Home Organisation Hacks That Actually Work

For years, I didn’t understand why I struggled to keep my home in order. I labeled myself lazy, dirty, and unworthy. Why else would be bedroom resemble that of a teenager?

At 27, I finally found some answers when I received my ADHD diagnosis. But that opened up a whole new journey — one of trawling through books and the internet for advice on managing my condition (because, of course, the UK health system was too far down on its knees to offer any ongoing support… but that’s a conversation for another time.).

The research quickly becomes overwhelming. There is so much advice out there, even just for one simple topic like home organisation, and sadly, much of it comes from doctors and life coaches who may know the theory, but fail to bring our same lived experiences to the table.

Separating the good advice from the fluff isn’t easy, especially in those early stages. So, after 18 months of trial and error, here are the organisation tricks that have actually stuck around and helped me to keep my home in some kind of order.

Find Patterns in the Clutter

Where I’d spent years resigning myself to a life of clutter, I instead started seeing patterns in the madness and using them to my advantage. When I realised that the same items were piling up in the same places, I stopped trying to find new homes for everything.

For instance, my keys, purse, and headphones piled up on the windowsill, so now they officially live on the windowsill in a decorative tray (don’t panic about thieves seeing them from outside — I live on the second floor!).

Bags, hats, scarves, and sunglasses piled up in the entryway, so now they officially live in the entryway in a cute basket. My hair styling tools piled up next to the dresser, so now they officially live next to the dresser in, you guessed it, a cute basket.

Finally, my personal favourite: you know those clothes that aren’t yet dirty enough to wash but aren’t quite clean enough to justify hanging up? They now live in a revolutionary second laundry basket instead of in piles on the floor.

Everything now lives in the place it naturally accumulates, without being scattered across every surface.

Rearrange the Fridge

Every week I would tell myself: “This is it. This is the week nothing goes to waste”.

Every week I was wrong.

I eventually had to accept that no matter how good my intentions are, at least half of my vegetables will rot if they go out of sight, out of mind.

The vegetable drawer is ADHD’s worst culinary enemy, so now it’s home to staples I’ll reach for when I need them, like drinks and condiments. Fruits, vegetables, and other perishables live front and centre so they’re impossible to forget.

Bonus tip: This genuinely changed my life — take an extra few minutes to decant soft fruits and vegetables like strawberries and salad greens into sealed tupperware, with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. They’ll last days longer than they would in their original packaging!

The Closing Shift

This year, I implemented a nightly closing shift, which I now swear by. This consists of a quick sweep of my home before bed to do small tasks like cleaning up from dinner, folding laundry, and refreshing the sofa. It makes the weekly big clean much less daunting!

But, being someone who struggles with task initiation, how do I motivate myself to get started? I gamify the process by setting a timer for anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes depending on my energy levels and the state of my home, and challenging myself to see how much I can get done in that time.

Break Up the Big Clean

Speaking of the Big Clean, have you ever considered that you don’t need to do it all at once?

I know, my mind was blown too.

My struggles with task initiation and management often made cleaning a whole home feel like a gargantuan and impossible mission. I would often end up in task paralysis, not knowing where to start, and tell myself: “It’ll be alright for another day”. Repeat.

When I finally accepted that something needed to change, I looked at the constituents of the Big Clean and realised how easily I could break it down into more manageable steps. Now, I deep clean the kitchen one day, the bathroom the next day, and hoover & dust the day after that.

As a result, my cleaning schedule feels manageable and my home almost always feels clean and welcoming.

A final note…

I’m lucky enough to live alone in a fairly small flat with no children or pets to contend with, which makes things much more manageable by default than might be the case for others. Your mileage may vary based on your home situation, so adapt accordingly and be considerate of the needs of those you live with.