Purge 

One of the first things that needs to be done when getting organized is to decide on items that you no longer need and can get rid of. 

"You do not want to waste time organizing items you don't need to keep," said Eileen Roth, author of Organizing for Dummies and owner of site Everything in its Place.

When purging items, Roth suggests asking yourself several questions, including: 1. Will I use it again? Items that haven't been used or worn in over a year should be let go. 2. Is the sentiment worth for it to be kept? Alternatively, would it be enough to take a digital picture of the item and let it go, or will you cry because the sentimental value is that high?

Having duplicate items may not be necessary

Take a close look at the items and tools in your house to assess their function. Make cuts where needed. For example, is it necessary to have two blenders and two kinds of coffee makers? 

"Avoid having two items that do the same thing," said Harriet Jones, a cleaning and organizing expert for Go Cleaners London. Having duplicates will mean twice as many items to clean. "Save your time and have only one item of a kind," she added. 

Jones further suggests ditching broken tools, or if still necessary, fixing them as soon as possible. 

Store T-shirt with fold-and-roll method

Clothing storage inside wardrobes and drawers can often mean having piles of unidentifiable items. 

Using the unique method of folding and rolling a T-shirt, can make storing clothing more organized and appealing to the eye, as well as making each item more easily identifiable when signature parts are visible. 

"Using the fold-and-roll method, you will be able to get more T-shirts inside the drawers," said Jones, who uses the same method herself. 

Read also: Quick and easy ways to declutter

Dedicate a donation bag

As time goes by, there are certain items that you will no longer use, such as toys your kids have outgrown, clothes no longer worn or appliances that you no longer use. 

Kelly and Katie McMenamin, authors of the book Organize Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality and cofounders of PixiesDidIt!, suggest having a designated dedicated donation hamper to fill throughout a period of time, which when full can be then conveniently taken to a charity of your choice.

"Having this hamper makes decluttering less of a chore because you can get rid of things the moment you first notice them, rather than in some massive day-long decluttering project," they said. 

Use clear containers for storage

Storing items inside clear plastic containers could make for a convenient choice, especially for objects used regularly. 

"You can save space and still see all the option," said Paloma Baillie, an organizing expert. 

For example, shoes can be stored inside a clear container to keep them clean, organized and visible for an easy view when choosing which pair to wear. (liz/wng)

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