Think it’s high time to organize your closet, declutter your junk drawer, or tame the chaos in your kids’ rooms—or maybe your entire house?
Home organization is a worthwhile pursuit—but according to home organization experts, even the best intentions can be easily derailed. Yup, there’s a right way to sort and arrange your stuff, and a very wrong way!
To pinpoint what trips people up, we asked organization pros to share the things they really wish you wouldn’t do—mistakes they see people make time and again that really must be put to rest. Consider this a to-not-do list you should abide by, if you hope to keep your home looking its best.
1. Leaving the bed unmade
Face it: A messy bed is an eyesore, so if you’re not going to make it, you may as well stop picking clothes off the floor, too.
“Make your bed every day as a small promise you can keep to yourself, and start the day off on the right foot,” says Katie McCann, a home and office organizing professional at Haven.
But even the pros hate this daily task, so steal this little tip to make your bedroom appear more organized without having to straighten the sheets perfectly.
“Make sure all of your bedding is the same color, like white, and then even unmade, your bed will look pretty organized and intentional,” suggests Drew Henry of Design Dudes.
2. Cramming too much in a small space
Photo by Chris A Dorsey Photography
Sure, every pair of footwear here has its own little space, but what happens when you get new clogs?
“You always have to allow room for growth—and if an area is jampacked, then you probably didn’t let anything go in the first place,” notes Julie Coraccio, author of “Got Clutter? 365 Journal Prompts.”