13 Organizing Solutions To Get Organized Today
EPISODE 36
by Dianne Jimenez
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13 ORGANIZING SOLUTIONS TO GET ORGANIZED TODAY
If you’ve been wondering how to get organized or where to start, have a listen to this episode where I give you my top organizing solutions that I use personally as well as with my clients, to help you get organized right away.
In this episode I’ll give you tips and ideas, as well as a look behind the scenes of how I apply them at my house. I also provide you with references so you can visualize what I’m talking about!
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲…. 𝗬𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
I hope this inspires you and thank you for tuning in!
Here’s a glance at this episode:
- [2:25] – Organizing solutions for hanging stuff up. These are the 3 that I love so much
- [9:38] – Organizing solutions for easy access. These are the ones I use and recommend
- [16:00] – Organizing solutions to tackle the clutter
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Hey, welcome back. Thank you so much for being here and joining me for another episode of the Parenting Guide Organizing Habits Made Easy podcast. And today’s episode is a good one because I will be listing 13 organizing tools that you should use if you want to get organized like yesterday as in asap.
So this list of 13 items is something that I use myself or have used with my clients, and they work wonders. They totally make a difference in your everyday life. So much so that you don’t even realize that you are just getting things done quicker. You are able to retrieve things a lot faster and put things away, not just by you, but everyone. It’s so much simpler. So grab a pen and paper or just take a good listen because I’ll be linking them or referencing them in today’s show notes. Sit back, relax, and let’s get to this.
Organizing solutions for hanging stuff up
Now in no particular order, I’m going to be talking about these next three items because they pretty much come from the same company. If you haven’t heard it before or haven’t heard me talking about it before, it’s a 3M innovation. This is not a commercial for them. I am not an affiliate. I just love their products because they’re so good. I use them everywhere for hats, school bags, clothes, even my squeegee in the shower. Any guesses what I’m talking about? I’m talking about the organizing solution that you use to hang things that you peel off the back and then stick them to the wall (by Command™)
They last for years as long as you respect the weight limit of these things. In addition, they come in a variety of packs of sizes and weight capacity as well as the different types of surfaces that you can use them on. So like I said, I have one in my shower where you can hang the squeegee. Therefore, if they can stick onto a wet surface, I’m sold. I don’t know about you, but if I have a little more options, then I’m totally in.
– Regular hooks –
Now the three different types of hooks that I have are the regular hooks. You know, the one for the school bags or the ones that I use to hang up my kids’ clothes. Well, I put them in my kids’ rooms and it’s up to them to keep their clothes off the floor.
So if you have an issue with clothes being on the floor, like it happens at my house, well, this might be your saving grace here.
What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
You put the hooks near the closet door or near the door when they walk in; so that they can just hang their sweaters or their extra clothes that are semi clean, not yet fully dirty. They can hang them as opposed to leaving them on the floor or just tossing them on a chair or their dresser.
No doubt it definitely reduces the clutter that you see all around once you install these hooks. And don’t forget to also show the kids where these things are and how they work. It’s so simple, it’s almost stupid. But it’s important we introduce these organizing solutions and these new systems to them because they’re not at the same pace as us. They are not paying attention to any of these things. We are. So if you want something done properly, it takes a good introduction to it and a few follow ups. Hang in there, mama, you got this!
– Velcro hooks –
Now the next type of hooks that I like are the Velcro ones. They have these ones that you hold the paintings; they show it on the picture or on the cover of the packaging. But what I love using them for is to hold up my plastic folders that hang on the inside door of my pantry. So if you’ve ever seen my kitchen on a video or something, I don’t have a lot of wall space (I don’t have a lot of wall space to begin with in my entire house but that’s another story for another day). Anyhow, I saw this great idea of just using that space inside a cabinet or a pantry door, to hang up some important documents. Or even let it be part of your command center.
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What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
For instance, inside my pantry I have two folders that are hooked up by the Velcro sticky hooks. So the ‘male’ Velcro (side) will be on the door and the ‘female’ (side) will be stuck onto the item that I want hung. In this case it’s my plastic folder. And inside these plastic folders, I place the kids’ school documents in there: passwords, permission slips and even their labels. Now, ideally I’d have a folder for each kid, but like I said, I don’t have a lot of wall space and a very limited cabinet space. Plus I don’t want every single cabinet to have a folder system. So I just keep it simple and keep one folder for the kids while the other one is for everything else, like coupons from McDonald’s, free ice cream coupons, etc. the important stuff!
All this to say is the plastic folders hooked onto the Velcro, inside the cabinet is a total game changer and a space saver. So whenever I need to retrieve these documents, they’re easy to find and they’re accessible to everyone.
– Hooks for rags –
All right, this last example of hooks is probably my favorite one, and it’s the latest one to my hook collection. No, I don’t have a collection, but it’s my latest addition to the hook family, and that is the one that holds the dish rag. You know, the one that you wipe all the surfaces with. Anyhow, I remember seeing this hook system a long time ago. I think it was back in the nineties or something. And when I started my organizing business, I couldn’t find these things anywhere.. They were nowhere to be found! So one day I just decided to look up ‘hooks for rags’. And funny enough, there it was, how long have these been there? I have no idea! But I’m so happy to have found them online because I hadn’t seen them at the stores.
What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
As a result, my rags don’t fall off. Because I used to hang them over the oven or the dishwasher rail, that whenever someone would pass by the oven or the dishwasher, they’d fall to the floor because they’re so light. Ugh, so annoying, right? But with this new hook system, where you just stick a corner of the rag into the hole, it’s awesome! In addition, I put these hooks in the inside cabinet under my sink. Now I posted a video on Instagram and on TikTok, and I’m not sure if I put them on Facebook, but in any case, I’ll link it on the show notes so you know exactly what I mean.
Place these hooks wherever you need rags
What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
As a result, this hook for rags is a total game changer. I also have it in the inside cabinet in my bathroom and one right next to the shower. To keep it discreet, it’s hidden right next to the toilet. So when you walk in, it’s not the first thing you see on the wall, it’s actually right next to the tank of the toilet right between the shower. It’s a little inconspicuous place that I love, because the rag is hanging there whenever ready to be used to wipe down the wet surfaces from the chrome to any wet surface where you don’t want the moisture to seep in.
Now it’s perfectly placed for that quick clean and tidy. Afterwards, you hang it back up, dry overnight, and ready to be used the next time you take a shower. So the two hooks I mentioned earlier, the Velcro and the regular hooks, you can find them anywhere on Amazon online or at any store, even the Dollar store has them. But the last one I mentioned, the one for the rags? I said earlier that it was a 3M innovation product. I made a mistake, it’s not. Just do a Google search or even search it on Amazon for ‘hooks for rags’ or ‘hooks to hang rags on’. Something like that…
Okay, moving on!
Organizing solutions for easy access
Now, the next three organizing solutions to get organized asap, like yesterday, are the ones that will help ease the access; meaning it’s easy to grab something because you got this tool, and it also is a solution that maximizes the space, especially tight small spaces.
– Metal shelves –
Number four are the metal shelves. Now, I’m not talking about these massive shelves that are from floor to ceiling high and four feet wide, although those do work, but I’m talking about the small shelves, like the ones that you can stack plates on and you can slide the bowls underneath or anywhere basically that you can take advantage of the vertical space.
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Now these shelves are quite small, you can carry them in one hand and they vary in shape and sizes. They come in square, rectangular, as well as the ones that can be perfectly placed in the corner of a cabinet. They’re great for stacking bowls and plates and underneath something else. In addition, some of the rectangular shelves are adjustable and they’re great especially if you use them under the sink and the piping is in the way. Essentially, you can adjust the length so that the shelf is on one side and then on the other side of the pipe, the shelf continues.
To illustrate more clearly, you have the shelf, the pipe, and then the shelf. Therefore, you have freedom to place your products on either side of the shelves and underneath without the pipe getting in the way. These shelves are available anywhere from online to even your local Dollar Store, Walmart and Target. They all carry some sort of shelving unit that works for you.
Things to look out for when getting shelves
Now be careful and make sure that the space underneath is maximized. Meaning the legs aren’t tapered. Now if you get those, it’s not a big deal, but if you want to really maximize your space, make sure the legs go straight down like on a 90 degree angle. The reason for this is that I find that the ones at the dollar store sometimes taper in and I lose a little bit of space underneath, so I can’t slide things as smoothly (underneath) as I’d like.
Another important thing to do is not forget to measure your space to make sure the shelf fits. In other words, you have enough space at the top to put products on the shelf and that you can close the cabinet door. So measure twice and then get the one that works for you.
– Tiered shelves –
Speaking of vertical space and having easy access is number five, the tiered shelf. Typically you’d use this in the pantry or in the kitchen cabinet. This type of shelf gives you access to those cans or bottles that are way in the back in your cabinet. Have you ever had that happen to you, where you’re trying to reach something in the back and everything in the front just topples over or falls to the front? Annoying! So a good solution for that is to get a tiered shelf.
Fortunately, they can be found pretty much anywhere like at Home Sense and even the Dollar Store. I know I keep mentioning the Dollar Store, but hey, they are picking up the slack on all the organizing products and they’re pretty competitive. Price aside, they have a good variety of different things at the Dollar Store. I get surprised and delighted every time I go there because organizing solutions shouldn’t have to be so expensive.
That being said, some things are really good and well worth it. Well, the price is a no-brainer, whereas some things are not so great, but you get what you pay for. So just be weary about the Dollar Store. You can get some really good finds in there for an awesome price, and some things are just not worth it at all.
– Lazy Susan –
Now my last storage solution in this category of maximizing the space and having easy access is the well known Lazy Susan. And this is number six of 13 Organizing Solutions, just in case you wanted to keep track, I got you! Now these things come in a variety of diameters. So pick one that works for your cabinet. These are great for reaching bottles and cans that are in this weird shaped cabinet, like the corner cabinet where the door isn’t at an angle. Therefore you basically lose a little bit of shelf space. So Lazy Susan’s work great!
What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
At our house, we have one in the bottom shelf of our corner cabinet because it’s so hard to access the back. And on that Lazy Susan is the jar where we keep our tea bags and a Tupperware with our protein powder along with some sachets or little packets of chocolate milk for the kids.
I don’t know. But there’s something so satisfying in spinning that Lazy Susan: it allows you to grab whatever it is that you need from the back and nothing spilling over on the side or out of the cabinet. You feel like you’re on top of the world right there!
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Organizing solutions to tackle the clutter
Alright, let’s keep going. So far we have six must-have organizing solutions if you want to get organized right away like yesterday and have seven more to go!
This is an important category because it’s about containing especially if you are trying to organize or declutter. And the reason why there’s clutter everywhere is because our things are not contained. There’s no structure. So what better way to create that contained feeling and look or that structure than by using containers!
Now, there’s a variety of containers out there from plastic to fabric, to wooden ones to beautiful, expensive baskets to whatever container you can find or have repurposed for that goal. It’s all good. Another thing about containers is, you don’t have to get the square ones or the rectangular ones (although they prove to use the space a lot better because they’re right angles and our drawers and cabinets are usually at right angles.!) But nothing says you can’t use something cylindrical. So if that works for you, and it is a little bit more appealing than seeing squares all the time; sometimes changing up the shape of your containers will make the space look that much more put together, interesting and beautiful to look at.
– Bins –
So let’s start with bins: The plastic ones, come in different colors and even clear.
Now, these are great if you’re just starting to organize or want to get organized because they are multipurpose from holding food together to crayons and art supplies to clothing.
What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
I remember years ago, way before I was an organizer, when our kids were still small or they were babies, the first things we got were plastic bins to store their clothes. These would store the ones they were going to grow into as well the clothes they outgrew and ready for the next kid.
I also use plastic containers like shoe boxes to store all my lovely shoes and sexy heels. But now I found this great piece of furniture that doubles as an ottoman and a shoe organizer. I took a picture of this piece of furniture and I’ll make sure to link it in today’s show notes. A final example of using plastic bins, containers, and baskets is the ability to grab or reach things that are way up above our eye level. In other words, it’s anything that’s not used often, cluttered at the top shelf. Instead of getting those little things down one by one, put everything in a basket. So it’s a one-time reach and then a one-time put-back. I’ll link in today’s show notes, a quick video I made a few years ago showing just this so you understand what I mean.
Okay, let’s keep going with number eight of 13 organizing solutions to help you get organized right away.
– Magazine holders –
Now this is great if you have actual magazines that can’t hold up, like Lego manuals for example. They don’t hold up very well. So putting them in a magazine folder really works and keeps everything nice and tight. I also use these magazine holders to hold my kids’ drawings and doodles that they accumulate. You know, all those papers? It’s a mess. Therefore it’s better to just keep the clutter contained in a magazine holder. As well, you can get real cheap ones at IKEA. I think they sell them for three or five of them for just a few bucks.
Also, they come in different materials like metal, cardboard, and even plastic and in different colors. This is at different stores, not IKEA. Just want to be clear about that. So all in all, these things are great in containing loose floppy clutter.
Containing wires
Speaking of loose and floppy, recently I just organized my desk because I got a new monitor. It’s a lot larger than working on a laptop. Trust me. It helps, especially when you’re working with multiple windows open. Anyhow, I had to deal with all the wiring in the back where the plug is. So these next two organizing solutions that work and are wonderful is how to deal with all those wires. In my case, it was the wires that were near the plug, like I said, because I have the monitor, the camera, my microphone, the laptop that’s hooked in, and also the printer. Now there’s a lot of things going on back there.
However, I’m also talking about the wires that are not in use, that are just waiting there and sitting in a drawer or in a plastic bag (or whatever it is!) All those wires need to be contained in the drawer or the container, right? You can find all these cool and do-it-yourself ‘Five minute crafts’ (videos) on Instagram and on TikTok. But you can also just contain the wires by wrapping them up.
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– Velcro wraps for wires –
So my first one, which is number nine, is something that I found yet again at the dollar store, and it’s these Velcro wraps. Now, you can use twist ties or elastics, but I like these Velcro wraps and I’ll tell you why.
What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
At our house, the wires that we have in a drawer, they’re usually wrapped with the Velcro strap where the wire is looped inside it so that when you undo the wires, the Velcro strap is still attached. It’s really cool. So when you need to coil it back up, you have the Velcro strap already there to hold everything together. And if you want to get really fancy, you know how we have all these cables that are different for different purposes and devices? Well, you can organize them in Ziploc bags by putting all the like wires together. I’m a geek like that. But hey, it works and it’s so convenient when you’re looking for that specific wire.
– Consolidating many (used) wires together –
So number 10, when it comes to wires is the one that will contain the wires that are by the plug. There’s a lot of solutions you can use such as twist-ties again.
What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
But in my case, I use this coy plastic tube that wraps all the wires together. So it looks like you have this one big giant wire, and instead of having multiple straggly things hanging from the back of your desk and decorating the wall where they’ll just end up at the same place (which is the plug in the back, it’s not pretty. Therefore, consolidate all the wires either using twist ties or like by using this plastic tube that keeps all the wires together.
Here’s where you can start. You can just do a Google search ‘wire organizer wall’, and you’ll get all these images and links of where you can get these wire organizers.
Okay, super exciting! We’re at the home stretch now, number 11.
– Self-sealing bags to separate and contain –
Now I’ve mentioned this just a minute ago, and that was Ziploc bags or plastic zipper sealed bags, whatever you want to call it. But these bags are multi-use, durable and so convenient. They also come in different materials like fabric, but I find plastic ones are so much better because they’re wipeable and waterproof. Also, they come in a variety of sizes from small to really large. In essence, you can organize many things like keeping gameboard pieces or even puzzles together. You just simply cut up the picture of what the game is, keep the instructions in that case, and all the parts along with it; So you don’t have these awkward boxes that are bent, ripped and flattened from just not being put away properly.
Now these bags can also be put in a bigger container like a basket so that everything is kept nice, neat, and consolidated. In addition, they’re easy to grab. So when you go to say grandma’s house or to their friend’s house, it’s a quick grab and into the nap sack in a way. They go with their game instructions and how to play on hand.
Storing plastic and reusable bags
Alright, number 12, the second to last one! And speaking of plastic bags and consolidating everything. You know, all those shopping bags and plastic bags and reusable bags that we have. First, let’s talk about your reusable bags. How are you organizing them? Are they easy to grab, easy to use, and exactly where you need them when you need them?
Have a listen to my episode number 33. How many bags do we really need where I give you tips and strategies on how to make sure you don’t have too many bags? And if you do have too many, how to bring it down to a maintainable amount. And also how to not forget bringing your shopping bags to the store versus having to buy more. You can get the link in the show notes or head to diannejimenez.com/33.
– Plastic bags storage –
Secondly, let’s talk about storing these bags, whether it’s plastic or reusable. Now, for the plastic bags, we have this thing we got at IKEA years ago. It’s basically this plastic bag holder that’s cylindrical with a bunch of holes all around it. The idea is to just stuff all the plastic bags in there. Then from the holes, just pull out the plastic bag that you need.
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This is ideal if you don’t want to spend your time folding and you don’t care what it looks like as long as everything is contained. If you Google ‘cheap ways to organize plastic bags’, you’ll see the variety of inexpensive products that you can get online to start getting organized today.
Alternate ways of storing plastic bags (cleaner look)
Now, there are other ways to organize and store these plastic bags, and that’s if you like or don’t mind folding them. One is putting them all in a container or a plastic bin with a lid so that they’re easily accessed anytime you use them. Simply pop that plastic bin or container in your car or under your sink or wherever you need plastic bags.
Another way is using Kleenex boxes. So you fold them neatly in a certain way, (I saw this online which I’m sure you can see anywhere) but basically you’re using an empty Kleenex box, and folding your plastic bags a certain way so that whenever you need one, it’s right there. So it kind of looks like Kleenex, but it’s not. It’s a plastic bag!
And the same goes for the large Lysol wipe containers. You know, the plastic cylindrical ones? Again, there’s a way to fold it or to place it so that you can pull them out as if they’re wipes. There are tons of ways to store these things. You just have to find the right one that works for you and the way you move and how you like to maintain things. The whole point being: it’s an easy grab for those wet shoes or, at the last minute, ‘I need to carry all this extra stuff to school for some reason’.
What this type of organizing solution looks like at my house
So in regards to the reusable bags: the ones that I need when I go to the grocery store, I simply fold them up neatly and stick them in the rectangular compartment in my car. And I don’t use more than what fits in there..
I used to shove everything inside one big bag. But I found it was so messy whenever I’d open my trunk since the bags had been flip flopping all over the place (while driving). Nowadays, I just fold everything and it’s literally 30 seconds, then just stuff them nicely in that small compartment. You can also find trunk organizers where you can put all your folded reusable bags in them too.
My friend has a car or a trunk organizer, and it looks so nice and neat and organized whenever you pop open that trunk.
– Drawer organizer –
Okay, here we are, the final organizing solution to get organized right away, as in today, it’s number 13: drawer organizers. Now every house has a junk drawer. (Okay, you might have several drunk drawers in many rooms of your house, if not all of them). So drawer organizers are your best bet here. In addition, they come in a multitude of solutions and configurations that you can find anywhere from the Dollar store (you’d think I’d have stocks from the multiple times I’m mentioning them, I don’t). But yes, the Dollar Store is a great place as well as office supply stores, big box stores and all the varieties and unlimited selections you can find online such as trays, little containers that you clip in together to even just drawer dividers.
Word of advice when using drawer organizers
Just a word of caution here. Make sure when you do decide to install drawer organizers to take into consideration the height of your drawers. You want to make sure the drawers close properly.
Now, junk drawers aren’t the only places to install these drawer dividers or organizers.
They are great with separating clothes to organizing your utensil drawer and the multiple kitchen gadgets, cooking and baking utensils.
Thank you and please share this episode with a friend!
All right, we did it. I just gave you my 13 organizing solutions to get your home and spaces organized today. If you like today’s podcast episode, let me know in the comments in my blog or even send me a DM on Instagram.
If you have a friend, or a group of friends, who can use some guidance and who’s been hinting at organizing their space, (but they just didn’t know how or where to start), send them the link to this episode. They will truly appreciate it and so will I. Alright my friends. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. I appreciate it so much! I will see you again next time. Have a great week. Bye-bye.
Referenced in this episode
- 3M Innovation – Command strips (hooks & Velcro strip for my plastic folders)
- Hooks for rags (video on Instagram or TikTok)
- Lazy Susan (video on Instagram or TikTok)
- Reaching our items that are too high (video on Instagram )
- Images of how to use shelves under the sink
- IKEA magazine holders
- Home office organizing video on Instagram
- Example of how I use some containers and magazine folders (video on Instagram)
- Grab my Laundry schedule
- Episode #33: How bags do we really need?
- Image of another type of drawer organizing solution (not mentioned in the podcast!
- Ottoman shoe storage
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