What is your best organizing tip?

[Epacris]

A place for everything and everything in its place. AND, this is the clincher for us, volume for volume replacement – any new things get put away and the same volume of things must be donated to charity. It doesn’t work perfectly, I know we have more stuff now than we used to, but it does help enormously to keep it in check (the grandparents tend to go a bit crazy with “stuff” and drive me totally insane ).

All the best!

[Kazbah]

When I sort, I don't sort stuff to toss, but I sort which stuff I want to keep. The rest goes.

[AnyDream]

When I sort, I don't sort stuff to toss, but I sort which stuff I want to keep. The rest goes.

That's a gem.

[Roryrory]

Along the same lines as what the others have said, my best organising tip is to get rid of as much as possible. Less stuff = less mess.

With kids toys, I rotate them. For example, at the moment all the jigsaws are packed away with the blocks and Mr Potato Head. I'll bring that stuff out when the boys tire of the toy food set, Thomas train set and etch-a-sketch.

[lindsaymaree]

A friend of mine has those large plastic tubs with the lids, They seperate the toys into the 3 tubs, 2 tubs go into the shed (out of sight/out of mind) and the one tub inside that can be pulled out and played with, etc. Every couple of weeks this tub gets packed up and rotated to the shed, the kids get a new tub from the shed of toys they've forgotten about.

Because the kids forget about the toys that have been packed away, my friend can then get rid of things they normally wouldn't let her part with.

[Liviam]

Great tips ladies. Keep them coming. I'm in massive need of some storage/clean up ideas. My house isn't very big and we have toys and stuff everywhere - it's driving me crazy!!

[didispunk]

Thank you all,

What about kitchen drawers etc, and that utensil drawer etc.. where you can never find anything,
or your bathroom drawers, and food cupboards etc?

[Astrid]

Thank you all,

What about kitchen drawers etc, and that utensil drawer etc.. where you can never find anything,

I am not the most organised person, but I have found what works a better for me at the moment.

I have sorted out the drawer into the following:
Used weekly - large (serving spoons, masher, whisk etc)
Used weekly - small (measuring spoons, bag clips, bottle openers etc)
Large and small items rarely used, but still needed
Sharp things best kept out of reach of small children

The used weekly stuff is kept in the drawer, there is a plastic container for the small items to stop them from getting lost amongst the big stuff.

The rarely used stuff and sharp things are kept in a large double plastic draw set from Bunning and put on the top shelf of the pantry (I can reach just enough to pull out a drawer). The drawers just pull out completely and are clear, so it makes it easier to find things. One drawer is knives, sharpeners, rolling pin, the other is piping bags, small baking things.

Oh I also have a smaller set of the plastic drawers in the pantry for tape rolls, batteries, calculator, allen keys, spare padlocks

[~Kim~]

Each of us have a smallish basket in the bathroom cupboard (labelled with names). Everything we use is in there, and the rest I just got rid of. Wasn't being used. Mummy gets two though

In the kitchen my most used utensils are on the bench in a canister and I chucked the rest. Only the most important other stuff got to stay (can opener, grater, garlic crusher etc) in the drawer. Basically be ruthless, the less mess the less mess.