Clutter can creep up on us if seen for a long time. An irritated pile of old socks over there, and a random Tupperware lid here, and before you know it, your house feels messy. But might the secret be that you aren’t spending numerous hours on cleaning, but in fact purchasing the right, and cheap, organizing products.

In just a few clever, multi-use organizing tools, you can beat clutter in every room, have less time searching for items, and enjoy a calm, organized space. Below are the seven essential organizing tools/items to work into your daily life, and how to get them on a budget.

1. Storage Baskets

Whether in wire, or fabric styles, these containers are great for organizing everything from throw blankets in the living room to shampoo bottles in the bathroom. Baskets are great at corralling/organizing stray items and concealing them in plain sight. 

If you keep within a better color or uniformity, use one color or material, like natural seagrass or modern black wire, it will have a purposeful appearance instead of a grab bag. Also, baskets are portable, you can just grab a basket and move it or put it in a different location for quick clean up. 

2. Drawer Dividers

Drawer dividers will provide instant order by creating custom-sized compartments.  Ideally, you’ll want to find adjustable or expandable dividers that can be moved to your proper sizes. They’re really great for those socks, underwear, office supplies, or anything that tends to roll or pile.

By visually defining each category, you’ll always know exactly where everything lives, and will overall spend much less time rummaging around. Separating silverware types in kitchen drawers or cooking utensils is also a good way to use drawer dividers. Use clear plastic so they clean-up easily, this is particularly useful for bathroom drawers.

3. Adhesive Wall Hooks

The space available on walls can serve as a decoration location, but also can be a space to organize. You can functionally utilize vertical space with hooks, without putting any holes in the wall. Consider using hooks on the inside of pantry doors for measuring cups, on the inside of cabinets for lids of pots, or on the wall in bathrooms for towels and robes!! 

Better yet, when you eventually change the design style or happen to move out, most brands will pull off easily and not leave a sticky residue. Just make sure to follow the instructions of the package and clean all areas of the surface before hooking it up for maximum hold.

• You can use them in the kitchen to hang mugs, keys, or aprons for quick access and freed up drawer space. 
• You can use them in the laundry room for spray bottles and cleaning rags.
• And you can use them in entryways for quick access to coats, bags and umbrellas.

4. Airtight Containers

When food items spill, become bad, or just lay stuck behind newer items, pantries and refrigerators can get messy very quickly. Airtight containers prevent much of the clutter and spoilage while keeping all products visible and fresh.

It’s best to find containers in similar shapes so that you can stack them and save space on your shelf. Most times putting food into these containers will actually take up less space than when they’re in their original packaging and will deter pests. Just make sure to redo a quick wash to the rim and sealing areas to avoid stuck lids.

• Keeping your pantry organized with canisters for cereals, pasta, and grains will organize your pantry nicely.
• Distribute larger individual snack packages into smaller grab-and-go containers.
• Containers that are square in shape can maximize fridge shelves when using square containers for leftovers.

5. Label Maker or Printable Labels

Label makers (or even DIY printable labels) are the secret weapon of home organization. By labeling bins, drawers and containers, you have removed the mystery of ‘where to put anything’ into a clear visual and everyone in your home will put things back in the right place! 

Using a cheap handheld label maker or printing your own labels in Canva, is the same for your home, because it marks that everything has a home. You place each label in the same position and each time use the same font and/or color (or a simple icon plus word). Also use water and smear proof labels in kitchens and bathrooms, where the natural moisture is spillage, and you can reference and find anything.

6. Over-the-Door Storage Organizers

When you run out of floor and shelf space, furniture that has no restrictions of space, doors become a valuable source of storage.  Over-the-door storage organizers are available made of mesh, fabric, and semi-rigid, sometimes all plastic pockets and can be used for everything from shoes to snacks. 

Over-the-door storage organizers can be installed in seconds, tool-free, and can be repurposed from door to door as your storage needs change. Examples of how to use these include snack packs and small jars in your pantry, scarves or hats in the bedrooms, and a variety of hair tools or toiletries in a bathroom. 

• You can tuck slim hanging shoe pockets behind closet doors to keep floor racks free. 
• Install a multi-pocket shoe organizer in your pantry for granola bars, spice packets, and condiments. 
• Use a bathroom pocket shoe organizer with clear fronts so you can see what goes in each.

7. Under-the-Bed Storage Bins

Storing things under the bed is great for clothes that you only wear for summer or winter, as well as linens and other bulky items that you only use once or twice a year. Use low profile plastic bins with good wheels to provide you easy access to get those items in and out without too much work.

If you are concerned about dust, you can choose storage bins with an airtight lid, or use fabric bags that have a zipper. You are likely to find that clear bins are even better, as you can see what items you have without even having to check the label, and thus remember what is stored in this section.

• Consider also keeping any offseason clothing in vacuum-seal bags so that they can be as small as possible. 
• Label the ends of each bin, with whatever you find easiest to remember, so that you can identify them quickly without having to pull each one out. 
• You should also keep a skinny rolling cart under your bed for any things that you may need too often. Things like extra sheets, pillows and craft projects.

Conclusion

Organizing your home does not need a second mortgage, nor does it need hours and hours of work. It just needs a little planning and the right items. When we combine bins, drawer organizers, adhesive hooks, air tight containers, labels, over the door organization, under the bed storage bins, and more, not only will we put chaos back in order, we will create organized and efficient flow.

Just remember to start small, take one area of frustration that you lost and give it the best organization, and you are making big progress. Before you know it, the entire house will follow suit efficiently and cost-effectively.