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It is easy to think of home organizing as something you need to schedule in advance, especially at this time of the year. Spring cleaning is a big deal for a lot of households, but the problem with it is that it only lasts for a few months, and then everything is typically a mess again.

How can you get around that problem? One of the best home organization hacks is to come up with a set of habits which become part of your daily ongoing life. That way you will be making changes which will improve home organization throughout the year. Here are some top suggestions. In Part 2, I will share even more great ideas with you.

• Make sure everything has a place and you put everything back in its place after you use it, no exceptions. Bins, by far, are an effective and easy to use method for quickly organizing yourself. If you have a spot in your house that you designate “miscellaneous,” it will quickly become a stockpile for everything, and before you know it, the clutter will be out of hand once more. Buy home storage bins and label them so that you have a specific container for everything in your house. Plastic storage containers are affordable and versatile. You can easily repurpose them in the future. So if there are changes to your home organization scheme, you will find that the same plastic bins can be used time and again.

• Set aside 15 minutes a day to get organized. This does not need to happen every day, but if you use the 15 minutes a day to a clean house system just several times a week, you can make lasting positive change. It is much easier to commit to than major organizing projects, and requires less planning and involvement from other household members. Plus, when you make small changes and improvements throughout your house on an ongoing basis, you have more time to reflect and come up with innovative organizational solutions.

• Organize your time. This should include not just the time that you are going to spend cleaning and organizing your home, but also the time that you will be spending doing regular weekly activities and chores. Avoid multitasking too much. While you may believe that it increases productivity, research has demonstrated that it actually does the opposite. It is usually best to try to tackle a single task at a time.

These home organization tips & techniques can help you to take control of your life and your space again. It is easy to get caught up in the thinking that you need to plan dramatic lifestyle changes and big projects in order to tackle household clutter. In reality, it is usually the more moderate plans which are the more successful ones. These plans are easier to integrate into your existing schedule, and they are also easier to stick with. For more good home organizing habits, be sure to read Great Habits for Home Organizing, Part 2.