Apartment Organizing
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The Do’s & Don’ts
Tips and tricks on how to keep your apartment tidy and organized.
Apartment living can pose many difficulties when it comes to keeping a tidy, organized space. Many people have more belongings than can comfortably fit in a small apartment. If you find yourself running out of space to store things, have piles of items you don’t know what to do with, or just don’t even know where to start, here are three Do’s and Don’ts tips to make your apartment life a little easier.
Don’t store on the floor! It’s easy to designate a floor space for particular items, such as keeping your shoes by the front door or a basket in which to keep your living room throw blankets. While this may be convenient, it will quickly become a bigger problem. Storing items on the floor can attract insects, collect dust, and there is an opportunity for your items to become damaged. Due to the limited space in apartments, this also quickly leads to the space appearing extremely cluttered and closed in.
Do utilize vertical storage! This is a fantastic way to maximize the space with which you’re working. It’s free real estate that you should be using to the best of your advantage! There are a multitude of different ways to implement this technique. Some personal favorites include utilizing shoe racks in the closet, hanging organizers for foldable clothes, risers in any cabinet space, a rack to hold your pans, and this amazing bike rack that will vertically store your bikes!
Don’t use large, opaque bins for storage! It may seem like the best option, with there being less bins to hold many items. However, it winds up costing you more later on down the road. Apartment living isn’t forever, and these bins become very heavy and hard to move around. When you use opaque bins, it is very easy to forget what you have placed inside, and end up not ever using those items. Why keep them in a bin if you’ll forget they are even there? Alternatively, use smaller, clear bins that are easier to move, and you’ll always know what’s inside without having to open it up and dig around. The smaller bins are also easier to find nooks to keep them in, and don’t take up as much of your already limited space.
Do minimize paper clutter! When coming back into the apartment after getting the mail, it is all too easy to place the junk mail on the counter, where it will inevitably pile up. Most apartment complexes have a garbage bin in the mail room. When you get your mail, quickly go through it and toss any junk mail straight into that bin before leaving the mail room. Really think about if you’re going to use that magazine of coupons, or if they will end up in an unwanted pile on your counter. By tossing the junk mail away before returning to the apartment, you eliminate the problem before it even becomes one.
Don’t keep plastic Tupperware! While it may seem like a smart idea to keep all of those plastic containers you buy your food in, there is a much better alternative that will help keep those kitchen cabinets tidy. Plastic Tupperware can develop food stains, not stack together cohesively, and it never fails that some of the lids always go missing, leaving you with an incomplete set. The kitchen cabinets used to store these quickly become a game of Tetris that is not pleasing to the eye. Instead, invest in a sturdy set of glass Snapware. These will stack neatly together, never stain, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and less likely to lose their lids.
Do choose one area in your apartment to clean every night! As counter space and square footage may be limited in an apartment, one of the best tidy tips is selecting one area or surface in your apartment to always clear off at the end of your day. This practice gives your apartment an area always free of visual clutter, opening up your space, and forming a new habit. Once you have done one area for a few months, it is a piece of cake adding another spot to tidy up every night! A great place to start could be your coffee or dining table, the bathroom counter, or the entryway.
We hope these tips and tricks help you keep your apartment neat and organized, and invite you to join the Minimize with Mae Challenge on Instagram! Choose your one area in your apartment that you will clean every night, snap a photo after you’ve finished tidying, and share it to Instagram using #minimzewithmaechallenge!
