The Ultimate Checklist for Reorganizing Your Home

Photo via Getty Images/Taiyou Nomachi

The time for spring cleaning has officially arrived, and considering most of us are housebound for the foreseeable future, we might as well make the most of it (and relieve some stress while we’re at it). Read on for 22 home reorganization ideas to get tidy from top to bottom.

THE ENTRYWAY

Pare down those shoes.

You’re most likely not leaving the house much these days, so you shouldn’t need seven pairs of shoes by the door. Any that you’re not wearing for the occasional afternoon stroll or visit to the grocery store should be stored in your closet.

Find a home for your keys.

Since you’re not heading out often, it’ll be easy to forget where you last left these guys. Hang them on a hook by the door or place them in a trinket dish on your entryway table.

THE KITCHEN

Clean out the fridge and freezer.

You’re going to need more room for your supermarket stock-up, so take this opportunity to toss expired goods, wipe surfaces down, and organize like items so that you can easily find everything.

Sort through your pantry.

Again, organize by category and toss items past their prime. For easy access to dry goods such as rice, beans, and pasta, sort them into glass jars or clear plastic containers that you have on hand.

Shape up the spice rack.

Line up your spices so that all labels are visible when you first open the cabinet door. That way, you don’t need to go rooting around every time you’re looking for garlic powder.

Recycle broken-down cardboard boxes.

The pile you’ve been making next to your trash bin or to the side of the fridge? Time to take it out (and maybe do a trash run, too, while you’re at it).

Say “no more” to the junk drawer.

There’s no reason to have one. Take a note from Marie Kondo: If it doesn’t spark joy (or doesn’t serve an actual purpose), you don’t need it. Empty the drawer out, toss or donate what you don’t need, and find a new role for the real estate you just freed up.

Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

It’s tricky to keep the sink clear if you’re working from home all day, but not seeing a mountain of dirty plates, pots, and pans every time you walk into the kitchen for a snack will do wonders for your stress level.

Reevaluate your mug collection.

The mug your 10-year-old decorated in art class? Keep. The oh-so-Instagrammable one that matches your desk décor and also fits your hand perfectly? Keep. The cups you got for free at a work conference or a holiday gift exchange? Might not need eight of those.

Consolidate your plastic bags.

If you have stashes of plastic grocery-store bags all over the house, try putting them in an empty tissue box under the kitchen sink instead. That way they’ll be contained and ready to be pulled out of the opening one-by-one whenever needed.

THE LIVING ROOM

Clear off the couch.

Yes, we know you’ve been camped out on the sofa for nearly two weeks at this point. But how many blankets do you really need? Pick your favorite, and keep it artfully draped over the side until you’re ready to use it. Neatly fold the rest and put them away in a basket or a closet.

Declutter flat surfaces.

Store or trash anything needlessly taking up space on the coffee table, end table, TV stand, or bookshelf. Keep those surfaces open or use them to display a curated selection of decorative pieces that you truly treasure.

THE OFFICE

Do away with junk mail.

It’s time to say goodbye to the pile of envelopes you’ve been too lazy to open or recycle on your desk.

Overhaul your workspace.

This space should only feature items you reach for every time you sit down—everything else should be neatly filed in drawers. And if those drawers are equally unruly, give them a good clean out.

Recycle old magazines.

Or rip out pages to use for a craft project, and then give them the boot. Either way, if you have piles of magazines collecting dust in odd corners of the room, this is a great time to add those to the bin. If you haven’t read that issue from 2015 yet, you’re probably not going to.

THE BEDROOM

Deal with that bedside table.

Like your desk, this area should only bear the essentials that you use every night or morning (alarm clock, the book you’re currently reading, etc.). Clear off the top, and then open up any drawers and toss or move elsewhere anything that you don’t need regularly.

Face the clutter-monster under the bed.

If you can’t actually remember what lies beneath you every night, it’s time to clean this area out. This shouldn’t be a place to hide messy piles and random odds and ends, but rather a spot to store luggage, boxes of out-of-season clothing, and sheets.

Revamp your wardrobe

Sort through your closet and your dresser, and make one pile to keep and one for donations or consignment. Then, put colder-weather clothing towards the back or in storage, and hang your spring attire up front.

Take care of your jewelry.

Congrats! You now have an unlimited amount of time to untangle that perplexing knot of necklaces you’ve been avoiding. After you finish, clean and polish earrings or any other jewelry that looks tarnished or in need of some love.

Smartly stow your sheets.

One way to keep these sets together: Fold fitted sheets and top sheets inside their matching pillowcase.

THE BATHROOM

Go through all of your cosmetics.

Toss any makeup, hair, or skincare products that are old or dried up, and perhaps give your makeup brushes a long overdue cleaning while you’re here, too. Put things back in drawers or shelves, neatly organized by category so it’s a breeze to grab that mask or nail polish during your next selfcare session.

Streamline shower clutter.

If you’re surrounded by a mess of colorful bottles every time you rinse off, try storing any shampoo, conditioner, body wash or other products that you’re not actually using regularly under the sink instead. If they’re nearly empty and accumulating grime, consider tossing them all together.