Conquer Your Clutter! How to Tidy These 7 Common “Mess Zones”

No matter who you are, you likely have areas in your home that tend to accumulate clutter. Instead of fighting an endless “clutter war”, conquer your clutter once and for all! These are the seven most common areas homeowners complain tend to pile up with stuff – it’s time to take back your favorite spaces. 

Entryway 

When you get home, let’s be honest, you don’t want to walk into a mess. Unfortunately, entryways tend to get out of control quickly. To shape your entryway into the functional, happy place you want it to be, start by asking yourself, “What’s causing the clutter?” 

Start by creating “zones” for each of the clutter categories you see. Wall-mounted hooks or a standing coat rack can help to organize jackets, sweaters, backpacks, purses, and bags. Corral your shoes into order with a shelving unit, shoe rack, basket, or another container. Mail piling up? A wall-mounted mail organizer gets your pile off the table. Even a simple “inbox” or basket on the table can help to keep it all together. 

Consider adding a small trashcan to your entry to help you throw away the junk mail, empty takeout coffee cups, and other garbage you tend to carry with you into the house. 

Under the Sink 

Without a clear plan in place, the area underneath your sink can quickly become clutter-central. Decide what you absolutely need to keep under the sink – trashcan, recycling bin, cleaning supplies, dishwashing supplies, all those empty plastic shopping bags… What do you really need to store in that area, and what can be relocated? 

Once you know what you need, create a defined space, and containers for each function. For example, a container with all of the dish-cleaning supplies (dish soap, sponges, scrub brush, etc) can be separate from a container of household cleaning supplies. 

Limit the number of plastic shopping bags you keep – and get a container to hold these, as well. There are many great ideas for how to contain these plastic bags – from an old tissue box to specially-designed holders that mount to the back of a cabinet door - choose the option that works best for your space. 

Coffee Table 

Is your coffee table full of old magazines, countless remote controls, chargers, electronics, and even an old coffee cup or two? 

You’re not alone. 

Create a plan for keeping the clutter off of the table by having a designated place for each item. A charging station on an end table makes it easy to charge and store your phone, tablet, and other devices, and a decorative box or basket can corral your remotes, so you always know where they are when you need them. 

Recycle any magazines that are more than two months old. If there is anything you want to save from them (hello, new recipe), consider taking a picture of the page with your phone instead. 

Top of the Fridge 

If you haven’t tackled the top of your fridge in a while, there’s no time like the present! 

Remove anything that doesn’t belong there and set it aside to put away after. Give everything a good dusting, and organize this space in terms of what you reach for the most. 

Keep the items you frequently look for near the front, and items or containers you only use for certain occasions closer to the back. Consider low, wide storage bins to keep like items grouped together (and easier to reach). 

Bookshelves 

Unlike some of the other areas that are cluttered with stuff you need on a regular basis, bookshelves tend to collect a different kind of clutter. 

Start by clearing your shelves entirely, and giving them a good cleaning. Then start putting back your books – organize these in a way that is meaningful to you. If your shelves are holding a lot of old knickknacks, maps, cards, or anything else that is not intentional décor, throw it away, put it into a storage box, or find it a new, meaningful place in your home. 

Now add your favorite décor pieces to your shelves. A mix of your favorite books and favorite items (and maybe even a framed picture or two) will give your shelves personality – and put a smile on your face every time you pass by. 

Inside Drawers 

Almost every house has a “Junk Drawer,” but that doesn’t mean your junk drawer has to be a mess. Take a look at it and note what types of similar items you have. 

Use common household items as organizers (ice cube trays work great for holding small items, Ziplock bags and rubber bands are also helpful) – or use a drawer organizer if you want to get fancy with it. 

The goal here is partially to reduce the visual clutter, but also make it easy for you to find what you need, when you need it. If you can see all of your batteries at a glance, for example, you can quickly replace the ones in your remote – or you can tell when it’s time to grab another pack of AAs the next time you’re at the store. 

Nightstands 

It’s all too easy to let your nightstand get out of control. You put down that book you were reading before bed, you take off your jewelry for the night, you empty your pockets before throwing your jeans in the wash – and the clutter builds. 

Have a designated place for the things you tend to collect on your nightstand. Some bookends can make your book collection feel intentional, and a pretty dish can keep your jewelry contained. If your nightstand has a drawer, consider adding a drawer organizer to keep your necessities (lip balm, cough drops, etc) within easy reach.