How to Organize Any Space in 7 Easy Steps

Whenever you organize a space, it’s essential to follow certain steps in order for it to be effective. If you don’t follow these steps, it’ll be harder to maintain and it’s doubtful that the space will remain organized. I will use a junk drawer as an example when explaining the steps.

Step 1: Remove Everything

Take everything out of the drawer and place it somewhere where you can sort through it. You can use a tabletop, counter, the floor or your bed. You will need some space to spread it all out. You must take everything out of the drawer, there’s no point trying to organize with things still in the drawer.

Step 2: Clean

Wipe down the drawer so that you have a clean space to store the items.

Step 3: Sort and Purge

You must now hold every item that you removed from your drawer and decide if it’s worth keeping. Only keep what you value. If you don’t love it or don’t use it often, it needs to go. You don’t want to keep everything or you’ll just be trying to organize clutter. You can create different piles when sorting - keep, donate, sell, and recycle/throw.

Step 4: Categorize

Once you’ve decided what to keep, categorize your items. For example, in a junk drawer you might group together all of the elastics, perhaps a bunch of pens, maybe there’s gum and mints in the drawer or coins.

Step 5:  Measure and Get Containers

After everything is grouped, you will know what size container you’ll need for each group of items. You might already have containers at home that you can use. If not, you’ll have to purchase containers for all of the items. Do not buy the containers before categorizing because you need to see what you need to contain.

If you have to purchase containers, make sure to measure your drawer before going to the store. You will need to know the length, width and height of the space. You’ll also need to know how many containers you’ll need. Once you’re at the store, you can lay out the containers to make sure that they will fit perfectly in the space.

I have all sorts of containers in my home and this week I shared some of my favourite ones in this video:

Step 6:  Organize

Now you’re ready to put all of the containers and the items back into the drawer. If you find that your containers are sliding around, you can apply some museum gel underneath the containers.

Step 7:  Label

If you want to maintain your newly organized space, it really helps to label everything. This way, everyone in your home will be able to put things back where they belong. I like to use custom vinyl labels when labelling, but you can use anything from handwritten labels to chalkboard ones or buy an inexpensive label maker.

I hope I’ve made it easier for you to get that junk drawer organized! Once you’re done, you can move on to a different space, just make sure to always follow the steps I mentioned above. If you need help decluttering and organizing your home step-by-step, room by room, then sign up for my Clear the Clutter membership and I'll guide you through the entire process. We'll also implement easy to maintain systems, cleaning and home maintenance schedules.