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It’s easy to end up with clutter in your home. Managing clothing, electronics, decor and everything that brings you joy can make things a little crowded. Housing prices are at an all-time high, causing many people to downsize into smaller places. However, that doesn’t mean you must get rid of the things you love. These 18 storage and organization essentials will help you reclaim your space.
1. Baskets
Baskets are simple storage and organization solutions for your household, placing them around your home is an easy way to contain clutter.
Woven baskets are attractive decor for any room. If you have excess blankets, toys, pillows or decorations, you can place them in the baskets and swap them out for others throughout the year.
2. Totes
Totes are easy storage for any items and can help you turn your shelves and flooring from cluttered to neat.
They’re durable, allowing you to store them in a basement or storage building. You can easily label them for easy identification throughout the year. Totes are popular for storing holiday decor or off-season clothing.
3. Cubes
Cubes are mini storage solutions that are often cloth and foldable, making them easy to pull out as needed and put away when not in use.
These work well for small trinkets, clothing items or knick-knacks. You can place them on shelves, under beds or in closets, wherever you need more storage.
4. Temporary Shelves
Removable shelves are an excellent way to display and store items without harming your walls. You’ll find various options on the market you can place in your living room, dining room, kitchen or bedrooms that allow you to display items neatly and attractively.
One of the best ways to organize clutter is to get it away from the ground. These shelves let you keep things organized and display your favorites in each room.
5. Pantry Jars
You’ve probably seen countless influencers on social media decanting pantry items into jars and containers. While it may seem just for aesthetics, these containers can actually be a useful organization tool.
Flour, sugar, salt and other kitchen staples can get messy if kept in the original packaging. Solid jars can keep things contained and make scooping out when you need easier and cleaner.
6. Plate Risers
Another kitchen tool you can use to declutter is creating plate risers. When you buy a home or get married, you’ll often get sets of china you don’t want to throw away but are unable to put away neatly.
You can find these risers and organizers in many home stores. They sit on a cabinet shelf or on the counter and let you place your dishes on top and below them, preventing them from damage and disorganization.
7. Can Organizers
Similar to plate organizers, these containers have a design that allows you to store soda or food cans.
They keep them aligned without the risk of them falling or rolling away. These often also have shelves, making use of vertical space and allowing you to make more room for other items.
8. Over-Door Shelves
A great option for kitchen and bathroom cabinets is over-door shelves. These storage and organization items hook on the space between the door and the cabinet’s top allowing you to add more storage space to your cabinet.
You can open the cabinet door and place hair products, food, cleaning supplies and anything else you want to organize and store.
9. Waterfall Hangers
If you need more closet space to store your entire wardrobe, you can make more room by adding waterfall hangers.
These tools have room for multiple pieces of clothing. They collapse, creating a “waterfall” of clothes and accessories to choose from.
10. Packing Cubes
These nifty little storage and organization cubes are useful for more than just travel. They’re great for storing everyday items. Packing cubes gently compress anything soft, so you can stack or hang them throughout your home.
Store undergarments, workout clothes and off-season items in your closet or a larger storage container.
11. Compression Bags
Compression bags are a popular space-saving solution that make excellent storage for bulky cloth items, like comforters and winter coats.
Place your items in the bags and vacuum out the air for a flat, smooth storage option.
12. Bed Chest
A chest at the bottom of your bed is the perfect storage solution for sheets, blankets and pillows.
You can place any items in the chest to neatly tuck them out of sight while still providing easy access to them throughout the year.
13. Dresser Drawers
There’s no rule saying you have to store only clothing in a dresser. You can use spare drawers to fit many different items to keep them out of sight but still in mind.
Place art supplies, first-aid kits or anything you want to temporarily store in empty drawers.
14. Storage Bench
Countless benches on the market allow you to store items in an attractive and organized manner.
You can place decorative items in cubbies or lift the top of the bench to store your items temporarily.
15. Pan Hangers
Pan hangers are a staple in small, urban kitchens. They come down from the ceiling over the sink or stove to hang your pots and pans.
They provide a place for storage and organization of your bulky kitchen items, while still providing easy access to prepare all of your delicious recipes.
16. Cable Ties
A large part of clutter is the mass of cords to your favorite devices. Televisions, phone charges, computer cords and more hang down and tangle. Cable ties let you organize them neatly against the wall.
You can purchase them at many home or retail stores and use them for anything small item you want to secure.
17. Remote Caddy
It might seem old-fashioned, but if your family is always looking for television remotes, you can try a remote caddy.
These are small boxes where you can place your remotes, cell phones and other small electronics when not in use. Then you’ll always know exactly where they are, since there’s a designated place to put them back.
18. Shoe Cabinet
Shoes are a popular clothing item to collect, but even a few pairs in the wrong place can create clutter.
Investing in a shoe cabinet for your bedroom or entryway gives everyone a place for their footwear that keeps them neatly tucked away from the rest of the home.
Organizing Your Home With The Essentials
With home costs rising, it makes sense to move into smaller homes with less space. That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of the things you use and enjoy each year. Using these essentials can help you eliminate clutter in your home for good.
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About The Author
Evelyn is the founder and editor-in-chief of Renovated with over 5 years of experience researching and writing about home living. Her passion project is writing about the real estate market and home staging. Her other passion projects include reading and exploring Lancaster for the best coffee shops.
Evelyn's work has been featured on National Association of Realtors, McKissock, Insights for Professionals, Appraisal Buzz, and Commercial Truck Trader.
For more articles from Evelyn, you can follow her on Twitter at @renovatedmag.
