With spring just around the corner, why not get a head start? Organizing your stuff now will get it out of the way for when you’re ready to go in deep with your brush and sponge. Check out these five tips from your friends at The Hawthorne on putting everything in its place.

Do One Room at a Time

When you take all the clutter in your home as a whole, it can be overwhelming. Better to divide and conquer! Limit yourself to organizing one room at a time. Or, if that’s still too much, break the rooms into sections. Focus on just that one section until it’s in tip-top shape.

Employ the 3-Pile Method

This method doesn’t work for every quadrant, but when it does work, it’s a quick way to sort through some serious clutter. Create one pile for things to keep, one for things to throw away, and one for donations. You can further optimize this system by making one pile of stuff that stays in the area and one for stuff that goes elsewhere. Have a trash can and recycling bin handy to toss what you need.

Bin & Label

Another method that’s not perfect for every space but quite effective for certain ones is to place less frequently used items in a clear bin and label them. Bins come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, making it easy to find the right option for your space. Labels make it easy to know which bin you’re looking for, so you can quickly grab what you need without disturbing the rest of your organization.

Hanger Trick

When it comes to organizing your clothing closet, we love this trick for determining which shirts, blouses, and dresses you actually wear. Simply turn the hangers of all your items around so the opening of the hook is facing outward toward you. Every time you wear an item, you’ll flip it around to its normal position. After a certain amount of time, say three months, you can easily see which items you wear and which might be better enjoyed by someone else. Of course, nobody else has to know the results of your experiment, so if something has sentimental value, you can hold onto it as long as you want!

Head to IKEA

Or you can visit their online store. IKEA has everything you need – and don’t need – to get organized! Plus, a bunch more clutter you just know you want. Not helping, we know. It’s OK. Just shop that stress away.

Want more tips on getting organized? Check out our blog!