Think you can’t get organized unless you have hours to spare? Think again! I’ve come up with 35 quick home organization ideas that can be completed in just 5 minutes (or less).
35 Super-Fast Home Organization Ideas
Stop procrastinating and start organizing! These bite-sized projects are simple ways you can see quick wins which will inspire you to tackle those larger home organization projects you’ve been putting off!
By the way, you may notice I recommend using a planner in many of these tasks. In case you’re curious, I recommend this physical planner.
Are you ready? Set a timer and let’s get started!
1. TACKLE THE JUNK DRAWER
The best way to declutter/organize the junk drawer is to:
- decide ahead of time what needs to be kept in the junk drawer
- dump that sucker out
- toss any trash
- relocate items that don’t belong
- replace those that do
Okay, so this task may end up taking a bit longer than 5 minutes (depending on how fast you work), but think about how great it will look when you are done! (And how much easier it will be to find AA batteries when you need them)!
Related: 5 Simple Steps to an Organized Junk Drawer
2. FOLD & PUT AWAY LAUNDRY
I’m willing to bet if you were to open your dryer right now, there’s a load of clean, dry clothes patiently waiting to be put away.
Go ahead and check…I’ll wait.
3. MAKE THE BED
Want to have a productive day? Start by making your bed. According to William McRaven a Retired US Navy General, and author of Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change The World,
Making my bed was the first task of the day, and doing it right was important. It showed my attention to detail, and at the end of the day it would be a reminder that I had done something well, something to be proud of, no matter how small the task.
4. CLEAR THE BATHROOM COUNTER
Now’s the time to put the cap back on the toothpaste, put away toiletries and makeup, and unstick that string of floss from the counter (Ewww).
Bonus points if you fill-up the soap dispenser and wipe down the counter and faucet!
5. UNLOAD (AND RELOAD) THE DISHWASHER
Recently, I’ve set a goal in our home that everyone loads his/her own dishes in the dishwasher. Unfortunately, ’empty sink nirvana’ has yet to be reached. Apparently, it’s too hard to load dirty dishes when the dishwasher is always full of clean dishes.
Who knew?
6. ORGANIZE THE ENTRYWAY
I’m looking at you, shoes, keys, bags, dog leashes, and sunglasses!
7. TAKE ACTION ON DAILY PAPERWORK
Start with today’s mail and work your way through older mail. Toss any junk mail and expired sales flyers. Pay bills as they come in or file them near your bill-paying area.
8. SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
Here are my three best tips for how to schedule an appointment quickly:
- Don’t call on Monday or Friday
- Don’t call during lunchtime
- Have pertinent information handy when you call (eg. insurance cards, medication list, calendar or planner with dates you are available)
9. FILL OUT YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK
Sit down with any appointment cards, invitations, flyers, etc. and fill out your plans for the week in your planner, on a calendar, or set digital reminders on your phone.
10. ADDRESS A CLUTTER HOTSPOT
Find one area in your home where clutter tends to collect and do the following:
- Throw away any trash
- Try to find (3) things to donate
- Put away anything that is out of place
- Remove and relocate items which do not belong in the space
11. HANG UP A KEY RACK
You know the saying, “If mama’s happy, everyone’s happy?” Well, I like to say, “If the keys are easy to find, mama’s happy!”
Seriously, back in my disorganized hot mess days, I was constantly misplacing my keys. I’d leave them in my pocketbook, on the dryer, or sometimes, in the door! It would take me extra time to get out the door whenever I went somewhere because I’d always have to locate my keys.
Now, everyone in our family knows that the keys get hung up on the key rack as soon as we step foot in the door. And my life is a little less of a hot mess!
12. DO A 5-MINUTE TRASH COLLECTION
Grab a garbage bag. Set a timer. Race around your home and collect as much trash as you possibly can.
13. DO A 5-MINUTE DECLUTTER
Similar to the 5-minute trash collection, grab a box or tote, set a timer, and challenge yourself to fill the box with as many items as you can to donate.
14. ORGANIZE CORDS & CHARGERS
Cord clutter is the bane of my existence! I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate the look of cords dangling from each and every electronic device in my home.
Which is why I like to use washi tape, velcro, zip ties, and binder clips to organize and tidy up cords. It only takes a few minutes per area and makes a world of difference.
15. REMOVE DECOR
This is one of my favorite 5-minute home organization ideas because, the less stuff we have to maintain, the less stuff we HAVE to maintain!
Go ahead and walk through the main living spaces in your home. Pause at the doorway and take a good, long look at each room. Do your eyes have anywhere to ‘rest’? If not, remove some decor (framed photos, artwork, knick-knacks, etc.) until the room is less cluttered (yet still warm and inviting).
16. ORGANIZE A SHELF
Pick a shelf. Any shelf will do. Clear it off, declutter it, wipe it down, and put stuff back.
17. SHRED SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS
This quick task can be completed while binge-watching Marie Kondo on Netflix. How easy is that?
18. TAKE COMMAND
Oh, how I love me some command hooks! I love them so much, I have at least one hanging in every single room of my home.
Take a moment and identify one area in your home that would benefit from a command hook (or two). This may be the entryway, laundry room, bathroom, or your master closet.
Tip: Don’t forget to prep the area with rubbing alcohol in order to remove any dust, or grime first.
19. ORGANIZE THE BATHTUB/SHOWER AREA
Consolidate shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles and toss the empty containers. Identify any products you no longer use/don’t like and discard (or place in a bin to donate if it’s unopened).
Declutter and put away children’s bath toys.
Throw away old bath sponges and place soiled washcloths in the laundry basket.
20. CLEAN OUT ONE SHELF OR DRAWER IN THE REFRIGERATOR
Now is the time to be brave and reach all the way to the back of the fridge. Start with the items stored in the inside of the door and work your way up to the hard stuff if you like.
It’s important to remove everything from the shelf so nothing gets overlooked.
Throw away any expired products, as well as anything you bought and didn’t like.
Quickly wipe down the area and replace food items.
21. ORGANIZE ONE SHELF IN THE PANTRY
Clear off one shelf or empty one basket in the pantry. Throw away expired food or anything you know you/your family won’t eat. (Donate the item if it is unopened and not expired).
Remove dry goods from packages and place in storage containers or tupperware if desired.
Group like items together, wipe off the shelf and quickly put food away.
22. ORGANIZE TUPPERWARE/FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS
- Gather together Tupperware, food storage containers, and lids.
- Match containers to their lids.
- Discard stray lids.
- Discard broken/damaged containers
- Donate unneeded containers
- Wipe off shelf
- Nestle containers inside of each other and place back on the shelf or in a drawer
23. CLEAR THE COFFEE TABLE
Oh, the feeling of an empty coffee table! If you’ve never experienced this, I encourage you to give it a try!
If you’re not quite ready to go this far, identify the items you absolutely must have on your coffee table and remove the rest.
Chances are you will have a variety of odds and ends residing on the table: kid’s toys, empty cups, books, remotes, pens, etc. Gather stray items and quickly put them away where they belong.
Toss any trash you find.
Wipe down the table and replace whatever you’ve decided to keep.
*Tip: Organize remotes, coasters, and magazines in appropriately-sized baskets in order to reduce visual clutter.
24. MAXIMIZE SPACE IN ONE CABINET OR DRAWER
If you have a cabinet or drawer that is so full you can no longer comfortably close it, it’s time to declutter and organize it!
For the sake of time, you do not need to remove everything from the cabinet or drawer if you do not want to.
Start by discarding trash or anything you know you do not need/use/love. Remove anything which doesn’t belong in the space and put it away. Group like items together and organize in baskets or bins.
25. DECLUTTER & ORGANIZE BOARD GAMES
Chances are, you have more than a few board and card games stuffed in the back of a closet shelf somewhere which you (or your family) no longer play.
Throw away any games with missing pieces. Donate a few. Organize what’s left.
*Tip: I like to store board games vertically (like books on a shelf). This takes up less space overall and allows me to easily grab a game without having to dig through a pile.
26. ORGANIZE VIDEO GAMES OR DVD’S
Weed out any old video games/DVD’s which you or your children haven’t played or watched in the past year. Donate them and reorganize what remains.
Every time we do this, our children manage to find an ‘old favorite’ that they thought they had lost.
27. DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE MAKEUP
Throw away any expired/unloved makeup and applicators. Donate unopened makeup which you know you will not wear. Wipe off the outside of your makeup cases and bottles, clean your makeup brushes, and neatly organize your favorites.
Tip: This is my absolute favorite way to organize makeup and brushes.
28. CLEAN OUT YOUR CAR
I like to keep extra plastic shopping bags in my vehicle to use as trash bags. Whenever our family returns from a road trip, we gather up any trash and throw it away before anyone goes inside.
29. CLEAN OUT YOUR PURSE/WALLET
Take 5 minutes to Marie Kondo your purse and/or wallet. Dump it out. (Yes, ALL of it). Then:
- Toss any trash
- Record information on business cards in your planner or phone and throw away the card
- Test pens to make sure they work and throw away any which do not
- Consolidate loose mints and gum
- Put loose change in a change jar
- Remove duplicates
- Throw out expired coupons and discount cards
- Return needed items to your purse and wallet
Tip: These cute little pouches make organizing your purse a breeze!
30. SORT ONE PILE OF PAPER
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Most of us keep more paperwork than we need to. Shocking, huh?
With this in mind, ruthlessly declutter one stack of paperwork. Don’t worry about shredding every little thing, either. You can use a black sharpie to block out any sensitive information such as account numbers, passwords, and social security numbers. Otherwise, just toss it in the recycle bin or trash can.
Still stumped? Check out these helpful posts:
- How to Declutter Paper in 4 Simple Steps
- The Absolute Best Ways to Organize Paper Clutter
- The Easy Way To Organize Kid’s School Papers And Art Projects
31. ORGANIZE UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK
This home organization idea can take as little or as much time as you want it to.
If you are aiming for a quick 5-minute way to organize under the kitchen sink, you’ll want to skip emptying out the cabinet and instead focus on decluttering and consolidating.
When you’re ready for more of a challenge here’s how to completely declutter and organize the area under your kitchen sink.
*Tip: Don’t forget to utilize the space behind the cabinet doors!
32. FILE FOLD ONE DRAWER
There’s no denying the fact that the Marie Kondo file-fold method is an efficient way to organize your clothes. Finding the time to implement it is a little more difficult.
To make it just a bit easier, simply work on one drawer at a time as you have the time.
33. DECLUTTER YOUR CONTACTS LIST
If you are standing in a long line, waiting in the doctor’s office, sitting in the school pick up line, redeem the time by decluttering and organizing the contacts on your phone. (Instead fo surfing Instagram).
34. CLEAR ONE FLAT SURFACE
I’m a big fan of naked, flat surfaces. I know some people say a cluttered desk is the sign of a genius, but I feel an empty desktop actually makes me more productive. When I am not surrounded by distractions, I am free to focus on the task at hand.
35. UNSUBSCRIBE FROM 5 SPAM EMAILS
Open your email inbox and identify 5-10 pieces of spam. Open each email and scroll to the bottom. Click ‘unsubscribe’.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of 35 quick and easy 5-minute home organization ideas. I’d love it if you’d share your before and after photos in our Facebook Group.
Read More:
- 33 Wire Basket Storage Ideas For Every Room In Your Home
- 4 Simple Steps To Organize Craft Supplies
- 12 Clever Under The Kitchen Sink Organization Ideas
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