Responsible People Are Sharing Their Organizational Hacks, And They're Way, Way, Way, Way, Better Than My Current System

When it comes to house cleaning and organization, I've always taken a more relaxed approach. But recently, I've become determined to change my ways and get organized — and I'm not the only one.

Twitter: @kharii_boondii

One redditor sought the support of r/organization for advice on cleaning up their act, asking, "What is your single best organization item or trick to stay organized?" While most of us are just pretending to have our lives together, responses to this question prove that some people really do know the secret to staying on top of chores. And I, for one, am taking notes.

Here are their best tips:

1."Procrastination tasks — I keep a running list of quick and easy things that need to get done and are usually forgotten. I tick things off the list when I want to procrastinate or need a short break from something else. (This is also useful for commercial breaks if you're a TV watcher or while waiting for the kettle to boil, etc.)."

"These are things like:

- breaking down any shipping boxes that came in yesterday/today

- putting all the random things that are on the kitchen counters away or at least together

- shredding mail/documents

- sorting mail into deal with/shred/recycling

- gathering up the dog toys so the robot vacuums can clean

Anything that can be done in 5-15 minutes makes actual tidying and cleaning more manageable later on."

—u/7s7z

2."Try the 'one-touch' rule — touch everything once. Don't put something down if you'll need to move it to put it away later."

3."Finish the job. Laundry isn't done until it is put away. Dishes aren't done until they are put away. Shopping isn't done until packing/bags are put where they belong, items are unwrapped, wrappings dealt with, and items are set in place."

—u/msmaynards

4."I learned this phrase working in restaurants: 'Full hands in, full hands out.' I'm trying to get my husband on board with this. If you got in the car with your hands full of stuff, you better have your hands full going back in the house!"

5."All things alike stay together. For example, all charging cords hang in the same cabinet, all extension cords hang together, all shovels, etc."

"It makes it so much easier to know if you need more of an item or if something is missing. I live in a small house, so organization is key. Things are stored according to how often they are used. Christmas decorations go in the attic because they are only used annually, and tools get stored closer because they are used more often."

—u/darkmatternot

6."I live in a four-story townhouse. Everything that needs to go upstairs goes to the bottom of the stairs, and anything that needs to go downstairs goes to the top. I transport those items every time I go up and down the stairs."

7."Put things where you need them. Laundry piling up in the bathroom? Put a hamper in there. Is mail taking up your whole kitchen table? Put a mail sorter on the wall nearby. Understand that just because you must reorganize or sort doesn't mean your system doesn't work. It just means you use it!"

8."Spend 10 minutes a day, before bed, just putting things back where they go."

—u/jellen525

9."Google Tasks is efficient for making to-do lists. It has an interactive widget; just tap to add a task, and a keyboard comes up; click the checkbox on the widget to remove it from the list. I tried a few list apps, but so many have you clicking multiple times to add/remove things, and it's a hassle, and at least for me, when I've got the motivation to plan and do things, I NEED to keep the momentum going, or I lose interest. Tasks take like 5 seconds per item, so it's great for me."

10."For me, it's using a label maker. I love using it, and I strive to put a label on all boxes/containers/bins, etc., which forces me to make sure the items make sense together and that all of the items that should be together are together."

11."Pick up random items in a room and collect them in one spot to be put away on the weekend."

"We have a 6x9x4 bin in each room tucked away for random stuff that migrates and a dedicated time when we both clean each weekend, and the bins get emptied then."

—u/7s7z

12."The idea from KonMari is that every item in your house has a 'home.' Towels live in the bathroom linen closet; jackets live on the hooks by the door; pens live on the cup on the desk, etc."

13."If you have a clothes dryer, never put clean clothes in a basket."

14."Don’t put it down — put it away."

15."With three kids under 10, when a new thing gets brought into our home, my number one rule is to ask, 'Do we need this?' And then, if we don’t, I ask, 'How do I get rid of it?'"

I don't know about you, but my life is feeling more put together already. Do you have any organizational hacks of your own to share? Let us know in the comments!

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.