Back to School Organization: Keep Your Home Tidy This Year
Posted by Dave Jury at
The end of summer is a busy time: you and your kids are trying to squeeze in the last few days of summer fun as you prepare for the school year and activities ahead.
In between checking off school supplies lists, end of summer vacations, and outdoor activities, it’s important to get your house into a comfortable, organized state that will set you and your kids up for success.
In addition to looking nice, an organized home can make you feel less stressed. Both you and your kids benefit from having a tidy home — and with everything you have going on day-to-day, you deserve a system that makes it easy.
We’re pros at organization in every room of the house. Here are our organization tips for setting up a tidy home this year — and keeping it that way.
Back to School Organization Tips
Before you pick up the measuring tape and DIY supplies, prepare for back to school by getting mentally organized.
Think about the areas of your home that tend to get messy most often. Usually it’s the kitchen and wherever your kids tend to do their homework, play, and hang out.
The best way to minimize clutter and keep those spaces tidy is to have a space for everything. That way you can easily clear the surfaces when homework and activities are done.
Make a list of the spaces you want to keep clean, then make a list of what tends to accumulate there.
Those are your areas to focus on for organization efforts!
Your home will be unique to you, but here are some common places we’ve seen houses get disorganized — plus tips for keeping them tidy.
Put Kitchen Drawers in Order
The kitchen is usually the first place to get disorganized. With all the activity from after-school snacks to dinner prep and homework, it’s no wonder this space gets messier than the rest of the house.
Keep your kitchen tidy by utilizing drawers — with a little help.
Use drawer organizers to fit more inside drawers, freeing up counter space for food prep and homework. Our specialized drawer organizers give flatware, spices, knives, and cooking utensils their place.
Plus, when you replace a countertop knife block with a drawer with a knife organizer, the space looks cleaner. Save your countertop spaces for things you enjoy looking at every day — like photos of your family and your kid’s art projects.
Organize Snack Stations
Starving kids coming home from school will tear through a clean kitchen, undoing all of your hard work keeping the kitchen clean.
Minimize snack time messes by giving kids easy access to the foods they love. (And bonus points for putting healthy snacks in an accessible place where kids are more likely to choose them!)
If you have a walk-in pantry, designate a shelf or two at eye level to snacks just for the kids. That way they won’t rummage through your cooking ingredients to find something to eat.
Our roll-out drawer kits make it even simpler. You can have a snack drawer just for kids that smoothly rolls out, making it easy to grab things. These kits come fully assembled for easy installation. You can have a snack drawer set up in minutes.
Create a Homework Station
Who says the work of keeping your house organized should fall on your shoulders alone? Give your kids some responsibility by creating a homework station for them to maintain.
One of our favorite organization hacks for school is using flatware organizers to store pencils, markers, erasers, electronic cables, and other odds and ends your kids need to get their homework done.
If you have more irregularly shaped things like scissors and craft supplies, our bathroom organizer inserts can double as a desk organizer.
Engage your kids in the process by having them help set up their homework station. Ask them where they want things to go. You might even offer them treats or rewards for keeping their space clean.
Plus, practicing organization habits young can serve your kids later in life. Decluttered spaces can lead to a better ability to focus and an improved sense of confidence.
Help your kids build lifelong tidy habits — starting with their desk or homework station.
Give the Garage a Glance
So often, the garage is a space you pass through and don’t spend much time in. It’s easy for it to get forgotten, but don’t let that space go to waste.
Keep your garage clean by giving it some attention before the school year gets busy.
Set up areas for your kids to dump their sports equipment in the garage so they’re not in the house.
And don’t forget about your vertical space. Your walls are a great place for backpacks, sports bags, tools, and outdoor recreation equipment. Use a shoe rack for shoes to prevent that pile of shoes inside the door of the house.
If you can optimize the space in your garage, you’ll prevent messes from even entering the house in the first place.
Utilize Your Doors
The inside of your closet door is the unsung hero of your closet – don’t let it remain empty!
Use over-the-door hooks to hang sweatshirts and jackets in your coat closet and in your kids’ closets. Over-the-door shoe racks can be a lifesaver too — and not just for shoes.
Use shoe racks for small items of clothing, toys, games, or even cleaning supplies.
The best part about using over-the-door organizers is the magic of closing the closet door. In one move, the storage is invisible!
Back to School Organization Ideas for Parents: Think Outside the Box
The organizers you see on our website can be used for as many odds and ends as you can imagine. With a little creativity, a bathroom drawer organizer can house Legos, or a jewelry insert can keep craft supplies in order. Don’t limit a silverware organizer to just separating knives and forks.
Consider the shape of the objects that tend to get messy and don’t be afraid to use organizers in unconventional ways.
When your home is organized, you’ll feel more excited and mentally prepared for a great school year ahead. And your kids will, too.
Maximize the space in every room with custom draw organizers that fit your needs. And don’t forget: we can adjust them to fit perfectly.
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