9 space organization mistakes that prevent you from maintaining order: expert opinion

“The most common mistake I see is not poor furniture placement or workspace organization, but purchasing containers, blankets, stickers and organizers before decluttering . Sorting things into “throw away,” “donate,” and “keep” piles isn’t just about getting rid of what’s unnecessary: ​​it helps you understand what you actually have. When you don’t start this way, containers only make things worse by becoming extra items around the house or remaining only half full,” says space organizer Carolyn Rogers.

“When it comes to organizing a space, size is everything. Baskets that looked really cute in the catalog will look horrible if they barely fit on your shelf. An organizer purchased for the cabinet under the sink, but which does not fit there, is useless. A container that turns out to be too big and therefore remains half empty only wastes useful space. Please never guess what will work for you – just measure every damn drawer before parting with your cash if you want to avoid wasting space,” advises Carolyn.

If it seems to you that the house is packed and there is nowhere to put even a new pair of socks, then you don’t think so. Don’t blame yourself – over time we become overwhelmed with things and so sometimes we need to do an audit and get rid of unnecessary items. “Before organizing your space, it’s important to get rid of anything you no longer use. Throw out broken items, donate or give duplicates, get rid of what you no longer need, and you’ll have a lot less trouble keeping your home organized, says space organizer Linda Samuels.

People often try to implement popular home improvement solutions into their lives rather than those that actually work for them. As space organizer Barbara Reich explains, this is a mistake: “Most photos on social media are staged. For example, look at photos of “perfectly organized” refrigerators and you’ll notice that most are empty of leftovers, she says.

And his colleague Pooja Naik adds: “Don’t compare your house with other people’s apartments or especially with catalogs. The goal of space organization is functionality, not visual appeal. You need to make good use of your available storage space, minimize stress and save time. You can’t achieve this by repeating an image you’ve seen: you have to find your own solution and not copy someone else’s.

“I often see people throw everything into a basket or container and then say they cleaned up. Yes, the house looks neat, but those “filled” dumpsites won’t save you time or frustration when you need to find something, says space organizer Geoffrey Phillip.

“It’s easy to keep order if you have the whole apartment to yourself. But if you have a partner or children, it’s impossible to handle this alone. Don’t hesitate to involve other family members in cleaning and creating a space organization system – both require joint effort and responsibility. In addition, the created arrangement of things should work for all residents of the house – if it bothers them instead of helping them, then the disorder in the wardrobe and chaos in the room will become eternal, ”explains the organizer from space Melissa Levy.

When your desk is clean and all the papers on it are neatly stacked, that is cleanliness. Organizing the space is a completely different matter: if you do not collect a document every day, there is no need to keep it in sight – the piece of paper will only interfere with cleaning and give the workplace a cluttered appearance.

Minimalism is a trend that attracts many. At first glance, this seems very convenient: after all, it is obvious that it is easier to wash a tray on which nothing rests than to first remove objects from it and then put them back on it. But in the long run, this logic doesn’t work: if you don’t have quick access to the things you use often, the simplest actions will take longer. All this will end with you stopping storing everything on shelves and in containers, and the lack of storage space in the kitchen and in the bedrooms will only get worse.

Also Read: 12 Cleaning Myths That Do More Harm Than Good

“Even though cleaning and organizing are completely different things, they have the same thing in common: they need to be revisited regularly. Don’t expect your home to stay perfect forever after being decluttered and tidy. You need a plan to keep it that way. It’s not as difficult as it seems: sometimes it’s enough for each member of the family to spend just 10 minutes a day and put things in their place,” explains Kelly Powell, organizer of the space.

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