Professional Organizers Use These 17 Clever Items Every Day to Keep Their Own Homes Neat and Tidy

Follow their lead to a home that works for—not against—you.

Keeping an organized home isn’t necessarily an all-or-nothing prospect. That sweet spot between being a complete stickler and letting chaos reign is where most of us strive to reach. To reach that happy medium, small incremental changes are all you need to get organized and stay that way. That’s what professional organizers told us when we reached out to them to share secrets from their own homes. 

What are the genius go-tos they use themselves to keep their homes both functional and fashionable? Read on for 17 professional organizer-approved decluttering solutions the experts use every day.

Meet the Experts

• Meghan Cocchiaro, professional organizer and founder of Organized by Meg
• Tracy McCubbin, professional organizer, founder of dClutterfly
• Melanie Summers, professional organizer and owner of I Speak Organized
• Lucy Milligan Wahl, professional organizer and founder of LMW Edits

Professional Organizer-Loved Home Organization Solutions

• Brother P-touch Cube Plus Bluetooth Label Maker, $107
• YouCopia Crazy Susan Divided Lazy Susan Organizer, $27
• Fabsome Set of 6 Bamboo Drawer Organizers, $34 (was $50)
• Best Choice Products Double Laundry Hamper with Lid, $65 (was $100)
• iDesign Recycled Plastic Lazy Susan Turntable Organizer, $24
• Jonathan Adler Basketweave Square Tray, $50
• Amazon Basics 3-Tier Rolling Cart, $35
• Yihong Set of 6 Multi-Purpose Clear Plastic Bins, $23 (was $26)

Brother P-touch Cube Plus Bluetooth Label Maker

What’s the good of getting organized, if you don’t know what you stashed in which bin? That’s why a handheld label maker is the pros’ best friend. “This is my absolute favorite label maker that I use at home, on every single client job, and often gift to my clients to help them maintain their new organization,” according to Meghan Cocchiaro, professional organizer and founder of Organized by Meg. “It’s a Bluetooth label maker that lets you easily design labels from your phone using the Brother app and print them out on the spot. It prints labels up to 1-inch tall, which is a great size for larger bins, and it’s small enough to easily store away or carry around the house while you get organized.”

YouCopia Crazy Susan Divided Lazy Susan Organizer

There’s nothing lazy about a lazy Susan, says Cocchiaro, who uses these hard-working tools to unlock access to the trickiest corners of her home. “Turntables or lazy Susans are useful additions to kitchen cabinets, kids’ craft areas, and laundry rooms, to organize a variety of items from oils and spices, to crayons and markers, to dryer balls, stain sticks, and sunscreen,” she says. “They make access to higher shelves and deep, awkward corners easier to reach, and items don’t get lost in the back.”

Fabsome Set of 6 Bamboo Drawer Organizers

$50

Drawers have the tendency to become messy catch-alls, but removable drawer dividers can help divvy them up into smaller, more purposeful sections. “I use bamboo drawer dividers in almost every room of the house—kitchen utensil drawers, bathroom drawers, dresser drawers—you name it,” says Melanie Summers, professional organizer and owner of I Speak Organized. “The standard size is great for gadgets and silverware, while the deeper ones are perfect for vertically folding clothes like leggings, tees, and underwear. Even clients who don't love folding can still keep their drawers categorized and easy to navigate.”

Best Choice Products Double Laundry Hamper With Lid

$70

Some of the most helpful organizing products are the ones that move with us, according to organization expert Lucy Milligan Wahl, the founder of LMW Edits. “Not every organizing product is static,” she says. “The perfect example is laundry: We not only need to have someplace to put our laundry, but we have to have a way to move it around to actually wash, dry, fold, and put it away.” 

Wahl’s solution? A divided laundry hamper with removable bins, like this one in stylish seagrass. “It looks nice in a bedroom, so you don't have to stash it somewhere,” she says. “The two compartments allow you to pre-sort lights and darks as you toss laundry in, and you can lift out the fabric compartments to take laundry over to the machine.”

iDesign Recycled Plastic Lazy Susan Turntable Organizer

Wahl’s favorite home organization products are the ones that raise, lower, or turn items so that she can quickly find them. “A riser for spices is an essential for me, as is a turntable for my laundry detergents,” she says. “I'm a bit of a laundry nerd and keep several types of detergent on hand, plus bleach and stain solutions.” For laundry rooms, Wahl cautions that divided turntables can be limiting in their use. Instead, she recommends one without dividers, like this 14.5-inch style in clear acrylic.

Jonathan Adler Basketweave Square Tray

Heading off clutter before it begins may be easier and more aesthetic than you think, says decluttering expert Tracy McCubbin, founder and CEO of dClutterfly. She recommends adding “a nice-looking valet tray by the front door where everyone can drop their keys and wallets. Nothing clutters a house faster than keys, sunglasses, and wallets scattered all over the place,” she says. “An added benefit to putting everything in the same place every day means not having to look for stuff the next morning.”

Amazon Basics 3-Tier Rolling Cart

“Rolling carts, which come in a variety of sizes and colors with various attachments to get super organized, are fabulous additions to kids’ rooms, kitchens, playrooms, home offices, or hobby rooms,” according to Cocchiaro. “I personally keep one at the end of my large kitchen island so I can swipe my kid’s art supplies and technology into it daily, to keep my island—and my headspace—clear of clutter.”

Yihong Set of 6 Multi-Purpose Clear Plastic Bins

$26

Ask any organizer—clear bins in an array of sizes can make any space more useful. “These plastic bins are my go-to for maximizing hidden storage under bathroom vanities, laundry cabinets, and kitchen sinks,” Summers says. “They're perfectly stackable, easy to label, and help wrangle miscellaneous items—from backstock cleaning supplies to first-aid kits—in a more vertical and accessible way. The clear sides make it simple to see what you have at a glance.”

Kobikobi 13-Inch Ceramic Cake Stand

Staying organized will make daily tasks so much simpler, and that’s no truer than with cooking. “Using a cake plate next to the stove for oils, vinegars, salt, and pepper is an old Martha Stewart trick that works,” McCubbin suggests. “It keeps everything you grab for cooking within arm’s reach—and looking tidy—on the counter.”

Simple Houseware 6-Pocket Over-the-Door Organizer

$20

To beef up storage in your home, look no further than the backs of your doors. “[These organizers are] great for homes without a medicine cabinet, acting as vertical storage for toiletries, gloves, hats, scarves, small accessories, and even lightweight cleaning supplies,” Summers says. “The clear pockets make it super easy to find what you need quickly.”

Losyhu Set of 4 Wire Storage Baskets

“I love open wire baskets for all kinds of things, and I personally use them in my pantry,” Wahl says. “They keep items contained, function a bit like drawers (you can pull them out to see what's in the very back), and also allow you to see what's inside at a glance.” Something simple like these would be perfect for canned goods, snacks, baking supplies, and the like.

Full Circle Ceramic Kitchen Sink Caddy

$20

Clutter is bound to creep in, but containing it is key. “This kitchen sink caddy corralled the clutter on my kitchen counter and looks nice too,” McCubbin says. “Sponges, brushes, and bottle brushes are right where you need them and stored so they dry fast.”

Le Tauci Set of 2 Utensil Crocks

$30

Bare counters aren’t always practical even for organization pros—and organization doesn’t mean that everything useful must be kept out of sight. “A crock next to the stove with the most used kitchen utensils is a game changer, especially if drawer space is limited,” according to McCubbin. “Something like this one will make a huge difference and look nice, too.”

YouCopia StoreMore Expandable Pan and Lid Organizer

Storing boards and sheets vertically—rather than in one unwieldy, space-hogging stack—will make those kitchen essentials easy to see and grab. “Without custom cabinetry, this is my favorite divider in the kitchen to organize cutting boards and baking sheets,” Cocchiaro says. “I typically add them down low to a cabinet that you can just reach right in, or up high over the fridge or stackable ovens so you can easily pull an item down. They take advantage of vertical space and allow you to easily see your boards and muffin pans.”

Mighty Tuff Pack of 3 Heavy-Duty Stacking Bins

Rugged stackable storage makes a great alternative to built-in shelving where families need it most. “These wide, stackable bins are awesome in the garage or basement storage areas for gardening tools and soil, kids’ toys like balls, chalk and rollerblades, and even muddy hiking boots,” Cocchiaro says. “They’re versatile, take advantage of vertical space (which is so important in a garage), generously sized, and easy to wash out with a hose.” The bins hold up to 100 pounds each and nest together when not in use.

Dhylricher Set of 12 Closet Rod S-Hooks

$10

For all those things you don’t know what to do with, try hanging them, the pros advise. “Adding small hooks to your closet rods lets you hang a variety of items you may not have thought of hanging,” Cocchiaro says. “I love to use these hooks in closets for tote bags and purses, belts, and pants and shorts with loops. You can also hang ball caps and large necklaces. These hooks don’t take up as much space as traditional hangers and face the right way so that purses hang front to back and don’t take up a wide space.”

In Apple Pie Order Set of 8 Metal Clip-On Labels

True organization doesn’t always look Pinterest-perfect, but for a touch of style, Summers relies on these pop-on label clips to instantly elevate any organizing system. “They clip easily onto wire baskets, wood shelves, or plastic bins, allowing you to create custom labels that are easy to update,” she says. “We love using them to create zones in pantries, linen closets, or anywhere we want the look to feel polished and intentional.”

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