Start Off The New Year Right: 7 Small Areas to Declutter and Organize Your Home

Everyone wants a fresh start to the new year, and one great way to do that is to declutter and organize your home. Often times we feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start to declutter, but if we start small we can feel a sense of accomplishment that helps motivate us to keep going. Here are seven often neglected areas that can be a great starting place to organizing your home.

1) Organizing the Linen Closet

Linen closets tend to become messy and overstuffed throughout the year, so take this time to give your linen closets a fresh start. Go through your towels and get rid of any that are faded, stained or fraying. Two sets of sheets per bed should be plenty, so don't hang onto older more warn out sheets. The linen closet can also become a place to stuff all your blankets. Save your favorite blankets that you like to cozy up with, and get rid of the rest.

Donate these towels, sheets and blankets to a local animal shelter or homeless shelter, who will probably be happy to receive them.

2) Cleaning out the Coat Closet

Coat closets become a catchall for outerwear, accessories, shoes and random household items. It is best to pull everything out, so you can see everything you have at once. Donate any unused or outgrown jackets/outdoor clothing. Toss old gloves and shoes that are missing a mate. If you have sentimental clothing such as logo hats or scarves from a vacation or favorite sports team, it might be better to store these items in a different part of the house. Only keep winter/rain boots in the coat closet. Other types of shoes should be kept in a bedroom closet or in the garage.

When returning the items you are keeping to the coat closet, be sure to organize them by categories (like keeping raincoats together). An over the door organizer can be a great way to keep smaller accessories organized and handy to grab as you are walking out the door.

3) Declutter Under the Kitchen Sink

After removing all of the items out from under the sink, give the interior of the cabinet a quick wipe down with warm, soapy water. Next consolidate any half used similar containers into one. Toss out any products that are old or have dried up. Group similar products together in a single container: dishwashing products in one, and cleaning products into another container. If you are still needing more storage, an organizer that attaches to the cabinet door may be very useful.

4) Clean out the Freezer

We tend to clean out our refrigerators more often then we clean out our freezers. Once you have removed all of the frozen food from the freezer, be sure to wipe it down. Throw out any food that has been in the freezer for many months. According to the FDA, the longer food is in the freezer the more the quality of the food decreases. You will also want to get rid of food that has freezer burn or is covered in ice crystals.

5) Organize the Kitchen Junk Drawer

The kitchen junk drawer is the catchall for a multitude of random items. It is often difficult to find what you are looking for, because they tend to be so messy. It is best to try to limit the type of items you put in the junk drawer to things you only use on a daily or weekly basis. Toss out anything broken, old pens, old receipts, and coupons. The best way to keep a junk drawer organized is by using organizers with many different compartments. Use these containers to store pens, tape, chargers, earbuds and scissors.

6) Tidy-up Your Sock and Underwear Drawer

Socks and underwear drawers can easily become a hodgepodge of a mess. The best way to combat this is to buy inexpensive drawer organizers. They come in many different varieties, and make organizing these drawers a breeze. When organizing these items, it is best to separate them out into categories. Put all of your socks in one area or drawer, underwear in another etc..... It is also important to get rid of any socks or underwear that have holes in them, so you have more room to keep things nice and neat.

7) Straighten Out Your Bathroom Drawer

Any drawers that hold small items can easily become very messy quickly. Drawer organizers come in many shapes and sizes. Make sure to measure your bathroom drawer before you go shopping, so you can find the container that will fit and best work for your needs. Again make sure you toss anything that is dried out, unusable or old. Create a space for toothpaste, floss, razors, and cosmetics.

Now that you have gotten a great start on organizing these smaller spaces, you are ready to tackle bigger areas in your house.