10 Cheap Home Organization Products to Declutter Your House

On Tuesday, I went to my kitchen to get a cup of coffee and I could not even see the counter-top. In the mail that had not been sorted there was a clump of jars of spices which had drifted off the stove, and a mound of grappling cords; the room was oppressive. Most of us have experienced it, the creeping silence of stuff gradually taking up more and more space in a room and reducing your day to a manic panic.

I have been experimenting with different systems over the years, and I have learned that you do not have to have a tailor-made closet, or a pantry remodeling worth thousands of dollars to feel at ease. Actually, even the most expensive organizers that I have purchased were too stiff to use in life. The easiest things are usually the best things; the products that seem not exciting but are cheaper than a takeout meal, yet still do all the work of making your home run.

Here are 10 affordable organization products that I genuinely use to keep the chaos at bay.

1. Clear Plastic Bins (The Fridge and Pantry Staples)

Every one of us has passed through the science experiment stage of a refrigerator, the jar of olives or head of lettuce which vanishes into the darkness of the back shelf. My initial defense mechanism is clear bins.

The Issue: Visual pollution and out of sight spoiled food. You are unable to see what you have and this makes you purchase duplicates that will waste money.

My Experience: I employ them specifically on categories. My pantry consists of one bin containing baking materials and another bin containing snacks. I store all the yogurt and deli meats in my fridge. Since they are transparent, I can clearly know when we are running out of eggs without touching a single product. It is not about containment, but visibility.

2. Tension Rods

These are used to simply shower curtains in most people's minds however, a small cheap tension rod is one of the most useful tools in a small home.

The Issue: Wasted horizontal space and the leaning tower of the canned spray bottle under the sink.

My Experience: I have them under my sinks in the kitchen and bathroom. Spray bottles can be hung over the cabinet by extending a rod to the triggers. This leaves the whole floor of the cabinet free either to put the bins of sponges or with some additional dishwasher tabs. It can be used to increase your storage capacity by almost twice within seconds.

3. Over-the-Door Pocket Organizers

Disregard the fact that they serve just shoes. Having a door, you have a complete vertical storage wall that is now doing nothing.

The Issue: Small, random objects, which do not have a home and get placed in junk drawers.

My Experience: I have one on the back of my pantry door to place the granola bars, seasoning packets, and additional lightbulbs. I have one in my cleaning closet as well where I store microfiber cloths, duster refills and scrub brushes. The version with a clear pocket is the most important one, it allows everything to be visible so that you do not need to spend ten minutes searching for an AA battery.

4. Lazy Susans (Turntables)

Dying things get put in a corner cabinet, or deep in a pantry shelf, you see. It is only through Lazy Susan that the dead zones can be made to work.

The Issue: Deep cabinets in which the items are lost and forgotten.

My Experience: I have one in my cabinet of oil and vinegar. I do not have to knock down three bottles of olive oil to reach the balsamic, which is in the back. I simply spin it. I also have the smaller one that I use in the bathroom to do my daily skincare. It holds the bottles contained in a single circle instead of being scattered all over the vanity.

5. Drawer Dividers

A box with no partitions is simply a box where things end up to become messy.

The Issue: The syndrome of the Junk Drawer.

My Experience: I am very fond of the spring-loaded adjustable dividers on the dresser drawers. I put them in order to distinguish between my work out clothes and my socks. I like small modular trays made of plastic in the kitchen. The secret is not to purchase a pre-assembled set which may not fit but to take the measurements and purchase individual parts which connect with one another. When each of the spatulas has its designated slot, you cease tossing things randomly.

6. S-Hooks

These are the easiest hardware solutions to purchase and they resolve a lot of clutter problems.

The Issue: Large merchandise consuming excessive shelf or floor space.

My Experience: I have S-hooks that are on the wire shelving in my laundry room where I keep my ironing board and mop. They can be used to store jeans with the belt loops in the bedroom closet or to store handbags. It is an effortless method of getting things up in the air and on the eye level.

7. Cord Organizer Clips

There is no quicker way of making a clean room look like a mess than with a nest of black and white cables snaking about the floor or desk.

The Issue: Tripped over charging cords and dangerous "cord octopuses" under the television or night stand.

My Experience: I make use of small cable attachment adhesives on the rear of my night stand. It prevents my phone charger from slipping under the bed when I charge it. To the cable mountain behind the computer I just use plain Velcro wraps to tie it all together. It does not only look better, but it is much easier to dust.

8. Shelf Risers

The average cabinets contain approximately 10 to 12 inches of air between your plates and your cans of goods. Shelf risers will give you the opportunity to utilize that air.

The Probability: Things are stacked too high so that it is impossible to pick the bottom item without falling on top.

My Experience: I have them on my kitchen shelves to differentiate between dinner and salad plates. I also have them in the pantry where canned goods are. Rather than six cans stacked which are likely to tip over, I have two levels of three. It causes the cabinet to look much less cluttered and much more orderly.

9. Magnetic Strips

They are customary to knives, but are useful much more than in the kitchen.

The Issue: Miniature-size objects, which are lost in the bottom of bags or drawers.

My Experience: I stuck a small piece of magnet on the inside of the door of my bathroom cabinet. It carries bobby pins, tweezers and nail clippers. It is a little detail, but not having to run the risk of never seeing a single bobby pin again after usually searching the makeup bag is a true daily victory.

10. Stackable Shoe Boxes (The "Everything" Boxes)

The final decluttering weapon that can be used is standardized and stackable plastic boxes, which introduces order in a place filled with disorder.

The Issue: Seasonal things or activities that make a visual noise on open shelves.

My Experience: I purchase them in large quantities. I keep them as my first aid kit, sewing tools, and other technology adapters. The fact they are equally sized makes them fit well on a shelf in the closet. It turns a mixture of the various package shapes into a clean and tidy column of boxes.

A More Realistic Way to Stay Organized

The truth about the organization at home is it is never complete. Living is hectic and things are dynamic. But with such basic, cheap systems in place, the reset- the 10 minute end-of-day tidy-up becomes a painless affair. You are not choosing where things belong, you are merely putting things back home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it necessary to purchase all these products in order to become organized?

No. I have never applied them all simultaneously. The best way to do it is to observe in which places the clutter is accumulating most of the time and focus on those areas. A single or two carefully selected organizers tend to be far more significant than an attempt to completely overhaul it.

But how do I ascertain whether the product of an organization will really fit my home?

I consider my habits initially, and not the product. When the item simplifies the arrangement of items in the manner I have been living, it tends to remain. When it involves additional measures or always having to make changes to it, it seldom stands the test of time- no matter how good it appears.

Should first be organized or decluttered?

It helps me best to do a light declutter first, just getting that which is obviously not used. Lacking such a step in organizing will most likely leave you with the same result of giving the clutter a prettier box, and that will not resolve the issue.

How can I maintain systematic systems not to lapse with time?

Simple systems last longer. Transparent boxes, exposed baskets and open storage minimize decision-making. When one knows where everything goes, then it is much easier to take care of it particularly on a busy day.

Are these solutions applicable in small houses or apartments?

Yes, and there they are likely to count. Most of these are tools that are based on vertical space, concealed storage, or improved utilization of current cabinets. They are created to do with less rather than necessitate additional space.