Organizing & Time-Savers

I only thought I loved my totally decluttered life.

No matter how often we tidy up, there are those areas in our homes that just never seem to stay neat. And while no home is perfect, if you’re making one of these common organizing mistakes, the process may be more difficult than it needs to be. To figure out what the most common missteps are, we reached out to professional organizers who have made over the homes of countless clients. While some of the mistakes clients made were obvious—like never putting items back where they belong—others were eye-opening—like we’ve been stacking our dishware wrong our entire lives. Here, we’ve rounded up 10 of the more surprising mistakes these organizers have seen over the years, so you can avoid them, declutter quickly, and move on to more important things.

These brilliant products save time, energy, and maybe even money.

Plus, how your own game-changing idea could land on the shelves at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, cofounders of The Home Edit, share how they make that daily dive into the refrigerator a treat.

With these strategies up your sleeve, your bedroom closet will feel surprisingly spacious.

Finally get organized this year with Real Simple’s checklist of important to-dos.

You really can buy peace of mind.

Heading back to school? There’s an app for that! Streamline the fall chaos with these nine lifesaver tools, all available on your smartphone.