Keeping your space tidy is part effort and part good systems. As the business theorist and management consultant Dr. W. Edwards Deming wrote:

“A bad system will beat a good person every time.”

One of the best ways to create good systems is to have the right products. Seriously, I can’t tell you how much easier it is to keep our fridge organized when we have the right set up! Here are 12 essential things to help you keep your home more tidy and organized. (Most of these are on our Amazon list, but keep reading to see why we love them.)

1. Refrigerator Organizer Bins

These bins are so nice! They’re washable, sturdy, and such a help to keeping things organized. I really love how they let you see what’s going on, but you can keep things in specific areas. I can’t stand wasting food and this helps keep our fridge organized so we use what we have. And the best part? You don’t need to just confine them to your fridge. You can use them in the pantry, bathroom drawers, and more! I love these things so much.

2. Laundry Basket

We got these laundry bins a few years ago and I can’t tell you how much they help! I love that they can both hold dirty clothes and haul laundry back and forth from the laundry room. They have stayed smelling fresh as well! We have two upstairs in our room (colors and whites) and one downstairs for my son’s room (he’s on the path to doing his own laundry).

3 Collapsible Fabric Storage Cubes

Putting toys away should not feel like tetris! That’s why I love bins like these. They keep your place looking tidy and not full of clutter. Making toys easier to clean up is one way you can increase the chances of your young kids helping to clean up! You and your toddler can toss whatever toys are out into the cube when it’s time to clean up. Plus, storage cubes like these usually fit perfectly into #4.

4. IKEA’s Kallax Bookshelf (or similar)

This super simple Kallax bookshelf is from IKEA. It’s classy and it looks good in almost any home’s style. We have it in our home and I love it. We keep books stacked in part of it, and a toy bin in it too. There are similar ones on Amazon, but honestly I prefer IKEA’s.

5. Velvet Hangers

It might sound silly but having a uniform style of hangers makes me feel more organized! I love these velvet ones because they are thin but sturdy. (The plastic ones I had before were thicker and I couldn’t hang as many clothes in my closet.) The velvet also helps things stay on and not slip off.

I even got smaller versions of these for each of our kids (a different color for each). Luckily, I found almost all of my hangers on FB Marketplace — if you can’t, you can buy them on Amazon.

Also, if you’re considering a remodel to your closet, I highly recommend IKEA’s Pax Planner Software. It’s FREE and it’s a really helpful way to sketch out what you’d like to do on paper before you invest more money and tools into building it.

6. Silverware / Utensils Organizer

Everyone must have one of these IMO. Of course, there are a bazillion styles to choose from. What I like about this one is that it’s grippy on the utensils and it’s super easy to clean.

7. Drawer Storage Organizer Boxes

Having the things you see everyday function well and look organized is so helpful. As Gretchen Rubin says, “outer order, inner calm.” It’s true! For better or worse, the state of the environment you control says a lot about the state of your mind. If you want to be more organized, we talk about how and why in our Parenting With Peace Course. These boxes for drawer storage really help me keep my closet organized.

8. Shower Shelf

Who loves a baby constantly knocking down the shampoo bottle during a bath? Not me! Not only is it helpful to have these items closer to eye-level, but it’s also a great way to keep them out of reach for younger kids (i.e. razors and such). Plus, I love that this shelf allows you to choose which height. We try to have our kids showering with zero help from us by the time they are 4 or 5 so it’s nice to have a shelf that the kids that age can reach but the younger ones can’t.

9. Packing Cubes

Trust me when I say these packing cubes are life-changing! I have used them on international trips, road trips, and even just overnights at grandpa’s and grandma’s. They’re very helpful to keep your own things organized, and especially when you are packing for multiple people.

10. Shoe Rack

This shoe rack is cool because you can build it to whatever height you prefer. We only needed a small one for our deck so we actually made this into two shoe racks. I also love that the shelves are bars so the dust/dirt on them is minimal!

11. Spice Containers (and Labels!)

One day I decided that all our spices needed to be uniform and I ordered these. I have never regretted it! At barely over a $1 per bottle, these are a steal. I also love that it has different styles of labels. So I used one style of labels for my spices and another style for my pantry items.

11. SAMLA Containers (and Labels!)

These plastic clear containers from IKEA come in tons of shapes and sizes. They’re my favorite type of storage bin because you can see what’s inside and they are stackable. I used quite a few of the big ones for storage in our garage. Note that the lids just rest on them (they don’t click) but since we’re in and out of them a lot, I’m fine with that! I like that I can rinse them out and they keep our things safe and organized.

Well that’s a wrap! What are your favorite organization products? I’d love to hear. Please share them in the comments. Happy organizing!