De-clutter your hotspots for a more organised home

If organising your household seems overwhelming, the key is to start out small. Tackle these six hotspots where daily clutter gathers and you’ll soon be motivated to face the bigger challenges.

Some places and spaces around the home just never seem to stay tidy no matter how often we’re cleaning up after the troops. So how do you transform messy corners of the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom into sparkling works of organised art - and keep them that way? With a few tricks of the trade, you’ll quickly see your home blossom before you eyes.

Spruce up the kitchen sink

Let’s start with the busiest space in the house where you want to spend the least time. You can keep all your everyday kitchen tools in a caddy that’s made for the sink-top. There are attractive, lightweight caddies and baskets for brushes and sponges that stick to the tiles with suction caps raised above the bench top, so you can effortlessly wipe down underneath them. Plus, Howards has numerous sink dish racks to keep every day kitchen essentials in reach. When the sink area stays tidy, the whole kitchen looks good.

Don’t stop the good work up top; de-clutter the under-sink cupboard with a Simplehuman Grocery Bag Holder, install a retractable tea-towel rack and fix baskets to the insides of cupboard doors to hold cleaning products. But don’t stop there. Simple and clever solutions abound at Howards, such as the Expandable Under Sins Organiser or install a elfa Easy Glider for easy access to the back of the cupboard. In 15 minutes you can transform your under sink cupboard into a well organised cleaning cupboard.

Put an end to drawer chaos

Drawers around the house can attract a mixture of bits and pieces you need but they too easily end up in a messy pile. Achieving the perfect drawer is easy and takes only a few minutes. Eliminate the ‘2nd drawer syndrome’ (you know that infamous kitchen drawer where you drop everything from spare batteries to barbecue tools) with drawers systems that can expand to fit your space perfectly, allowing you to see everything you need at a glance. Howards Linus range and expandable bamboo range add a touch of class to the kitchen drawers. So say good-bye ‘junk drawer’!

In the bedroom, drawer organisers, dividers and cubicles made for underwear drawers have pockets for socks, ties and smalls, which mean everything is on show for a quick change without any rummaging. De-cluttering your drawers will save you time because you’ll find what you need, fast.

Make it easy to grab and go

Dashing out the door is an unavoidable part of our busy lives, but you can make the exit smoother with a few handy organisational improvements. A great handbag holder with 14 clear, zipped display pockets hangs in the wardrobe for quick access to the right bag for your outing. Bags stay dust-free and in good condition and you’ll save time rummaging through a pile of them when you’re leaving the house in a hurry. Over-door hooks for jackets, keys and sports gear require no installation and help you get going without delay and last-minute stress.

Sort and store make-up and jewellery

Fiddly everyday items spread on the bedroom dresser and bathroom cabinet tops. Stow make-up in a the Allure range of clear acrylic cosmetic organisers, add a matching trinket tray and stackable Allure storage cubes to keep order at these busy clutter hotspots where space is scarce. Everything you need stays on show where you need it and cleaning is quicker and easier. A stackable, multi-compartment Allure jewellery tray stores and sorts jewellery, keeping it handy and in good condition. You can add more trays as your collection grows.

Pantry power

Adapt and de-clutter your imperfect pantry or food cupboard with portable and expandable pantry shelves that create space and encourage tidiness. They can double your available space when shelving is fixed, by making the most of wasted air space - and that could mean halving your shopping trips!

There’s also less food waste because nothing hides away well past the use-by-date. You’ll see your recipe ingredients and quantities at a glance by storing food in clear plastic containers so there’s no need to remove them from racks and open their lids. Make the most of any high pantry shelves with a handy kitchen step stool, so you can quickly access all of your available space, every day.

Bathroom bliss

The clutter of shower and bath products exaggerates mess in a small space. Add a scattering of kids’ bath toys and you have a bathroom that’s not relaxing and is a chore to keep clean and tidy. It’s simple and inexpensive to keep bottles and soaps in storage caddies that hang over the shower-head or stick to tiled walls with suction caps.

A netted bag for toys also suctions to the side of the bath for a very quick tidy up. If you’re low on towel space, over-door towel racks or hooks create neat and handy extra hanging space instantly, with no need for installation.