5 Home Organizing Mistakes and What to Do Instead

Parting with items is never easy, but the reality is, not everything you own deserves to remain in your home. 

“The biggest organizational mistake I see is when people have more stuff than space to house it,” says Elese Denis, founder of Denis Organization. The fix here is to reduce the amount of clutter and be more methodical about how and where everything is stored. 

Solution: Let Items Go
Denis abides by a three-pronged approach wherein she advises clients to sort their belongings into three categories.

Yellow: High-priority objects that are used everyday and should be kept within reach—think flatware, plates, and cups.

Blue: Items used sparingly, such as a roasting pan that comes out during the holidays or special occasions. These items can go on higher shelves with less accessibility. 

Red: These are items that are used once or twice a year, such as a bread maker or novelty attachments for stand mixers. These can be stored in bins or boxes and kept out of sight. 

Anything that’s leftover can be sold, donated, or recycled, Denis says. “I ask clients to look through the stored bins and boxes six months to a year later and hopefully they will find that they can get rid of a lot of those things as well.”

Denis’s go-to storage items are Sterilite clear latch storage boxes, which come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

Shop: Sterilite 32qt Clear View Storage Bin with Latch, $8 at Target; $59 for a 6-pack at Amazon