Try these organizing ideas that can be done in as little as five minutes to start conquering clutter.
Pull the shower curtain closed to conceal any bathtub clutter.
Don’t worry about what’s behind closed doors.
Credit: Erin Kunkel
If you have 15 minutes:Dive into the vanity cabinetand any other storage space.
Toss items that are outdated or unused.
Corral items by bang out into baskets or bins.
Credit: John Gruen
If you have 15 minutes:Regroup food by item throw in.
Toss anything that is expired.
Wipe away any spills or dirt on shelves.
Credit: Joyelle West
If you have an hour:Pull everything out of the pantry and do a deep reorganization.
Look at your pantry configuration and what you gotta store todetermine what should go where.
Keep the items you use frequently in the most accessible places.
Credit: Edmund Barr
Give the shelves a good scrub before placing items.
Declutter Your Entryway in an Hour
If you have 5 minutes:Straighten up shoes and coats.
Pull down anything that you immediately see as outdated or no longer needed.
Credit: Anthony Masterson
If you have 10 minutes:Dig a little deeper if your message center is overflowing.
Spend a little more time going through the items.
), move elsewhere (paid bills, pictures, etc.
Credit: Helen Norman
), and toss (anything you don’t need).
If you have 15 minutes:Do a quick bookshelf sort.
Recycle magazines that are out-of-date.
Credit: Kim Cornelison
Pull books that you know at a glance need to be donated.
Dust the shelf edges and around empty space, and move display items to dust around and under them.
If you have an hour:Pull everything from the shelves.
Credit: Lincoln Barbour
Dust the full shelves before placing books back in their rightful spots.
Rearrange books and decor for a refreshed look.
Bringing order to the things you use most often will make daily routines easier.
Credit: Brie Williams
If you have an hour:Do aquick sort-and-toss of cabinet contents.
If you have 15 minutes:Grab three bins and sort by the most commonly used items.
The last bin is for everything else.
Credit: Jay Wilde
If you have an hour:Install an organization aid that willstreamline closetstorage.
If you’re gonna wanna organize bedding, make room for baskets on the floor.
If you have 10 minutes:Organize lids and containersby size.
Credit: Kim Cornelison
If you have 15 minutes:Pull out the lone lids or containers.
Pair up lids and containers that match, and discard anything that doesn’t have a match.
Place the items back in an organized fashion.
Credit: Anne D. Schlechter
Challenge your child to pick up as many items as possible in five minutes.
We recommend clear canisters so it’s possible for you to see what’s in each canister.
If you have 15 minutes:Purge and sort your jewelry, eliminating things you no longer wear.
Credit: Greg Scheidemann
If you have an hour:Make your ownpretty DIY storagefor hanging necklaces.
Hang an empty frame on the wall.
Install a colorful variety of cabinetry knobs on the wall within the frame.
Credit: Brie Williams
Declutter Media Items in 15 Minutes
Transfer DVDs to a CD case for more compact storage.
Stash the cases elsewhere if you want to hang on to them.Do the same for video games.
Declutter the Utensil Drawer in 15 Minutes
Focus on frequency of use.
Credit: Jason Donnelly
Everyday tools need barrier-free access while the rest can be tucked away.
Use adjustable trays or dividers for even better organization.
Each compartment should hold only one pop in of tool, one layer deep.
Credit: Edmund Barr
Affix moisture-resistant labels to shelves, racks, and trays, as well as containers.
Old media caddies are the perfect size for movable kits filled with cleaners and scrubbing tools.
Stash one beneath your sink so you’re ready for a quick clean.
Credit: Cameron Sadeghpour
Organize Toiletries in 15 Minutes
Sequence supplies whenorganizing a medicine cabinet.
Position toiletries in a cabinet, drawer, or bin based on the order you use them.
For example, keep facial cleansers, night cream, and cotton swabs on one shelf.
Credit: Werner Straube
Put grooming supplies such as styling products, hairbrushes, and makeup supplies on another.
Sort through the pens, markers, and pencils.
Group similar items, like batteries, rubber bands, paper clips, and coupons, in containers.
Credit: Cameron Sadeghpour
Start at the front of the file cabinet, and note where you leave off.
Corral extras, such as remotes, in a pretty tray.
Return mobile devices or coffee mugs to their rightful place.
Credit: Greg Scheidemann
Dust the surface for a quick refresh.
Organize a Nightstand in 5 Minutes
Remove items that don’t belong.
Place small items in a pretty tray.
Limit bedside reading material to things you are currently reading and return others to a bookshelfor donate them.
Credit: Ann VanderWiel Wilde
