Cleaning & Organizing Organizing

How to Store Everything in Your Home

Home organized storage

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

One of the biggest contributors to household clutter is not knowing how to properly store your items. It's time to get organized and put everything in its place. But some items are a little trickier to store than others.

Here are some tips on how to store everything from backpacks to holiday decor, and more in your home.

  • 01 of 29

    Accessories

    scarf and bag on coat hooks

    Lauren Edmonds / Stocksy

    When it comes to storing accessories, keep anything you use often close at hand, while storing the rest out of sight to reduce visual clutter. Hang scarves you wear often on hooks in your closet and tuck the rest away in a plastic bin; your everyday handbag may find a good home in your entryway while the rest can be kept in a hanging canvas sweater bag.

  • 02 of 29

    Appliances

    keeping only frequently-used appliances out

    The Spruce / Rachel Vanni

    Storing appliances is tricky because they involve wires, parts, and pieces. Odds are that many of your small appliances aren't used every day––or even every month. Waffle irons, ice cream makers, and other items that rarely see the light of day should be put into storage, while cabinet and pantry space should be reserved for workhorses like a blender, food processor, and hand mixer.

  • 03 of 29

    Backpacks

    backpack, umbrella, and face masks on coat hooks

    Emily Manevska / Getty Images

    The best way to store backpacks is to keep them someplace where they're easy to grab on your way out the door. If you have a mudroom, place backpacks in a cubby or on hooks alongside coats and other items. Otherwise, hooks near your entry door or on the inside of your closet door work well.

    For backpacks that aren't currently being used—like last year's school backpacks and extra tote bags—empty them and store them flat on closet shelves.

  • 04 of 29

    Baseball Caps

    baseball caps on a hook

    The Spruce / Fiona Campbell

    Baseball caps are a struggle to store because they're unwieldy to stack on shelves or shove in drawers. Try hanging them together on the inside of a closet door for easy retrieval.

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  • 05 of 29

    Bathing Suits

    storing bathing suits in a basket within a drawer

    The Spruce / Candace Madonna

    Store bathing suits in a pull-out basket tucked inside a drawer or placed on a closet shelf. That way, when it's time to switch out your wardrobe at the end of the season, the basket can easily be moved from the dresser to the closet shelf and back again.

  • 06 of 29

    Bikes

    bike hanging on a wall

    WR36 / Twenty20

    If you live in a house or condo complex with a garage, store your bike there. But if you live in an apartment or townhouse (or if you just like to keep your bike inside), there are some cool storage solutions for hanging your bike on the wall that will turn it into part of your decor.

  • 07 of 29

    Cashmere Sweaters

    cashmere sweaters folded in a basket

    Damian Lugowski / Getty Images

    A slide-in clothes organizer protects delicate cashmere from your closet shelving and helps to maximize space below the rod as well as above it.

  • 08 of 29

    Comforters

    comforter stored in a comforter bag

    The Spruce / Candace Madonna

    Use a collapsible storage cube to store your comforters and quilts in the closet. The advantage of the storage cube is that it can be easily collapsed and folded when not in use. Another option is to purchase a comforter storage bag.

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  • 09 of 29

    Cords

    cords on a desk

    Kristine Weilert / Stocksy

    Store out-of-use cords in zip-locked plastic bags, or, if you have the space, use hooks to keep them organized and tangle-free. Label them, wrap them up, and hang them on the hook.

  • 10 of 29

    Documents

    Organized filed documents

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

    So much of household clutter is paper. It's easy to accumulate and once it does, it can be hard to get rid of. Having a proper storage system is key. Place action items, like invitations, forms that need to be filled out, and bills, in a desktop inbox, and put the rest in a filing cabinet for safekeeping. And, most important of all, throw out anything you don't need to keep.

  • 11 of 29

    Flip Flops

    flip flops

    Birgit Korber / EyeEm / Getty Images

    For in-season storage, stack flip flops on top of each other (heel-to-toe reversed) and place them on a shelf for quick access. That way, you will keep pairs together.

    Out of season, store flip flops in a plastic bin.

  • 12 of 29

    Gift Wrap

    Organized gift wrapping supplies

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

    There's no shortage of ways to store gift wrap. Organizing stores sell both upright gift wrap organizers with room for ribbons, tape, and gift tags, as well as long, flat plastic storage containers that can slide under the bed.

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  • 13 of 29

    Hair Dryers

    storing a hair dryer inside a cabinet door

    The Spruce / Sydney Brown

    The best option for storing hair dryers is a caddy installed inside the door under your bathroom sink. If there's no room for that, try a galvanized bucket. Square, galvanized buckets are space-saving and easy to clean.

  • 14 of 29

    Handbags

    handbags stored on a shelf in a closet

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

    There are countless solutions for how to store bags. Three top places to store handbags and purses are on a closet shelf between shelf dividers, in a bookcase propped up by bookends, or in a cubby.

  • 15 of 29

    Holiday Decor

    ornaments in a special storage box

    Jeniek Smile / Twenty20

    Many types of items are used to decorate homes during the holidays, and they have different storage requirements. When storing holiday decor, it's worth it to purchase specialized plastic bins and boxes to protect these sentimental––and often fragile––items. Boxes with dividers will protect delicate ornaments, while bags will keep all parts of an artificial tree together until time to take it out again.

  • 16 of 29

    Keys

    keys on a tray

    Cavan Images / Getty Images

    Store keys near your door in a pretty dish or small bowl, or on a hook. The trick is to consistently store them in the same place every single day so you aren't prone to losing them.

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  • 17 of 29

    Out-of-Season Clothes

    storing clothing under the bed

    The Spruce / Candace Madonna

    Store hanging clothes in a covered garment rack in your basement or attic. Store items that can be folded like sweaters and pants in plastic storage boxes. If space is a concern, use boxes that can slide under the bed.

  • 18 of 29

    Photos

    photos and photo storage boxes

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

    Choose acid-free boxes and photo albums for storing old photos. Avoid photo albums with vinyl sleeves. Whatever storage solution you choose, make sure you keep it in a place that isn't subject to temperature fluctuations or humidity.

  • 19 of 29

    Pots and Pans

    storing pots and pans in drawers

    The Spruce / Rachel Vanni

    You can store pots and pans in two ways: Nest your pots and pans in the deepest drawers you have in your kitchen. Or, invest in a sturdy pot rack installed on your kitchen ceiling. If your pots are in pristine condition––or even if they have a bit of a patina––they might look good hanging out in the open and they'll be close at hand.

  • 20 of 29

    Recipes

    recipe binder

     Trent Lanz / Stocksy

    There are so many options for recipe storage; the trick is to figure out which form you want to keep and use recipes in. Some people like to use index cards filed in recipe boxes while others prefer digital solutions or recipes stored in a three-ring binder. Figure out how you want to use your recipes and then choose a storage solution that works for you.

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  • 21 of 29

    Reusable Grocery Bags

    leaving reusable shopping bags on the door handle

    The Spruce / Candace Madonna

    Keep a stash of reusable bags in your car. Whenever you're going grocery shopping, you'll have them handy. After you get home, empty them out and hang them on the doorknob so you remember to put them back in the car next time you go out.

  • 22 of 29

    Seeds

    zinnia seed packet

    The Spruce / Candace Madonna

    Use a pillbox or medicine organizer to store heirloom seeds passed down to you or seeds you harvested at the end of the growing season. Extra seeds still in seed packets or envelopes will slide perfectly into the sleeve of a photo album.

  • 23 of 29

    Shoes

    frequently worn shoes on a rack near an entryway point

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

    Divide your shoes into three categories: shoes you wear all the time, shoes you wear seasonally, and shoes you wear occasionally. Store the shoes you wear all the time near the entrance to your home on a small shoe rack or in the closet. Seasonal shoes should be put away in storage when not in use; shoes you wear occasionally should be put in your closet, either on a shoe rack or in a hanging shoe organizer.

  • 24 of 29

    Small Electronics

    device charging on a kitchen counter

    Jeff Sheldon / Unsplash

    The kitchen is usually the command center of your home; place a charging station in an out-of-the-way corner of the countertop and put your phones and tablets there when not in use. This also helps break the habit of scrolling on your phone while in bed late at night.

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  • 25 of 29

    T-Shirts

    tshirts neatly folded in a drawer

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

    Store t-shirts folded in a dresser. If you have a lot of them, organize them into groups by use, such as all gym shirts together, or all work or dressier shirts together. Organizing by category makes it easier for you to grab what you need when you're getting dressed.

  • 26 of 29

    Ties

    rolling up neck ties in a container

    The Spruce / Candace Madonna

    A tie hanger is an easy way to store ties in your closet; if you don't have many ties, a regular clothes hanger will work too. Another option is to use a sock organizer in your dresser.

  • 27 of 29

    Travel Toiletries

    storing toiletries in the bathroom

    The Spruce / Olivia Inman

    People tend to hang on to these for way too long. Also, you don't have to find storage space if you leave these at the hotel and don't grab them on your way out.

    If you can't resist bringing some home with you, store them in your linen closet or guest bathroom for overnight guests. When you have more than you need, donate them to your local homeless shelter.

  • 28 of 29

    Wedding Dress

    wedding dress in storage box

    Tom Merton / Getty Images

    The ideal solution is to take your wedding dress to a professional dry cleaner that specializes in wedding dress preservation. After cleaning, they will place your dress in a box specially made for storage.

    If you plan on preparing your cleaned dress yourself, store anything with metal (such as buttons on a belt or sash) away from the dress. Choose an acid-free box and wrap your dress in special archival tissue paper for preservation.

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  • 29 of 29

    Wine

    DIY wine rack made from a crate

    The Spruce / Caylin Harris

    You don't need a wine cellar to store wine properly. Just know these rules: Keep it in a cool, dark place and store it sideways. Countertop wine racks are a nice storage option as well, but make sure you place them away from direct sunlight.