The Top 9 Areas Of Your Home You Should Be Getting Organized During Winter

Spring isn't the only time you can give your home a deep clean! As winter is upon us, you can take the opportunity of being cooped up indoors to tackle some organization projects that have been put aside for too long. But rather than trying to tackle every to-do on your mental list, instead focus on winter-friendly tasks that will help you optimize your routine this season. That way the project won't seem so huge and intimidating, and you can focus on the tasks that are most pressing.

What does this look like? Zero in on things that can either help you prepare for the cold and cozy weather ahead, or focus on things that will help make the holidays and hibernating indoors more streamlined. For instance, you can declutter your pantry and freezer to make room for holiday cooking, allowing you to fit all the influx of ingredients you will need to feed a large group. Similarly, you can also declutter your bathroom vanity as you change products for richer versions to combat the dry air, or your linen closet as you swap out your light linens in favor of heavy flannels and wools. Here is a closer look at what you can organize while the winter season is underway.

Winter is packed with holidays, whether you celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, or New Year's. And if you're the one hosting this year, you know firsthand just how much space your kitchen needs in order to house the influx of ingredients you need to pull off these lavish dinners for family and friends. Save yourself the headache of trying to Tetris dry goods into your pantry and instead clean it out before you start holiday food shopping. Not only will this carve out more room, but it will make it easier to locate your new ingredients when it's time to start cooking, making the task a little less stressful and harried. 

To declutter your pantry, first remove everything from its shelves to give yourself a clean slate. Put it all on your island or kitchen table, and group like items together so you can get a quick inventory of what you have. You will quickly see what you have a surplus of and should stop buying. Then, toss anything that is expired, making room for items that are actually usable. Before putting the items back on their shelves, consider using organizers to group them together, making them easier to locate. For instance, the Kitchen Details 3 Tier Can Organizer ($17.88 on Amazon) can hold 36 cans, helping you group them together in one corner. Just make sure to put your soon-to-expire items up front so they get used first. However, if you don't have the time or budget to buy tons of new containers, try repurposing old cardboard boxes of varying sizes to corral and separate items on the shelves instead.

Similarly, you want to give the same deep cleaning treatment to your freezer. Whether you're buying large cuts of meat, frozen vegetables, or frozen appetizers and desserts, your freezer is going to need lots of space this time of year. And if you want to avoid jam-packing it and having items slide off the shelves each time you open the door because it's so stuffed, then do yourself a favor and give it a declutter before you begin to shop. 

Just like with the pantry, you first want to remove everything from the appliance and set it on your counters or island. Immediately toss anything that is expired or has freezer burn, as that will no longer be edible. Then, group everything by like items, which will give you an idea of what you already have in stock. For instance, you can group your meat together, your veggies in a different pile, your snacks in another, and so on. Once done, either try to group these like items in bins to help corral them, or group them together on separate shelves. Make sure to put the items that are near expiration up front so you use them first, helping you minimize waste. Not only will this decluttering task help you make room for holiday meal prepping, but it will also remind you what you already have in stock and what you had to throw away, making your grocery list more efficient.

You might think you're on your way if you have your pantry and freezer decluttered and pristinely organized, but there is one more spot in your kitchen you should tidy to make holiday prep as streamlined as possible, and that's your pots and pans cabinet. Ensuring it's decluttered will get it better primed for holiday cooking, making it easy to grab the heavy hitters and know where everything is (or what you're lacking before go time). For instance, if you know you're going to be using your Dutch oven a lot, your reorganizing can bring it out from the depths of the cabinet and move it more to the front, making it easier to grab and go when the time has come. 

To tackle your cluttered pots and pans, remove all the pots, pans, and lids from the cabinet. Group like items together to give you an idea of how much of each category you have, and consider tossing or donating anything that is warped, worn down, or that you never use. Also, consider donating or selling anything that you have a massive surplus of. For instance, if you have five small sauce pots but barely use them, you can probably cut down to one or two instead. This will create more room in the cabinet, making it easier to locate what you actually need. Then, put the items back into the unit, keeping like items together. If you have the time, consider ordering organizers to help separate each item and make things easier to grab. For instance, the $19.99 Pull-Out Cabinet Organizer from Amazon allows you to store your various pans vertically, and its pull-out feature lets you see everything clearly rather than rooting in the back of the cabinet.

Winter isn't just chockful of holidays. People also host dinner parties and get-togethers since the weather is usually unwelcoming outside. Rather than going out to dinner and hailing taxis, it's much cozier to show up at a friend's house for a long meal and nightcap. Because of this, winter is a great time to get your servingware cabinet in order and declutter whatever is no longer useful. Maybe you have 10 different platters but there are three you ignore because they have chips or are no longer your aesthetic. Maybe you have a lot of mismatched stemware but prefer using a matching set, so a whole two shelves are gathering dust. Whatever the reason, it's time to prune your collection. 

To do so, remove everything from your cabinets and assess your collection. To make things easier, first remove anything cracked or chipped and safely dispose of it. Then, group all of the similar items together to see what you have a surplus of. If you have tons of wine glasses but nearly no coffee cups, then you can make a mental note to stop picking up new stemware and instead invest in coffee accessories. Remove anything that no longer matches your style in the surplus categories, ensuring they don't take up valuable space if you no longer like using them. Also consider removing anything that doesn't fit your usual entertaining routine. For instance, if you have a massive punch bowl but have only served punch once five years ago, it might be time to sell the piece. 

Your bathroom vanity is another great place to declutter since you're likely removing your summer-season items and replacing them with richer, heavier creams, moisturizing soaps, and conditioning shampoos. That's because cold weather outside is dry and harsh, and the constant push of heating indoors is equally as drying, requiring you to up your moisturizing game for both skin and hair. Whether you're struggling with chapped lips or a flaky beard, these richer products can help. And, since you're rotating out your products, you might as well use this as an opportunity to clean out and organize your vanity.

Just like with the other areas of the home, to do so you'll need to first remove everything from the vanity. Lay out all of your products on the counter or floor, and group similar items together. Then, weed out anything expired, you never use, or don't like. Then, figure out how to put your decluttered items back into the vanity, with an onus on making the winter items within easy reach. The first thing to do is decide what your heavy hitters are and display them on a tray on your countertop. These are the lotions, serums, and makeup items you use daily. You can display them on something like the EG-SIPRO Faux Marble Bathroom Tray ($9.98 from Amazon) or, if you have tons of items, a tiered option like this Forbena Bathroom Organizer ($22.97 from Amazon). Next, designate a category per shelf or drawer. For instance, the top drawer can be your tooth hygiene drawer, the one below that can be your hair tool drawer, and the one below that can be your winter lotion drawer. This will make items more intuitive to locate and easier to reach.

If you're big on creating cheer in your home, then chances are you have a healthy supply of holiday decor. Winter is a great time to get your collection reorganized, whether you're taking out or putting away decor. This will ensure next year will be much more streamlined in terms of finding all of your pieces. If you constantly find yourself sifting through random boxes, trying to find that one tree skirt or that one Thanksgiving platter you need, then this is a great time to get your Christmas ornament storage under control. 

To declutter your holiday decor, first bring out all of your storage boxes, and unpack everything according to holiday. Once you have your piles, remove anything that no longer sparks joy or matches your aesthetic, which will help thin out how much you have to put back. Then, decide how you would like to store it. Since basements and attics are notorious for mice, critters, and dampness, it's best to house these items in airtight, plastic containers rather than cardboard boxes. To make your organization look more uniform, consider investing in the same storage boxes, such as the popular Greenmade 27 Gallon Storage Bins ($49.99) at Costco. They're made from reinforced thick plastic, snap closed, and are roomy enough to house your fluffiest garlands and most robust holiday linen collection. They're also stackable, allowing you to make one neat vertical row per holiday. For instance, you can stack all of your Halloween boxes together and your Christmas items in another column. Put labels on the sides, and you'll be able to find all of your items easily when the next holiday rolls around.

Unless you're blessed with a sizable walk-in closet, chances are you're going to have to pack away some of your summer things to make room for your winter items — especially considering how winter clothes are much bulkier and take up more space. Those parkas, wool coats, and knit sweaters really like to hog precious shelving and rod space! Before you blindly pack away your summer clothes, take this as an opportunity to declutter your closet. 

Cleaning out a closet is a difficult task, so make sure you don't bite off more than you're prepared to chew. If you're the type of person who removes everything from their closet and then loses steam halfway through, then break this job into smaller tasks. First and foremost, focus on decluttering your summer items. You can switch focus to winter items later in the season if you notice there are lots of things you don't wear, or when you swap your closet once again for the spring. Then, focus on only one shelf or section at a time, making the task seem less intimidating. Remove everything from that shelf, and decide what stays and what goes. Donate or sell anything that is too small, hasn't been worn in years, or is no longer your style. Then, toss anything that is ripped, stained, or broken. This alone will substantially thin out your options. Then, see if you have a surplus of any one item. For instance, if you have eight white tee shirts but only wear the same two repeatedly, consider donating the others — or at least the three you like the least. This will help make your selection for next summer more curated and streamlined.

As you're gearing up to switch over your light summer linens in favor of heavy flannels and weighted blankets, this is the perfect opportunity to tidy your linen closet. Since you'll be pulling out heavier items and putting away lighter sheets, you can remove all the items and get rid of some of the things you no longer like to use. While you might reorganize your bedroom closet several times a year since you use it every day, not many people give that same amount of attention to their linen closets. Having a messy hall or linen closet isn't as grating since you don't use it as often, which only makes it all the more important to tidy during this season. 

To do so, remove everything from the closet, and take stock of what you have. Toss any sheets that are threadbare, stained, ripped, or no longer fit. Or, if you don't want to throw them out, there are plenty of inventive ways to use bed sheets in your garden. Then, group the remaining items into sets. Make sure all duvet covers, sheets, mattress covers, and pillowcases are bundled into one set. If you have a few sets that are missing pieces, consider donating them if you prefer to have a uniform look. Then, weed out anything that no longer fits your style, as it will likely just sit in the back of the closet for a few more years before you toss it out. Once you have your remaining selections, consider getting bed sheet organizers, which are vertical boxes that can house an entire set, such as SpaceAid Organizers ($52.99 from Target).

If your mudroom is mayhem during winter because there is nowhere to put boots, hats, gloves, etc, then it's time to tackle that project. Rather than stepping over wet boots and frantically looking for your matching glove as you're heading out the door, it's time to make an organizational plan that will help corral and house each of these staples. This is even more important if you live with multiple people in your home, since the mess multiplies. 

To do so, first group similar items together, like shoes, coats, hats, sports gear or gym bags, and so on, assessing how much space you need for each category. For instance, if you have more boots than other winter accessories, the bulk of your storage system might need to focus on housing shoes. But, if you have a healthy mix of everything, you will need to find a more varied storage solution. But, before looking up new shelving units, consider how you like to tidy. If you're disciplined enough to put your items away behind closed closet doors, then the world is your oyster. But if you have unruly kids or roommates who leave their hats and scarves out even though they have their designated cubbies, you might need a simpler storage solution. For instance, you can leave open baskets on a bench, allowing gloves to go into one, hats into another, and so on. Once you decide on your preferred method, look up storage solutions that can help you achieve order. For instance, if you prefer to keep things hidden away, try IKEA's IDANIS wardrobe ($444.99), which has two bi-folding doors and can help store all your essentials. Or if you need something more compartmentalized, try the Prepac White Hall Tree ($223.99 on Amazon) with 24 shoe cubbies.