Ever since I can remember, I have always loved cleaning. I’m not even sugar coating it. Whenever my friends need help cleaning, they always hit my line, and I don’t even get mad about it. Living in a dorm is rough, and not having an organization system makes it worse because everything is more cluttered than it needs to be. If you’ve read one of my previous articles, then you know that I live alone (which is a 10-by-11-foot room) so basically, I live in a cell. Here are a couple of organizational tips that I personally follow to make my small space feel a little roomier!
1. Clothes
How to pick out the old and dull
When it comes to clothes, start by clearing your drawers and hangers and pouring all of your belongings in the center of the room—crazy right? Whenever cleaning something, odds are it’s going to get worse before it gets better, but that’s the process. When you’re sorting through the pile of your clothes on the floor, pay attention to how each item makes you feel. You know that rush of dopamine you feel when you see a cute puppy or a bowl of chipotle because you’re just so excited? If you don’t feel that way when you look at that item of clothing, give it to Goodwill or The Salvation Army.
Separation
Decide what shirts are comfy versus cute. Hang the cute clothes up and roll what’s comfy and place them into a dresser. If it was my closet, I would always group together the flannels, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts… you understand what I’m saying. Also, color coordinating is always fun because it’s easier to pick out what to wear when you can see all of your color options. Similarly, jeans and shorts can be rolled and put into a dresser drawer, organized from light to dark, so you can see your color options.
2. Organization bins
Storage bins have been saving space since I can remember, so I recommend you purchase some before you move in to a dorm, apartment, duplex, or house. I personally don’t have a sink in my dorm, but I have a three-drawer storage bin in which I keep all of my bathroom and feminine products in. Pro tip: always keep what you use the most near the top because that’s where it’s the most convenient. Also, regarding drawers, get some spacers so you can group like things together. Coming across a junk drawer in a room is typical, but it doesn’t have to be!
In my dorm, I also use a six-cube organizer bookshelf with colorful fabric cubes to place all of my dishes, cleaning and extra hygiene products, snacks, and so on. Just remember, put what you use the most at the top of the storage bin because then it will be easy to access! Put like things in the same “home,” if you call it that, because then you will remember it more quickly when you’re running 10 minutes late to class and have no time to spare.
3. Other fun tips:
-
If you have a large suitcase, open it up and lay it down! This way you can store stuff inside it when usually it would be sitting up, zipped, and wasting space.
-
Get a shoe holder! Hang this up on the back of your door and put your favorite shoes on the top rack so they are easy to grab on the go.
-
If you’re a girl and have a good amount of makeup, I cannot stress it enough: get a makeup organizer! The best part of all is that you have tons of options!
-
Put bags inside of bags. My mom always sends me groceries in reusable bags, so I place them inside of one another because it takes up less space.
-
When organizing objects in drawers or shelves, always make sure you can see everything right when you open the drawer; this makes it easier to find what you’re looking for without destroying the entire drawer in the process.
This is just the beginning of tips to an organized and clean living! Throughout all the messiness in life, your dorm doesn’t have to resemble the fact that you’re too stressed to pick up a wet towel or hang up clean clothes (which end up being thrown on the beloved piece of furniture known as “the chair”). Hopefully these quick, simple, and easy tips improve your dorm’s cleanliness because I’m here to tell you that it’s totally worth it!