Photo by Douglas Sheppard on Unsplash

by mikkie mills, guest contributor

Your home should be a safe and relaxing place to escape from the hassles of daily life. However, clutter and disorganization can make your home feel chaotic rather than calming. Fortunately, there are some easy strategies for making every part of your home easier to use and enjoy.

1. Straighten Out Small Items

No matter how neat and tidy your home is, chances are you still have a "junk drawer" filled with a jumble of assorted items that don't seem to fit anywhere else. Often, miscellaneous items get stored in the junk drawer just in case they are needed in the future, but when the need arises, the drawer is so cluttered that the item is impossible to find.

If your junk drawer is out of control, consider using a custom drawer organizer to sort and store small essential items like batteries and keys. When you need something from the drawer, you won't have to hunt for it.

This doesn't just apply to your junk drawer. If you notice that items are piling up on your desk, coffee table or bedside table, try putting small trays, bowls or baskets there to keep the items contained and sorted. You will be able to find them easily when necessary, and they won't take over your space in the meantime.

2. Utilize Wall Space

Coat racks aren't just for coats! If you're trying to combat clutter, consider how many of the items currently lying around your home could be hung up instead, and add some wall-mounted hooks or coat racks to hold those items. For example, a hook beside your bed can provide a handy place to hang clothing items that are worn for several days in a row like pajamas and sweatshirts. A coat rack in the kitchen can be useful for hanging aprons, potholders and reusable shopping bags.

If you live in a small space, adding a few hooks can make a big difference. Not only can this help keep your things organized, but it also keeps your most frequently used items in plain sight and easy to grab when you need them.

3. Manage Your Mail

Paper is a source of clutter that can quickly get out of hand if you're not careful. The easiest way to keep mail from piling up is to reduce the amount of mail that comes into your home in the first place. Most vendors offer a paperless billing option that allows you to opt out of receiving a statement in the mail. Not only is this more environmentally friendly, but it also leaves you with less mail to recycle or shred.

Junk mail is a little more difficult to deal with. You will probably never eliminate it entirely, but you may be able to reduce it. If you are receiving unwanted catalogs and sales flyers, you can contact the company via phone or email and ask to be removed from the mailing list.

4. Declutter Regularly

Your home will be more accessible and enjoyable when you are surrounded only by the things you want and need. When you have unwanted items cluttering up your home, it's harder to organize your living space the way you want it. Sell, donate or give away unwanted items to free up space for things you do want.

5. Simplify Your Kitchen

Kitchen appliances are meant to make life easier, but if you have too many, they can become overwhelming and start to take up too much space. If you have more appliances than your kitchen counter can hold, consider getting rid of all but the ones you use most often, or replace them with multifunction appliances; for example, if you have an air fryer and a toaster oven, consider replacing them both with a combination oven that has both functions.

Organizing and decluttering can be difficult and complicated. Fortunately, you don't have to have a perfectly clean and organized home in order to be happy. Even taking a few small steps to simplify and organize your living space can go a long way toward making your home a happy and functional place to live.

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