8 Ways to Achieve a More Organized Apartment

By Christine Ascher on March 18, 2017

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When you’re living in a small dorm or apartment, storage space is probably not a luxury that you’re used to. Taking the time to clean and organize on a regular basis is also not typically a top priority when you’re a busy student and always on-the-go.

Together, this might make keeping your apartment organized seem like an intimidating and nearly impossible task. However, with the right techniques and storage solutions, it doesn’t have to be a major undertaking. In order to avoid coming home to a messy apartment, try out some of these organizational tips:

Sort Through and File Important Papers

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While most of your mail probably comes in an electronic form, it’s still a good idea to have a system for organizing and filing away important papers or bills. Keep a small filing cabinet on your desk, where it’s easy to access, and divide it into sections that make sense for you — for instance, you might want a section for apartment-related documents or one for each of your classes.

If you always seem to have endless piles of paper on your desk, this is the perfect way to make that go away. If you don’t have the space for an actual filing cabinet, you can also use a simple set of folders. Label them by their contents and tuck them away in a drawer so they’re out of sight, but easy to find whenever you need them.

Make Use of Over-the-Door Storage

Maximize empty space by using over-the-door storage solutions for your shoes, belts, and jewelry. Hang one over your bedroom, closet, and bathroom doors and you’ll have plenty of storage for both you and your roommate. Over-the-door storage is great for items you want to have easy access to; as opposed to placing them in a more hidden spot such as under your bed, they’re out in the open whenever you need them.

You can also use over-the-door storage as a place to keep your cleaning supplies. In addition to keeping them organized, you’ll be reminded to keep your apartment clean each time you see it.

Raise Your Bed to Make Room for Storage Bins

Make use of that wasted space under your bed by investing in some under-bed storage bins. If you don’t have enough room for them under your bed, you can also purchase bed risers to create extra space for bigger storage containers. Under-bed storage is a great place to pack away any seasonal clothing that you don’t currently need — for instance, you can keep your winter coat and sweaters here in the summer. This is also a helpful spot to tuck away extra sheets and towels that you don’t need to access on a day-to-day basis.

Try Tiered or Stackable Hangers

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Closet space is not a common commodity in college living spaces, so if you’re looking for a way to save space, one easy tactic is to use tiered or stackable hangers. Using one tiered hanger for all of your jeans or skirts can save a significant amount of space in your closet. Stackable hangers will allow you to fit more hangers into your closet and are useful if you want to save space but still be able to see all of your clothes easily.

Use a Shower Organizer

When you’re sharing a bathroom with your roommates, it’s not uncommon to end up with shampoo bottles and soap scattered around the edges of your bathtub. This can make your shower experience a stressful one, as you’re constantly knocking over various bath products.

Investing in a shower storage solution will not only make your bathroom look neater, but also add to the functionality of the space. Try hanging a shower caddy over the shower head and allocate a certain amount of space to yourself and each of your roommates. It won’t get in your way, and you’ll have an organized spot for all of your products.

Utilize Command Hooks

Particularly in college spaces, where you don’t want to use nails to hang items on your wall in fear of getting stuck with a massive fee at the end of the year, Command hooks can make all the difference in terms of the neatness of your apartment. Use them to hang up your towels in the bathroom, your dishtowel in the kitchen, and the belts in your closet; you’ll find that you’re able to eliminate a lot of the unnecessary clutter on your countertops.

Organize Important Notes on a Cork Board

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If you find yourself constantly losing important papers, or you need a place to write down reminders for yourself, hang a cork board up in your bedroom or living room. For documents that are time-sensitive, having them up in plain sight is a much better idea than filing them away.

You can also use a cork board as a place to hang your jewelry; in addition to giving you a neat way to store your necklaces, it’s also a fun way to display your favorites.

Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet Regularly

Even if you don’t find yourself collecting expired boxes of cold medicine, it’s still a good idea to set aside some time once in a while to go through your medicine cabinet and throw away any products that are old or that you simply don’t use. This may include actual medicine, or it may just mean going through your makeup or skin products and throwing out those old, empty tubes of mascara. The medicine cabinet is an area that tends to build up with products that you no longer want or need, so going through it every so often can clear out a lot of space.

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