25 Ways To Be More Organized

These fast and easy organizing ideas are the perfect way to get into a clutter-free routine for the new year — or any time! Try one a day to create a noticeably more organized home in no time at all. Plus, shop for stylish storage solutions recommended by the HGTV Magazine editors.

1. Test all your pens to see which ones actually work. Toss the ones that don't.

3. Toss or donate one item you’ve been holding on to just for sentimental reasons.

4. Hang hooks at eye level in your entryway, garage and closets, using lower ones for kids. Repeat this mantra: “Don’t put it down; put it away.”

5. Stash pet toys in a storage ottoman where you can keep them out of sight until your pup is ready to play.

6. Get your address off junk mail lists. The Federal Trade Commission recommends optoutprescreen.com to stop credit card offer letters; for catalogs, call the number on the back.

7. Pare down your bookshelves: Pick a number between 1 and 10 and for every X books you keep, donate one.

8. Unwrap and toss packaging from paper towels and other supplies, then store the items in a basket or box in the bottom of your pantry or closet so you can easily take inventory of what you have.

9. Throw out your expired makeup and skin care, following this rule of thumb: The closer something is to the eyes, the shorter the lifespan. (Most mascara lasts about three months after opening.)

10. Empty your kitchen utensil crock into a basket and leave it on the counter. Every time you use a tool, put it back in the crock. At the end of the month, donate anything that’s left in the basket: You probably don’t need it!

11. Order packing cubes for your suitcase so you have them next time you need them. They protect clothes from shoes and help you keep track of what you’re bringing.

13. Store your loose photos in pretty storage boxes that you can stack on shelves or leave out on your coffee table.

14. Do a 10-minute kitchen cleanup: Set a timer and hit an area you don’t usually tackle, like cabinet fronts, the oven hood or the inside of the trash bin.

16. Grab a trash bag and toss all the coffee cups, wrappers and receipts that have been piling up in your car. Don’t forget to check under the seats.

17. Replace tapered or round bins with ones that have flat sides. They take up less space on a shelf.

18. Gather your orphaned mittens and solo socks and send them to a textile recycler like Retold Recycling.

19. Try the reverse hanger trick to declutter your closet: Turn all your hangers around the opposite way, then every time you wear something, hang it back correctly. After six months, donate anything you didn’t turn. Most people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time.

20. Rename your junk drawer a “utility drawer,” then move or throw out anything that doesn’t fit that description. Use drawer dividers or small clear containers to hold what remains, like keys, a pen light and scissors.

21. Sort loose paperwork you need to deal with in two magazine files: one for “to-do” items and one for “to-file” items.

22. Put a trash can in every room so you can get rid of clutter wherever you are in the house. Look for cute ones that you don’t mind leaving out.

23. Label your phone and laptop chargers so everyone in the house thinks twice before snagging someone else’s!

24. Preschedule a donation drop-off day at Goodwill or a thrift store and put it in your calendar. Think of it like a dentist appointment — it’s not necessarily fun, but if you put it on the schedule, you’ll do it!

25. Reorganize your pots and pans. Instead of stacking them, get an extendable organizer that separates the pieces so they’re on their sides and easy to grab.

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS: Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, The Home Edit; Kim Longoria-Bruce, Organizing Spaces by Kim; Kelly Finley, Joy Street Design; Rachel Hoffman, author of Cleaning Sucks; Elissa Mostransky, Most Organized Space; Shira Gill, author of Organized Living; Peter Walsh, author of Let it Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life