Spring has finally sprung. Somehow during this beautiful new season, with nature reawakening, there is still a downside. For the cleaner people of the world, this downside is Spring cleaning. It usually dominates a Saturday, or entire weekend, during the brand-new beautiful weather that you’d much rather be enjoying. So anything that can help speed up this process would be appreciated, right? The key to time-saving cleaning that lasts, is organization. This is the art you must master in order to finish quickly and, if you stick to it, avoid the need for frequent cleanings in the future. Fortunately, all home décor stores have space-saving and organizing items. There are even stores dedicated entirely to space-saving devices (such as the Container Store).

Typically the rooms most in need of space-saving organization are the kitchen, the bathroom, and the closet. The kitchen, to start, tends to be one of the least-organized, messy rooms in the house -– what with dishes, plates, pots, pans, utensils, cleaning supplies, hand towels, spare bags, cans, other pantry food, spices, and so on, all in need of a neat, organized home. It’s hard enough to cram all of that into a kitchen, let alone keep track of it all. For me, the most useful organizational tools have been the spice racks, cabinet shelves for plates and bowls, storage caddies for cleaning supplies, door pantry racks, and the pot and pan racks, which can be mounted on the wall or hung from the ceiling. These, I believe, are the items that will provide the best organization and efficient space saving for your kitchen. It also makes it look like you have an idea about what is going on in your kitchen.

For your bathroom, usually the items most in need of organization and space saving are all the personal items on your countertop — face wash, hair products, toothbrush, Q-tips — as well as the plethora of towels, bath and shower things and, for girls, all the cosmetics. For the countertop, I recommend jars for items like cotton balls and Q-tips, and a vanity tray for everything else. For towels, you could use a standing or mounted towel rack or a standing storage cabinet or cubes. For girls, with make-up, hair products, beauty items, curling/flat irons and everything else, I suggest an over-the-toilet space saver or mounted cabinet with many compartments. Girls understand the need of having these things separated and organized. Anything else you may need organized in your bathroom can easily be done with added cabinet shelves or a door caddy.

The last area that needs the most space-saving help and organization is the closet. The closet is usually never as big as anyone needs, as such you end up throwing stuff in randomly until you can’t find anything anymore, unless it’s hanging. This is a nightmare when it comes to shoes, belts, board games (which usually ends up missing pieces), pictures, and anything else you may be brave enough to toss in there. The most useful items are the hanging organizer shelves (usually has six shelves), a shoe rack, the wonder hanger, wall rack for belts and purses, and stackable drawers. These are sure to solve all woes you may have.

If you feel the need to do Spring cleaning in the coming weeks, be sure to do it right, and organize your items and optimize your space. Save space however you can, but remember organization is key. Find what you can at stores in your area, or be creative on your own, after all, DIY not only saves money, it can be fun too.

And remember, in the end, a tidy well-organized home saves you in time, space and headache.