & Co

 

Hub #2: Simple carbs

This category can include all of the basic carbs that you would include with any meal such as:

• Cereal
• Oats and grains
• Rice
• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Beans

 

Hub #3: Cans and tinned food

This category will include all other canned food such as vegetables, fish and soup.

 

Hub #4: Spices

Now I don’t claim to be a spice expert, but what I find works well for me is to organise first by ethnic cuisine (Italian, Indian, Thai, BBQ) and then secondly based on how frequently I use each item.

Further reading:

If you like to treat your spices as an art, check out this awesome article by the guys over at Serious Eats on how they organise their spice cupboard.

 

Hub #5: Condiments and sauce sachets

Here you want to organise your sauce sachets, spice mixes and curry pastes.

 

Step #5: Organise your refrigerator like an expert

Every space in your fridge is valuable real estate. High or low? Shelf or drawer? Follow this expert fridge packing plan to keep things tidy and fresh.

 

Image: Details Style Syndicate

 

Simplify

Start by checking if anything has passed it’s use by date back there? Clear it out and note down anything that you might need to replace.

 

Clean

1. Remove all drawers and shelves. Scrub them clean with a mild soap, dry them off and place them back.
2. Place washable fridge coasters on the shelves and drawers. Not only are these stylish – especially if you can find an option that compliments the room colour – they are cheap and will help you to avoid spills. Replaces them every 3 months.
3. Use fridge bins to organise items such as condiments and drinks.

 

Organise

1. Keep a lazy susan in the fridge to make all of your condiments more accessible. Ever tried getting the horseradish from the back of your fridge during Sunday roast? It’s definitely stress that you don’t need!
2. Eggs are best kept in their original containers and in middle of the fridge where the temperature is most consistent. Don’t keep eggs in the door (warmest area).
3. Milk is another item that often ends up in the door, but ideally should be kept near the bottom and at back of the fridge. It’s super cold back there.
4. Yoghurts and cottage cheese should also be stored down with the milk – ideally on a lazy susan for accessibility.
5. Raw meat should be kept in the lowest drawer so that if anything drips, it won’t contaminate the whole fridge.
6. Vegetable tend to stay fresh for longer with a little bit of humidity. A drawer higher up in the fridge is perfect for this. You can keep your veg stored in the original packaging or a clean plastic bag (note: not the Tesco bag you’ve been re-using for weeks that’s home to millions of bacteria!)
7. Sandwich meats belong in the slim draw, or at the bottom of the fridge with the milk and yoghurt.
8. Butter and cheese can be stored in the dairy compartment of the door (warmest part of the fridge).
9. Pasteurised orange juice can be kept in the door also, but freshly squeezed should be kept down with the milk.

 

Step #6: Maximise the available space in your kitchen

When used in the right way, alternative storage solutions can make your cupboards and drawers a heck of a lot more functional.

 

Lazy Susan Turntable

Lazy Susan’s are a great way to make items more accessible and they are versatile too. Make use of a small Lazy Susan in your fridge to take care of your condiments or use a large wire-rack Lazy Susan in a corner cabinets to reach all of your pots and pans with ease.

 

Image: Houzz

 

Decorative baskets

Decorative baskets are a fantastic way to make use of vertical space such as on top of cabinets. Use baskets to pull in groups of categorised items and store them out of the way – a typical example might be seasonal items such as Christmas crackers and themed napkins.

 

Image: Cabinet Baskets

 

Shelving

Shelving is another great way to make use of vertical space for items such as cookbooks or decorative pieces that you don’t want taking up valuable worktop space – but I think that perhaps their best use, is in tall cupboards that have large ‘air space’ and require a ridiculous amount of stacking to make it anywhere near an efficient use of storage. The shelf inserts below cost £3 from Ikea:

 

Image: Ikea

 

Hooks and pull-out cabinets

There’s nothing worse than having to balance three pots stacked on top of each other to get to the one at the bottom – it’s been responsible for more than one profanity-loaded outburst in my time!

People commonly use ceiling hook for pots and pan, but I must admit I’m not a huge fan of this – it’s messy and often impractical if you don’t have a large kitchen. Instead, a great solution to this is to hang your pots and pans on a pull-out cabinet with hooks – they make great use of cabinet depth.

 

Image: Amazon

 

Racks and steps

Racks and steps are another great way to organise items in your cupboards. You can also use a rack such as the one below on the inside of a cupboard door for easy access to your spices.

 

Image: Bed Bath & Beyond

 

Tension rods

Tension rods are another fantastic way to make use of vertical space when you have a number of items with irregular heights.
We all know that under the sink can become a bit of a mess, and for the most part you will be limited on space here. A great idea is to fit a tension rod under the sink for hanging any kind of spray bottles.

 

Image: Apartment Therapy

 

Week 2 – The Dining & Living Room

 

Step #7: Split your dining and living room into function hubs

The dining and living room are prone to mess, madness and above all, entertainment. Before you start, again it’s important to identify areas of the room that serve a function.

 

In the dining room you may have:

• Dining table and eating
• Alcoholic drinks
• Dining and table accessories
• Homework

 

In the living room you may have:

• Television, gaming and entertainment
• Reading
• Board games and craft
• Relax
• Guest accommodation

 

Step #8: Declutter, rearrange furniture and clear surfaces

Start by removing items that need to make their way to the recycling bin – this includes magazines, junk mail and doodles you’ve made when procrastinating (or is that just me?).
Move on to your relocation basket. This will include items such as keys, coats and bags, as well as items that are covering worktops and coffee tables that don’t necessarily belong in these rooms.
Finally, you will want to take items such as excess cables, cases from games or movies and finally coasters and placemats. These are going to be organised over the next few steps.

 

Step #9: Speed clean your dining and living room

Before you begin cleaning the floor, start by vacuuming away cobwebs from the ceiling and around light fixtures.

Vacuum down the creases of your sofa, removing any crumbs that have been on the run since you finished that slice of chocolate cake the other day.

Use a dust cloth and an all purpose cleaning solution to wipe down surfaces such as tables, TVs and window sills.
Vacuum any rugs or carpets. If your flooring is hard, start by sweeping down before mopping with a cleaning solution.

Puff cushions on chairs and sofas.

 

Step #10: Clean your sofa the right way

We’ve written a complete downloadable guide to purchasing and maintaining your sofa here. As a quick run down, there are numerous types of sofas and you need to be considerate of every type of fabric to maximise its longevity.

 

Image: The Bodil by Nyde

 

Prerequisites

Always start by identifying the type of fabric used. This information can usually be found on the tag attached to the sofa, with various options including:

• “W” means to use a water-based detergent with a steam vacuum.
• “WS” means you can use either a water-based detergent with a steam vacuum or a dry-cleaning detergent.
“S” means to use only a dry-cleaning detergent.
• “O” means the material is organic, and should be washed using cold water.
• “X” means to either vacuum and bristle-brush alone, or to use a professional service for shampooing.

 

Now remember, this guide is all about zen through minimalism and sofas are no different. Use a minimal amount of cleaning products or water and try not to saturate the material. Less is always more when it comes to sofas.

Baby wipes can provide a super quick solution to small spills or dried muck.

Before using any kind of cleaning products, always test the solution on a section of the sofa that isn’t exposed to make sure the material takes well.

Finally, whenever possible, leave the sofa to dry naturally. If you absolutely must speed things up, a hair dryer on a warm – not hot – temperature will do the trick.

 

How to clean a fabric sofa with a water-based detergent and a steam cleaner

• Start by mixing roughly 100ml of detergent with 100ml of water.
• Spot test the solution in an area that isn’t exposed. After ten minutes press a paper towel against the fabric to ensure the dye doesn’t strip away.
• Apply the shampoo to the sofa with your steam vacuum.
• Finally, remove the excess detergent and let the sofa air dry – open a few windows if there are any strong fumes.

 

How to dry clean a fabric sofa

• Open the windows early on as these solutions can often have an overbearing smell.
• Apply solution to a clean white rag and spot test for ten minutes as before.
• After removing thick stains or dirt, be sure to either heavily rinse the rag or replace so as to not transfer the stain to any other sections of the sofa.
• Leave exposed to the air for the next few hours until dry.

 

How to dry clean a leather sofa

• Try to wipe down your leather sofa with a moist rag as a matter of habit, roughly every four weeks.
• Over the course, to preserve the life of your leather you should use a dedicated leather cleaning product.
• Gently apply to your sofa and remember, less is always more here.
• Once finished, leave to dry and condition with a leather maintenance solution such as a wax.

 

Step #11: Hide exposed leads and plugs

There’s nothing worse than exposed cables and in the living room you’re likely to have a host of electronics that require all sort of different coloured cords. I have a thing for uniformity, so this is a big issue for me!

A really simple way to restore some order is to purchase some cable sleeves. They usually come in resealable fabric that can be cut to your desired length. You can even cut small holes in the sides to allow, for example, your Blu-ray’s cable to exit the sleeve lower down.

 

Image: Amazon

 

Step #12: Arrange your furniture the right way

• Identify the focal point of the room, whether that’s your fireplace or your TV. You will build your room around this area.
• Place the largest piece of furniture facing your focal point. If your focal point is your TV, aim to have the sofa three lengths away for optimal viewing. Keep the sofa slightly away from any walls to maximise the feeling of space.
• Symmetry is beautiful. If you place a large item on one side of the room, make use of a similar sized piece or some art to give the illusion of symmetry.
• Think about how people move through room and avoid squeezing pathways. A good rule of thumb is to allow 30 to 48 inches of space around every main passage in your room.
• Rugs look best when they extend underneath your furniture – go big or go home!

 

Step #13: Spring clean your booze cabinet

If there’s one thing that belongs in any good guest entertainment area, it’s alcohol. We’ve all seen the gorgeous bar arrangements on Pinterest, but not everyone has that on their homes feature list. Still, a well stocked liquor cabinet can look stylish and set you up perfectly for the summer.

 

Start by removing expired bottles

Alcohol tends to have a very long shelf life, but best to be safe than sorry, right?

 

Base spirits (unopened)

Such as: Tequila, Whiskey, Vodka and Gin

Will keep: indefinitely

Donate after: one year of sitting unopened for someone else to enjoy.

 

Base spirits (opened)

Such as: Tequila, Whiskey, Vodka and Gin

Will keep: between eight and twelve months

Throw after: the bottle has been left sitting with less than one quarter left for a while – smaller quantities spoil more quickly.

 

Liqueurs (non-creamy)

Such as: sugary liqueurs or cordials such as Amaretto and Jagermeister

Will keep: up to twelve months

Throw after: you detect any change in colour, crystallisation or odour

 

Liqueurs (creamy)

Such as: Baileys or Amarula

Will keep: up to six months in the fridge

Throw after: the expiration date

 

Fortified wine

Such as: Vermouths

Will keep: up to eight months after opening

Throw after: it begins to smell musty or loses it’s flavour

 

Bitters

Such as: Angostura or The Fee Brothers

Will keep: for years, they carry a very high percentage of ethanol

Throw after: it begins to smell musty or loses it’s flavour

 

Stock the core essentials

Firstly, give all of your bottles a good clean and dust the cabinet they were in. Here are core essentials you will need to whip up a wide selection of your guests favourite drinks.

 

Bases

• Gin
• White rum
• Vodka
• Bourbon
• Tequila
• Brandy

 

Mixers

Consider adding your own personal favourites, especially if there’s a drink/spirit you keep returning back to.

• Dry vermouth
• Sweet vermouth
• Triple sec
• Bitters

 

Barware

Consider purchasing six to eight of each:

• Short glasses
• Tall glasses
• Coupes (perfect for both cocktails and sparkling wines!)
• Wine glasses (pick one favourite and use for both reds and whites)

 

Tools

• Cocktail shaker
• Strainer (separate from cocktail shaker top)
• Jigger
• Corkscrew
• Bar Spoon

 

Image: Crate & Barrel

 

Step #13: Create a dining table accessories hub

Consider using a bedroom dresser or a corner cabinet to store of the table essentials that were left in the simplifying stage. These items tend to be deep and offer a number of draws so that you can store items you bring out when guests are around.

Another fantastic option is to use a mobile cabinet (on wheels) so that you can pull it next to the dining table like below:

Image: Better Homes and Gardens

 

Finally, take stock of all the items you need:

• Table linens (Consider purchasing four, one for each season)
• Serving cutlery
• Placemats
• Napkins
• A dinner set
• Candles
• Large serving platter or bowl

 

Further reading

Read more about dining room organisation on A Bowl Full of Lemons.

 

Image: A Bow Full of Lemons

 

Week 3 – The Bedrooms

 

Step #14: Split your bedrooms into function hubs

We discussed in our post on colour psychology why the bedroom is so important. We spend just under 87% of our lives indoors in some capacity and the bedroom is the one place where you should feel complete tranquility.

Start by considering how you want to use the bedroom and prioritise from there:

• Sleeping
• Clothing
• Reading
• Makeup and hairstyling
• Entertainment and gaming

 

Step #15: Start by cleaning out the closet

When you think of having a clear out in your bedroom, my bet is that you think of your clothing cabinet. That’s where you are going to start today.

Clothing styles change, as do our bodies, and perhaps those flared jeans don’t quite belong anymore.

 

Image: Sliding Wardrobe World

 

Get out your favourite Spotify playlist

This is going to take some time, so make sure you are fully prepared:

• You are going to need good music, set your favourite playlist on shuffle.
• Pull all of your clothes out of your cupboards and drawers and place them on your bed – you are going to gradually move each item into one of your baskets.
• A big glass of your favourite drink.

 

Clean your cupboards and drawers

Start by taking a dust cloth and clearing out the your storage, before taking a damp cloth and wiping down the insides.

For the mean time, open your bedroom windows and leave the inside of your cupboards and drawers exposed to the elements. Nothing beats fresh air.

 

7 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself When Cleaning Out Your Closet

• Does this still fit me?
• Have I worn this in the last 12 months?
• Is it likely that I will ever wear this again?
• Is this still in style and/or does it represent my current taste?
• Is it damaged and/or do I plan on getting it repaired?
• If I was in the shop right now would I still buy this?
• Do I feel confident when I wear this?

As you ask yourself those questions, you will quickly be able to place your goods in the correct basket. If it’s damaged beyond repair, place it in the recycling basket. Too small or no longer match your style? Say hello to the donation pile, someone else is bound to love it. If it’s slots in the love or like category, place it in the keep pile.

 

Step #16: 5 brilliant ways to organise your bedroom

Organise your clothing by season, colour and type

A great way to maximise your space throughout the year is to organise clothes by season. Thick, heavy, winter-wear can be stored out of site during the summer and vice-versa. You want to organise in such a way that you rarely need access to the opposing seasons set of clothes, leaving a huge space in your wardrobe that would otherwise be filled.

After that you can go a step further. Within each season’s clothing selection, you can begin to organise by the type of item. Trousers at the top, jackets and shirt below, casual-wear in the top drawer and gym-wear below that. If you’re anything like me this will require regular maintenance or things will quickly get out of hand and all semblance of order will be lost.

 

Image: Pinterest

 

Make efficient use of S-hooks

S-hooks are fantastic choice for items such as jeans, as well as accessories such as handbags and belts.

 

Image: Etsy

 

Hang your jumpers so that they don’t get stretched

We’ve all that frustrating feeling when you take your jump off of it’s hanger only to find that the shoulders have been deformed. This fantastic folding technique will make sure that your jumpers always stay in shape.

 

Image: The Krazy Coupon Lady

 

Make use of unique storage shelves

Experiment with different types of wall mounts. For example, an old wine rack can be repurposed as a clutch holder.

 

Image: The Krazy Coupon Lady

 

Use baskets to store items for your hubs

Baskets are versatile and stylish, perfect for when you have grouped items that you want to keep out of sight.

 

Image: 4BetterHome

 

Combine under-bed storage with stylish boxes

For me, the Ottoman bed is king of maximising space in smaller bedrooms. Simply lift the mattress up via a lever and expose a huge amount of floor space that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to make use of.

Combine this look with some stylish storage boxes below for the perfect setup:

 

Image: Lush Home

 

Step #17: Go vertical and use light to make the most of your space

Maximising the feeling of space in the bedroom is crucial. Make use of hooks and racks, bins and shelves to neatly store items whilst keeping them accessible. Once all of your items are organised, experiment with light to maximise the feeling of space. Position lamps in the shape of a triangle throughout the room, it’s a means of bringing balance.

 

Image: Home Design Lover

 

Step #18: Organise your shoe selection with photography

For this step, you are going to bring organisation to your shoe selection.

 

Start by donating what you don’t need

This is going to be hard, I know! Limiting yourself to only the shoes that you actually wear will free up a lot of space.

 

Take a snap of each remaining pair with your phone

Take a quick picture of each pair of shoes separately and either add them to Instagram or store them in your gallery.

Once you’ve done this, you are going to print off each image as a polaroid using a website such as Polargram.

 

Purchase stylish shoes boxes that can be stacked

There are some great choices out there for stylish shoe boxes, such as these by Sagitine:

 

Image: Sagitine

 

Tape the photo to each shoe box

Tape the photo you have purchased to its corresponding shoe box. You can even purchase a section shelving unit so that they are perfectly organised and the materials will last considerably longer.

 

Image: Who What Wear

 

Week 4 – The Bathroom

 

Step #19: Split your bathroom into function hubs

I don’t know about you, but I have my most creative thoughts in the shower. It’s perfect for distraction-less thinking, so your room should represent that.

You want to identify clear functions of the room, but of course, most bathrooms are one of the smaller rooms in the house and so being considerate of space is a huge priority.

As ever, think about your bathroom’s functions. They might include:

• Cleansing
• Pampering
• Styling

 

Step #20: Simplify your bathroom

That’s right, chances are that loofah thing is supporting its own ecosystem. Get it out of there. Anything that you don’t use at least on a weekly basis should be removed. This includes mud, clay, masks and anything that’s left you feeling betrayed in its promise to reverse ageing / magically turn you into Jessica Alba (I wish!).

Clear the sides of any products you haven’t used in a while – yep, that includes the unreasonable amount of branded deodorant you’ve got from gift sets at Christmas.

 

Step #21: Rid the shower of anything supporting life

Pour white vinegar into a grocery bag. You want to use enough to fully submerge the shower head, then tie and leave to soak overnight.

Remove it in the morning and run the shower to rinse.

 

Image: Lifehacker

 

Give your shower curtains a spin in the washing machine. You can throw a few old towels in there as well which will act as scrubbers and help remove scum.

For the shower door, mix half a cup of baking powder with a few drops of white vinegar. Plaster it all across the door and leave to sit for an hour. Finally, rub with a microfibre cloth and rinse with hot water.

 

Step #22: Clear the sink, it’s the focal point of the room

The sink is likely to be the most used area in the bathroom and for that reason, it has a tendency to get messy. Moisturisers left on the side, near empty hairspray bottles – that sort of thing.

Try and get into a habit of keeping everything but the absolute essentials out of sight in your bathroom. Items such as your hand soap and toothbrush can stay, but everything else should be stored away.

 

Image: Domino

 

Step #23: Use glass canisters to store bathroom essentials such as cotton balls

That’s right, glass canisters can be a great way to keep items such as cotton balls and ear buds in. Varied sizes will keep things looking stylish, but make sure you can still fit your hand in the jar!

 

Image: The 36th Avenue

 

Step #24: Use storage bins for stocking toilet roll

Storage bins are to the rescue again. These can come in the form of wooden baskets or plastic bins. The example below makes use of some nice tags that can be found at any crafts store to look fantastically authentic.

Consider using bins to store all of your toilet roll, as well as items such as hand towels.

 

Image: Shelterness

 

Step #25: Use plates to compartmentalise toiletries

China plates can be a great solution to pulling in categories of items and bringing balance to your bathroom.

 

Image: Ask Anna Moseley

 

Step #26: Use a hanging shelf or rod in the shower

If your shower doesn’t have built-in shelves, a hanging organiser can make sure your toiletries are not awkwardly positioned across the floor.

 

Image: Better Homes & Gardens

 

Step #27: Don’t use your bathroom closet as a personal care hub

A well stocked personal care closet can be a life-saver but due to the high levels of humidity in your bathroom, consider moving it to another, cooler room in the house. As a quick start, here are some basic items you should purchase once:

• First aid pack including plasters, sterile dressing, safety pins, digital thermometer, antiseptic cream, painkillers, cough medicine and antihistamine tablets.
• Ice packs and heating pads for when a hot bath just isn’t enough.
• Manicure and pedicure kits.
• Dental products such as mouthwash and floss.
• Shaving kit
• Female products
• Hair care
• Travel accessories
• Bath items

 

Step #28: Make use of your walls and doors

My bathroom is cosy and space is limited, but the amount of time I spend in there is ridiculous. If you’re anything like me then vertical space is an absolute saviour.

Fixing a shelf or basket to your wall is perfect for storing electronic devices such as your hair dryer and shaver.

 

Image: My Home Ideas

 

 

Now it’s your turn

Now I’ve listed my top tips for complete home organisation, it’s time for you to suggest yours.

Go to the comment section of our four-part post and let me know what your top home organisation tip is. Sharing is caring 🙂