15 Simple Organizing Tools and Where They Work Best
You’ve created clutter-free zones at home. Now choose organizing products to help keep them that way
The options for containing and sorting stuff are virtually endless. And while it’s important to remember that decluttering before organizing will save you unnecessary anguish, there comes a time when your space is clutter-free, and you just want everything to have a home. If that resonates with where you are now, this guide is here to help.
2. Canvas Bins
Fabric-covered bins are better than wicker or rattan for holding delicate, easily snagged items. The ideal bins are made from durable canvas. Use them in the hall closet to corral mittens and scarves, in your clothes closet for workout gear and in the pantry to wrangle snacks.
Best for: Clothes closet, entry, laundry room, pantry.
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Fabric-covered bins are better than wicker or rattan for holding delicate, easily snagged items. The ideal bins are made from durable canvas. Use them in the hall closet to corral mittens and scarves, in your clothes closet for workout gear and in the pantry to wrangle snacks.
Best for: Clothes closet, entry, laundry room, pantry.
Shop for storage bins and boxes
3. Recycling Basket
Having a recycling basket near where you open your mail is an easy way to cut down on paper clutter, and if you have less stuff to organize in the first place, it’s easier to keep on top of things.
Stash a roomy recycling basket near the front door and another wherever you read publications, mail and documents.
Best for: Entry, home office, living room.
19 Ways to Get Organized Fast With Containers
Having a recycling basket near where you open your mail is an easy way to cut down on paper clutter, and if you have less stuff to organize in the first place, it’s easier to keep on top of things.
Stash a roomy recycling basket near the front door and another wherever you read publications, mail and documents.
Best for: Entry, home office, living room.
19 Ways to Get Organized Fast With Containers
4. Large Zippered Storage Bags
Bulky bedding and out-of-season clothes need to go somewhere — but trying to shove a duvet into a closet without first containing it in some way is an exercise in futility. Zippered storage bags keep dust off out-of-season bedding and clothes and let you store these items in a more compact way. Choose the size based on what you need to store and the shape based on where you’ll be storing it — square bags are great for closet shelves; flat bags are best for under the bed.
Best for: Bedding, out-of-season clothes, pillows, patio cushions.
Clever Ways to Rethink the Linen Closet
Bulky bedding and out-of-season clothes need to go somewhere — but trying to shove a duvet into a closet without first containing it in some way is an exercise in futility. Zippered storage bags keep dust off out-of-season bedding and clothes and let you store these items in a more compact way. Choose the size based on what you need to store and the shape based on where you’ll be storing it — square bags are great for closet shelves; flat bags are best for under the bed.
Best for: Bedding, out-of-season clothes, pillows, patio cushions.
Clever Ways to Rethink the Linen Closet
5. Photo Boxes
Acid-free photo boxes are great for keeping printed photos safe and simply organized. Use tab dividers to label broad sections or time periods so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for later. Beyond photos, these little boxes are handy for organizing small toys, medications and craft supplies.
Best for: Photos, mementos, toys, toiletries, crafts, holiday ornaments, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
Acid-free photo boxes are great for keeping printed photos safe and simply organized. Use tab dividers to label broad sections or time periods so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for later. Beyond photos, these little boxes are handy for organizing small toys, medications and craft supplies.
Best for: Photos, mementos, toys, toiletries, crafts, holiday ornaments, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
6. Document Storage Boxes
One of the best ways to keep paper memorabilia in good shape long-term is in an acid-free document box. Like photo boxes, they come in a range of sizes, so if you have oversize paper to save (like kindergarten finger paintings), pick up a large document box. Fill it, label the box and you’re done. Document boxes also make great tools for pilers, who prefer to keep paper loosely organized rather than intricately filed.
Best for: Paper memorabilia, records.
Find professional organizers on Houzz
One of the best ways to keep paper memorabilia in good shape long-term is in an acid-free document box. Like photo boxes, they come in a range of sizes, so if you have oversize paper to save (like kindergarten finger paintings), pick up a large document box. Fill it, label the box and you’re done. Document boxes also make great tools for pilers, who prefer to keep paper loosely organized rather than intricately filed.
Best for: Paper memorabilia, records.
Find professional organizers on Houzz
7. Trays
Placing items on a tray lends the group a feeling of intentionality: It’s not just a random pile of magazines and envelopes now, it’s a mail tray!
Big trays also are good for gathering bottles on a bar cart, plants and books on the coffee table and homework supplies on a desk. Small trays are great for collecting keys and cellphones by the front door or toiletries in the bathroom
Best for: Entry, home bar, coffee table, bathroom, home office.
Placing items on a tray lends the group a feeling of intentionality: It’s not just a random pile of magazines and envelopes now, it’s a mail tray!
Big trays also are good for gathering bottles on a bar cart, plants and books on the coffee table and homework supplies on a desk. Small trays are great for collecting keys and cellphones by the front door or toiletries in the bathroom
Best for: Entry, home bar, coffee table, bathroom, home office.
8. Cable-Management System
Living with tech is a feature of modern life. Living with a tangle of cords tripping you up doesn’t have to be. Invest in a cord-management system for your main desk (where your desktop computer lives, if you have one) and train the cords neatly down a leg so they’re virtually unseen. Small cord tags are handy for labeling wires behind a media center, while charging stations keep small devices (and all of their cords) out of sight while they power up
Best for: Home office, entry.
Living with tech is a feature of modern life. Living with a tangle of cords tripping you up doesn’t have to be. Invest in a cord-management system for your main desk (where your desktop computer lives, if you have one) and train the cords neatly down a leg so they’re virtually unseen. Small cord tags are handy for labeling wires behind a media center, while charging stations keep small devices (and all of their cords) out of sight while they power up
Best for: Home office, entry.
9. Portable Caddy
A container with slots for holding items upright is a surprisingly useful little thing to have. They’re great for organizing art supplies in the craft room, makeup and small toiletries on a dressing table, and flatware and napkins on the dining table.
Store the caddy off to the side, then grab the whole thing when you need to use that set of materials.
Best for: Flatware, art materials, office supplies.
A container with slots for holding items upright is a surprisingly useful little thing to have. They’re great for organizing art supplies in the craft room, makeup and small toiletries on a dressing table, and flatware and napkins on the dining table.
Store the caddy off to the side, then grab the whole thing when you need to use that set of materials.
Best for: Flatware, art materials, office supplies.
10. Door Organizer
The backs of closet doors are one of the most underused storage spots in the home. Put yours to work organizing gift-wrapping supplies, craft materials or bottles and jars in the pantry.
Best for: Gift wrap, crafts, pantry.
Shop for over-the-door organizers on Houzz
The backs of closet doors are one of the most underused storage spots in the home. Put yours to work organizing gift-wrapping supplies, craft materials or bottles and jars in the pantry.
Best for: Gift wrap, crafts, pantry.
Shop for over-the-door organizers on Houzz
11. Clear Stackable Bins
Labels are helpful, but nothing makes finding what you need easier than using clear containers. Since you can see the contents, these are best reserved for storage inside cabinets and closets or kids’ rooms. Use them to sort and store Lego bricks, small toys, craft materials, tools, office supplies and toiletries.
Best for: Kid’s room, bathroom, hall closet, craft cabinet.
How to Organize the Lego Chaos
Labels are helpful, but nothing makes finding what you need easier than using clear containers. Since you can see the contents, these are best reserved for storage inside cabinets and closets or kids’ rooms. Use them to sort and store Lego bricks, small toys, craft materials, tools, office supplies and toiletries.
Best for: Kid’s room, bathroom, hall closet, craft cabinet.
How to Organize the Lego Chaos
12. Drawer Organizers
You probably have a drawer organizer for cutlery, but what about other drawers around the house? The fact is, it’s very rare to find a drawer that couldn’t benefit from an organizer.
Use them to keep socks from toppling over, for sorting supplies in your desk and for organizing small tools in your junk drawer.
Best for: Kitchen, junk drawer, desk, dresser, entry.
How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers for Good
You probably have a drawer organizer for cutlery, but what about other drawers around the house? The fact is, it’s very rare to find a drawer that couldn’t benefit from an organizer.
Use them to keep socks from toppling over, for sorting supplies in your desk and for organizing small tools in your junk drawer.
Best for: Kitchen, junk drawer, desk, dresser, entry.
How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers for Good
13. Lazy Susan
Lazy Susans are the unsung heroes of the organizing world. Like a tray, they keep items corralled and can be lifted easily for cleaning. Unlike a tray, a lazy Susan can also twirl, making its contents easily accessed from all sides on a counter or in a tightly packed cabinet.
Best for: Pantry, kitchen, fridge, dining table, kid’s room, craft cupboard.
Lazy Susans are the unsung heroes of the organizing world. Like a tray, they keep items corralled and can be lifted easily for cleaning. Unlike a tray, a lazy Susan can also twirl, making its contents easily accessed from all sides on a counter or in a tightly packed cabinet.
Best for: Pantry, kitchen, fridge, dining table, kid’s room, craft cupboard.
14. Tool Clips
Long-handled tools such as brooms, mops and rakes are notorious for tipping over the moment you open a closet door. Keep them in line with a wall-mounted clip to avoid the dreaded tool toppling. Tool clips are handy to have in the broom closet or anywhere you store long-handled tools.
Best for: Broom closet, garage, storage shed.
How to Make Your Garage a Storage Powerhouse
Long-handled tools such as brooms, mops and rakes are notorious for tipping over the moment you open a closet door. Keep them in line with a wall-mounted clip to avoid the dreaded tool toppling. Tool clips are handy to have in the broom closet or anywhere you store long-handled tools.
Best for: Broom closet, garage, storage shed.
How to Make Your Garage a Storage Powerhouse
15. Sturdy Plastic Bins
Cardboard boxes can easily become damp and mildewed. Keep storage items you rarely use (think holiday decorations and camping supplies) secure by packing them inside tough plastic storage bins with lids and labels.
Best for: Storage closets, attic, garage, basement, shed.
Tell us: Have you conquered some clutter and have a space that’s now nicely organized? Please tell us how you did it in the Comments!
More on Houzz
Read more stories about organizing your home
Find an interior designer
Shop for organizing products
Cardboard boxes can easily become damp and mildewed. Keep storage items you rarely use (think holiday decorations and camping supplies) secure by packing them inside tough plastic storage bins with lids and labels.
Best for: Storage closets, attic, garage, basement, shed.
Tell us: Have you conquered some clutter and have a space that’s now nicely organized? Please tell us how you did it in the Comments!
More on Houzz
Read more stories about organizing your home
Find an interior designer
Shop for organizing products
1. Wall Hooks
Sturdy wall hooks can hold coats and backpacks in the entry, to be sure. But they’re also useful inside closets to hold scarves and necklaces and in the bathroom to keep damp towels off the floor.
Best for: Entry, bathroom, closets.
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