5 Secrets to Keep Your Home Organized

One of the biggest misconceptions about organization is that it’s complicated. In reality, the principles are simple. What makes organization feel hard is that most of us are short on time, energy, and clear information. And when the foundation isn’t solid, no amount of bins or labels will fix it. Just like anything in life, organization only works when you build it on the right principles. These are the 5 secrets to keep your home organized that I shared on KSL TV, plus a few important things I didn’t have the time to say.

How to Keep Your Home Organized

1. Make It Easy by Letting Go

The number one way to make a home easy to maintain is to own less. Everything we bring into our homes takes energy to manage, energy to clean it, store it, organize it, move it, and eventually decide what to do with it. When we have too much, our homes start to work against us instead of for us.

A home that stays organized is one that contains mostly:

• Food you actually eat (and that isn’t expired)

• Clothes you actually wear

• Papers you actually need

• Kitchen gadgets you actually use

• Items you truly enjoy and use regularly

This is where intentionality matters. Be thoughtful about both what you bring in and what you let go of. We are constantly bombarded with the latest and greatest products that will fix this or make that easier. But sometimes, less is more. When you declutter and reduce excess purchases, organization becomes lighter, faster, and far more sustainable. Plus, your home naturally feels calmer and more peaceful.

2. Give Everything a Home

Clutter usually means that something doesn’t have a home. And no, kitchen counters, desks, and dining room tables are not homes! They’re temporary landing zones. When items live on flat surfaces long-term, it’s a sign that the system is broken.

If there isn’t a clear place for it, that’s your signal to pause. Ask yourself if you use it, where its home should be, if you have the space for it, and if you have the time and energy to maintain it (when applicable).

Using labels where appropriate can be a huge help for your family to help you maintain an organized home so everyone can be clear on what goes where. And when every item has a defined home, tidying becomes straightforward for everyone involved (plus, less “mom, where’s this?” and “mom, where does that go?”).

3. Create Systems by Solving Your Pain Points First

Once everything has a home, then it’s time to create systems. Systems don’t need to be complicated. In fact, labels are one of the easiest and most effective systems that exist. They remove confusion, create consistency, and make it obvious where things belong, especially in shared spaces. You can start creating systems by thinking about your biggest pain points.

Look for the areas that frustrate you most and solve for those first:

• A basket at the bottom of the stairs to collect items that belong on another floor

• A shoe basket by the door for guest shoes

• Hooks in the garage or mudroom for backpacks and bags

• Labeled bins in the pantry to create clear food zones

Sometimes this coincides with whether or not something has a home but it also speaks to the general flow of the house and how different areas are used. Think of spaces in terms of zones as you group like things together and you’ll find that those areas of your home will frustrate you much less.

4. Get Everyone in the Household on Board

Even the best systems won’t last if only one person understands them. For a home to stay organized, everyone who lives there needs to be part of the system. That means teaching where things go, reinforcing habits, and setting clear expectations.

When systems are clear and easy to follow, it becomes much simpler for kids, partners, and guests to put things back where they belong. But be patient, you may have to teach and re-teach organized habits to your family members if this is all new to them. But remember that organization always works best when it’s shared.

5. Reset Regularly

You should only have to do a big overhaul of your home once, after that you can take small amounts of time daily, weekly, and monthly to maintain those systems or make slight adjustments. And regular resets are really what keep your home organized long-term because you’re not letting things build up over time.

Create nightly resets for high-traffic areas like the kitchen and bedrooms and weekly resets for less-used spaces like the garage, storage rooms, or laundry areas. It’s best if these resets aren’t long or intense. Small, consistent, and intentional resets are just meant to bring things back to baseline. Without plans for maintenance even the best systems will eventually fall apart. With them, your home will stay calm, functional, and ready for real life.

An organized home isn’t about doing more, it’s about building on a solid foundation. That means less stuff, a clear home, realistic systems, shared responsibility, and regular resets. When these principles are in place, organization stops feeling overwhelming and starts feeling supportive, and your home becomes a place that truly works for you.

Up for decluttering your home? I’ve created a 30 Day Reset Program that walks you through decluttering each part of your home. But if decluttering on your own is too overwhelming, we have decluttering specialists that can help walk through it with you. We can also help you get organized for good with our teams of professionally trained organizers serving all of Utah and traveling to many other states! We believe that creating and maintaining an organized home can be life-changing and we would love to help you experience that for yourself.

Jen is the founder of Reset Your Nest, a Professional Home Organizing Business in Utah (servicing Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Alpine, Highland, Mapleton, and St. George). She loves creating order and systems out of chaos and is known for bringing a beautiful aesthetic as well as easy to maintain function to any space. She shares her tips and tricks on Instagram @reset_your_nest.