(Part 2) Best products from r/declutter

These ClosetMaid shelves would be perfect for your space!

They have little hooks that hook onto the shelf that’s at the top of the closet (they’re flexible so they can hook onto the bars even if they’re an odd width apart), and then they can also hook onto each other.

We currently have four of them hanging from the top wire shelf in our closet (one from the shelf itself, then three more extending down below that), and they’re great for open-front storage that’s easy to see and access. Ours our being used for clothes right now. I have them set up so that the side walls are vertical and not on an angle, but you’ve got options.

Just roughly eyeballing your space from the picture, it looks like you should be able to fit two rows of the hanging shelves side by side, if you wanted to (they’re 17” wide).

I’ve taken the ones I’ve got with me through the last four moves; most places have some type of wire shelving, so they’d be useful beyond just your current apartment. They can take a lot of weight (in one place I had them stacked four deep holding bottles of liquids, and they didn’t bend or break at all), and they nest neatly inside each other in a standard size moving box when it’s time to move.

There’s also a link on the Home Depot page to a similar type of hanging shelf that’s 24” wide, but it looks like it doesn’t have real side walls/a back wall. The ones I linked that we use are like baskets, so they’d be great for the papers/books/binders/office supplies you mentioned.

ETA: Looks like they’re a little more than $3 cheaper per piece on Amazon. The fourth picture on the Amazon listing is how we have ours set up, only with additional baskets below it.

I feel your frustration!! I have a massive cabinet in which to store pans and it STILL ends up a mess because there are no corrals for each category. Stacking is a pain because then you have to unstack to get what you need, then stack it all again to put it back, then once again unstack/stack when the item gets returned.

Here’s what I have used to organize this area:

1. I bought something like this from IKEA along with metal S hooks. It’s now installed in my kitchen and I have pots, pans and strainers from it. I’m lucky in that I have a book of sorts where I could place it and it’s out of the way, but even if you don’t have that space available, I’d encourager you to consider finding a place to at least hang your most frequently-used pans, even if you have to put 3M removable hooks on the side of a cabinet or something.
   
   
2. Inside your cabinet, use a simple magazine holder (laid sideways with the opening facing you) to corral your aluminum foil and ziplock bags. Add a second one if you need to stow cutting boards and the like.
   
   
3. Use shallow baskets for the rest. It’s nice to be able to pull out a basket like it’s a drawer and find what you need. They also make various two-tier shelving solutions (although you’d have to remove that middle shelf to use them) that could work better.
   
   
4. You could also consider adding a piece of something sturdy (MDF? Very stiff cardboard) wedged vertically between the middle shelf and the top or bottom shelf to create kind of a cubby situation. Again, it’s whatever you can easily do to create corrals.
   
   I hope that helps! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
   
   

For stationery and things like manuals etc.. I'd get some pretty paper boxes (they are recyclable after all, yay!).

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I like using baskets made of natural fibers. I have some medium-sized ones I use for electronic cords, some small lidded ones I use for supplies in the bathroom and for our cat stuff (like leash, hairbrush, etc...). H&M often has affordable ones, especially if you shop their sale. I'm not sure where you're located but Flying Tiger (US) or just Tiger in Europe currently has some cute little ones for $3-5 each.

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I would either use a plastic bin (if looking on the cheap) or a nice metal box for your medicine cabinet stuff. I have this which is pretty large but I like that it looks pretty on the shelf so I don't have to hide it. Yamakazi home makes some nice caddies.

The wine as a thank you is a great idea.

Besides im sure the homeowner would LOVE to know you keep their place in good shape so dont worry about the garbage.

Just thought to give you my case as a reference to calm some of your anxiety:
in a household of 2, i fill in a hamper like this each week. So that would be one large load of white, one large load of darks. Both laundry loads fit in the dryer at the same time if needed and are done in around 60 minutes, although i prefer air dry). There is an extra load of towels and bedsheets every 3 weeks. If you live in the USA it wont be crazy expensive (around 90 cents per load) so dont feel bad about that neither, even if it were $1 it is well worth in order to keep your floors under control now and you dont come as a dick to the owners.

You might find it helpful to read books on organizing for people with ADHD (I read a good one a few years ago; I think it was this one?). Regardless of whether or not you have an ADHD brain, there are some great tips for those of us who are memory-challenged and out-of-sight-out-of-mind types.

Personally, I like to be able to see things I use regularly and so have a lot of things out in the open. I even removed the doors from most of my closets and storage areas. I organize things into clear plastic bins, organizers and containers, and label a lot of things. Yeah I love the peaceful feeling of a clear surface, but that is not feasible for my brain for every area of the house. Instead, I designate a few pieces of furniture as "no pile zones", so I can still enjoy some of those serene spaces without sacrificing practicality.

If you did something like that, you could have a surface that only holds one or two of your nice candles and maybe a vase or potted plant, but that's it. The scissors and pens need another well-organized home.

Not to be a jerk, but honestly, in going through the photos, I feel like you could probably fill a couple garbage bags just in trash. I suggest going through and quickly gathering garbage, sweeping the floor and then assessing.

Go through your make-up and toss anything old. It's not hygienic to keep old mascara/eye products, etc and I really doubt you need that entire white drawer thing for make-up unless you're a make-up artist or something. Go through the kitchen and toss anything expired. Buy a small collapsible step stool so you can access the cabinets. Really think through how you use your kitchen and buy items that are multipurpose. Can you pare down your pots and pans? You could use the wall the garbage is against to hang pots if needed. How often to you use your microwave? Can you justify having one? The pantry sucks, no getting around it. I suggest buying square containers for dry goods, like your rice, beans, etc so they are upright instead of flopping over on everything else. The pantry looks deep, but stuff will get buried in the back if you can't see it, so maybe use some shoeboxes or something in the back to elevate things that go in the back. Or get those wire shelfthings. You could also store your plates vertically in there and free up cupboard space for pantry items.


Your closets are totally being underutilized....where are the clothes? Wash all the laundry, sort through it, and start hanging stuff up. You may be able to free up a drawer in your dresser that could be used for something else. Looks like there's room for a shelf above the current closet shelf - again, get a trusty collapsible step stool. The wall in the closet would be a prime place to hang a vertical shoe rack. This over the door style could easily just be hung on a wall instead of over a door. Shelf dividers can help get the closet shelves under control.

I'd work on those things, and then do a major purge, and then look into other storage - you may find out you don't need as much extra storage as you think.

I've had these for 9 months and they are holding up great:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VVK91X4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I primarily ordered them because their colors look good in our condo, and reviews on Amazon seemed good. But I am happy with them, highly recommend, and would order again. Yes, they are thick, and good quality.

Definitely wash separately, no softener, and do NOT put them through the dryer. You're not supposed to do that with microfiber cloths! My husband accidentally did that once (threw a few of them in with his own clothes) and they survived. But you aren't supposed to do that as they loose their cleaning ability. So don't do that!!!

I use the blue ones in the kitchen and the grey ones in the bathroom. I've washed them about every other week for 9 months. I wait until they are all dirty and do a single load with just these cloths, then hang to air dry -- they dry fast.

Spend a weekend and scan all your finished notebooks into a text searchable pdf.

There some amazing websites where you can get digital copies of your books for free. I recommend getting them in .epub format because it's supported by the most different devices (and works really well with Apple's iBooks). However if your getting a kindle then .mobi is a better supported format.

Grab a cheap e-paper reader and load all your books onto there. If you have comics or some extra pocket money than I suggested getting a color tablet or wait for the new color e-paper technology to hit he market.

I'm suggesting e-paper because it's easy on the eyes, kinda looks like paper, and it doesn't require battery to keep the display on only to change the display (the technology is pretty cool).

I did this, donated 90% of my books and only kept one or two series.

Moonsafari makes one thats pretty nice

Rocketbook Cover for Executive Size 8.8" x 6" Smart Notebook like Everlast or Wave with Pen Holder and Pockets for Business and Credit Cards https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K5HB7C8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0LMqDbCHQEM9J

This one's a little more substantial

Folio Cover for Rocketbook Everlast, Wave, One Executive Size, Cloth Fabric, Multi Organizer with Pen Loop/Phone Pocket/Business Card Holder, fits A5 size Notebook, Blue, 9.4" x 6.3" (BLUE) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N1LMMQ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NMMqDb2VM7Y0H

This is probably my next purchase

Genuine Leather Rocketbook Cover Everlast - Executive Size Notebook Cover Frixion Pen Holder and Pockets for Business Credit Cards - A5 Size Soft Tan Premium Leather Cover https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SKY2TB7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JNMqDbY11YBAF

I also made one out of a day planner cover. I just removed the ring binder from the center. It zips closed.

Hope this helps

You might like this book; I really want to get it: Cozy Minimalist Home. I don't like cold sterility in a house, either, but I also don't like tons of clutter. I think there's a happy medium.

As for normal/realistic, that means quite a few things to me: Countertops, tables, beds, couches, floors, and bathtubs are free from clutter and are usable for their intended uses. Plumbing, HVAC, and electricity are in good working order. Drawers, cabinets, and closets are organized so that the items within them are easy to find and use. Duplicate (or triplicate or more) items are pared down to just one whenever possible or feasible. Broken items that are not able to be repaired are trashed, recycled, or donated as appropriate. There are no dirty dishes, dirty clothes, trash, newspapers, empty boxes, or random debris strewn about the house. Dishes and laundry are ideally washed and put away on the same day (complete the process every time). Cleaning the house is always possible because clutter isn't impeding areas or rooms.

Your house should be safe, livable, maintained, reasonably clean (does not have to be immaculate), and comfortable.

You could ditch them and invest in something like these. You should not that they are not leak proof but awesome to prepare a week's lunch.

Also, I'm on mobile and posted the first link I found. If you're interested, do some research an find the best offer. The keyword is "meal prep containers".

https://www.amazon.com/Compartment-Containers-Container-Microwave-Dishwasher/dp/B01BYA4H1W

Another option is a wall-mounted expandable accordion coat rack.

I don't have this exact one, but I BELIEVE it can be hung with thumbtacks. I hang up 3 pair of pants, 2 dress shirts, a sun hat, my keys and some other items.

I'm careful not to pull hard on the rack as that may loosen the thumbtacks.. Super easy to install and disassemble, just need like 4 thumtacks (+4 more if you wanna beef up support).

I like this one because the individual pegs are threaded and thus unlikely to loosen with time

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H7BDF69/ref=psdc_3744281_t1_B01N10IJP8

Ok there are a couple of products I will recommend before you attempt to replace it.

1. mDesign makes a purse organizer that attaches to wire shelves. Here is the one I have. (Large size) mDesign Plastic 5 Compartment Hanging Closet Storage Organizer Tray - Divided Sections for Holding Sunglasses, Wallets, Clutch Purses, Accessories - Hangs Below Shelving - Clear https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0186FSAIO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_A9GBCbNKA3EFN
   
   
2. Not sure if you would prefer more / open shelves but these attach with no tools. I got them cheaper on ebay. Closetmaid 24 In. Hanging Steel Wire Shelf for Laundry Rooms or Closets in Classic White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AIN5J8G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6-GBCbMSKGTS4
   
   
3. You can buy storage cubes with windows.
   
   
4. You can also buy hooks that attach to the wire shelves. mDesign Wire Shelving Organizer, Under Shelf Hook for Handbags, Scarves, Accessories - Pack of 4, Chrome/Clear https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N12UGED/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jdHBCb3VM3K8P
   
   
5. I know someone already said it, but it makes no sense to organize clutter. You need to get rid of some things. You will appreciate what’s left more.
   
   The other thing that helped me besides getting rid of things is putting things in their true place. You may have things in that closet that would be better placed elsewhere.
   
   Good luck ❤️

Fellow book addict here! I got something like this but without wheel and filled it with books and put it in my closet. I also use stacks of books as bookends, put them in my desk drawers, put them on the top shelf of my closet, and for awhile I used a stack of books as a little nightstand (my bed is on the floor, no frame). As for the books you want to giveaway, sell, or swap, I recommend checking out /r/bookswap, or /r/bookies where I run the weekly bookswap (in which you can also sell and give away). Good luck! :)