Star Secrets to Cleaning and Organizing

Sabrina Soto, host of The High Low Project, admits she's a neat freak. HGTV Magazine reveals her clean, clutter-free tricks.

By: Betsy Goldberg

From: HGTV Magazine

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Photo By: Melanie Acevedo

Sabrina Soto Confessions

"I can't do anything until my space is neat. I've been that way since I was a kid," says Sabrina, standing in her spotless New York City apartment. Sabrina's sofa stays crumb-free thanks to weekly under-cushion vacuuming with the upholstery attachment.

From: HGTV Magazine

Coffee Table Storage

"In small spaces, every piece needs to be multifunctional. That's why I like a coffee table with a shelf for storage," says Sabrina. "I wipe it down regularly with just a damp cloth, and twice a year I treat it with a solution I bought at a jewelry supply store that keeps it from rusting. Still, you can see the rings from people's cups, and I kind of love that. I'm neat and clean, yes, but I don't want to dampen anyone's fun."

From: HGTV Magazine

Easy Rug Care

"I toss my rug if there's a stain...Well, not the whole rug! I bought these Flor carpet tiles not only because I love how they look, but also because if I can't get a stain out, I recycle the tile and put down a new one. The tiles come with self-adhesive dots that connect the squares together at the corners. I've been known to stockpile extras, so replacing them is no big deal," says Sabrina. (For similar tiles, try Fall In Line, flor.com.)

From: HGTV Magazine

Well-Hidden Mess

"The pretty boxes on the coffee table are like my junk drawers. They're where all my USB cables, remotes, and cords are stored. I keep them neat with Velcro cord wrappers. Sometimes I'll go in search of the perfect box to conceal a specific item, and other times I'll just buy a set of nesting containers in a bunch of sizes knowing I can always find something to put in them," says Sabrina.

From: HGTV Magazine

Make the Bed Quick

"I pull the flat sheet all the way up and the blanket two thirds of the way up, then I fold the sheet over the blanket and fold the duvet in half at the foot of the bed. On the weekend, I'll make the bed more elaborate by adding three Euro shams behind the regular pillows and shams. Most people use two, but I like how three cover the entire head of this king-size bed," says Sabrina.

From: HGTV Magazine

Under-the-Mattress Storage

"The first time people see this hydraulic bed, they always say, 'Oh my God! I need that for my house!' I bought mine a few years back from West Elm, but Overstock.com sells similar ones. I don't have a big linen closet, and there's nothing I hate more than seeing those plastic bins under the bed, so I keep extra bedding in here, plus bags, suitcases, and out-of-season stuff," says Sabrina. "I also love that the bed frame goes all the way to the floor. No dust bunnies!"

From: HGTV Magazine

Closet Sorting

"All my stuff is organized by category — skirts, tank tops, long-sleeve shirts — and within those, I sort by color. I started out doing lightest to darkest but quickly realized that wasn't going to last long! I use only Huggable Hangers, which take up a lot less room ($10 for set of 10, containerstore.com). If I had more room, I'd insist on at least a finger's width of space between each hanger," says Sabrina.

From: HGTV Magazine

Home Office Space-Savers

Sabrina uses the wall as a vertical desk with clever storage and creative displays.

From: HGTV Magazine

Hanging Storage Containers

"I have lots of little objects in my office — illustration markers, scissors, swatches — but because there's a place for it all, it looks neat. When I saw these little buckets in the kitchen section of IKEA, I thought they would be great for color-coding my markers and making them easy to reach."

From: HGTV Magazine

A Place for the Purse

"I also use what looks like a giant metal binder clip to hang my purse off the side of my desk. It's from a company called Poppin (poppin.com), which makes really cute office supply stuff. I drop my bag on it as soon as I walk into the apartment so I don't have to hunt for it later."

From: HGTV Magazine

Dirty Tricks

"My bathroom doesn't have a chance to get dirty," says Sabrina. "Every morning after showering, I do a mini cleanup. First I pull the shower curtain shut so it dries flat. Then I wipe the mirror with a damp microfiber cloth and a spritz of Windex. I'm addicted to Windex. I would wash my face with it if I could! Next I wipe down the countertop and sink. Bigger jobs get tackled on the weekend: I clean the toilet with Soft Scrub and the tub with Bon Ami. If the grout looks grungy, I'll use Homax Tile Grout Coating with a stiff grout brush to whiten it up." See what's in Sabrina's cleaning caddy.

From: HGTV Magazine

Star Secrets to Cleaning and Organizing

Related To:

Shop This Look

Sabrina Soto Confessions

Coffee Table Storage

Easy Rug Care

Well-Hidden Mess

Make the Bed Quick

Under-the-Mattress Storage

Closet Sorting

Home Office Space-Savers

Hanging Storage Containers

A Place for the Purse

Dirty Tricks

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