Ever pop in on a friend unexpectedly and everything’s in its place? She had no time to clean up, yet her house is immaculate. How does she do that? We wanted to know, so we went to the neat and organized— readers whose homes always look great— to find out their best strategies.
1. Stop It Before It Starts
“We live minimally, so things look clean and organized without much effort on my part. When we go away we don’t buy souvenirs, I don’t save my kids’ report cards, and their art projects don’t even make it into the house. I know, I know, you’re thinking I don’t have a sentimental bone in my body. But really, in 10 years, are you ever going to look at your kids’ kindergarten report card?” Sheryl Balfan, 42, Boca Raton, FL
2. Faster Food
“We have a ‘fast food’ basket in our fridge that contains sandwich condiments, meats, cheese, tortillas, flatbread and other things that can be used to make a quick lunch. Everything is in one place and I don’t have to spend hours searching for the mustard.” Amy Bayliss, 34, Baton Rouge, LA
3. Kid Power
“With four kids, it’s tough to keep everything in order, but I use the children to my advantage. We play ‘Beat the Clock,’ which turns cleaning into a competition. I set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes and send the kids off to straighten up. They need to pick up everything from the common rooms and clean their own rooms. Whoever finishes and makes it to the family room couch first wins.” Nina Restieri, 41, Old Greenwich, CT
4. Bag It
“Our pantry used to be a huge mess—lots of forgotten, half-eaten bags of stale chips, pretzels and Goldfish sprinkled throughout the pantry shelves. Now when I get home from the grocery store, I portion snacks into ziptop bags and keep them in a pretty basket. It not only neatens up the pantry, it keeps bugs away, makes packing lunches easier, and gives us built-in portion control.” Alethea Elkins, 38, Newtown, CT
5. Use It or Lose It
“I have four kids and no room for clutter. The rule is, if you didn’t use it, wear it, play with it, eat it or know of it in the past six months, it goes out the door. They can do what they want in their own rooms, but the rest of the house is mine! So if you spill it, drop it or leave it lying around, chances are you won’t ever find it again since I’ll throw it out.” Ronit Rogoszinski, 43, New York City
6. Do a Sweep
“Every morning I walk around the house to open the shades and I take a basket with me. Anything that doesn’t belong in a room goes in the basket and gets returned to where it should be. By the time I get to the kitchen, most of the clutter has been organized.” Leanne Naidoo, 28, Fort Lauderdale, FL
7. Hide In Plain Sight
“I buy pretty boxes to hold all the things I like to save. Small boxes for tealight candle refills, makeup, photos that need to be scrapbooked, recipes I want to try. Larger boxes work well for magazines and storage for winter clothing. I use old cigar boxes, antique leather boxes and pretty paper boxes. This creates handy storage while adding a decorative touch to my house.” Elli Frank, 32, New York City
8. Neaten as You Go
“I use my mother’s mantra of organization: If you don’t make a mess, you won’t have a mess to clean up. I get undressed in front of the hamper, so there are no dirty clothes lying on the floor. I also get dressed in the closet so I can put the hangers right back. In the kitchen, I don’t wait around until the meal is over to clean, I do it during downtime while cooking. When I load the dishwasher, I put like items together so there’s no sorting when the dishes come out.” Karyn Beach, 40, Charlotte, NC
9. Make a Mudroom
“Our entry used to be a dumping ground for everything, but I fixed that by adding three simple things: Each person has his or her own color hook for bookbags and coats; basket for the things he or she wants by the door, like cameras and certain toys; and rug for shoes. I have two rules: Your stuff must be hanging, in the basket or on the rug, and baskets get emptied every week.” Chela O’Connor, 40, Madison, WI
10. File It
“To cut down on clutter on my kitchen counters, I hung a vertical file folder holder on one of the kitchen doors and put in folders labeled things like Sports, Camp, Church and Bills. As soon as we get paperwork, I stash it in the right folder so it doesn’t pile up. At the end of each season of activities I clean it out and start over again.” Wendy Hagerty, 42, Columbia, MD
11. A Spot for Your Spouse
“I have a honey-do basket where I put all of my husband’s miscellaneous stuff that spreads like mold around the house. That way he can’t ask where something is—he knows it’s in the basket.” Jill Pollack, 41, Los Angeles
12. Say No to Piles
“When I go to put something on top of something else, I stop myself and instead figure out where it goes. If it means a trip up or down the steps, so be it. It’s good exercise.” Diane Goldstein, 43, Cincinnati
13. Make a Package
“I could never find a full set of sheets, especially during late-night bed changes. Now when I fold them, I put the entire set inside a pillowcase, so they’re in a neat little package.” Jessemyn Libero, 38, North Haven, CT
14. Hang ’Em Up
“This may sound silly, but my simple solution for keeping my bedroom organized and neat has been to buy new, cheap hangers! There’s something really satisfying about having all of my clothes on the same type of hanger—it’s almost a work of art. I now find myself almost eager to hang up my clothes.” Lorrell Walter, 32, Chittenango, NY
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