At CNN Underscored, our goal is to guide you through everyday products and services that help you live a smarter, simpler and more fulfilling life, and we believe organization is a key part of that mission. There are many benefits to being organized. At its most basic, using an organizational system can help reduce stress. Being organized also saves you time and money and frees up valuable storage space in your home or workplace.
To guide you in organizing the physical and digital spaces of your life—closets, kitchens, home offices—our expert Jolie Kerr sought out professional organizers, homemakers, and time management experts to find organizing The best product spaces or things of any kind and bring you their best tips and tricks for living an organized life.
If an oddly placed outlet means you have to leave your phone on the floor while charging, the outlet holder will give you the perfect spot to store smaller items while they’re plugged in.
The trick to making a divided storage solution effective is to look for one that is adjustable so you can tailor the organizer to your specific needs. Keep food storage lids tidy with this organizer, whose five adjustable dividers accommodate round, rectangular, and square container lids up to 9 inches in length or diameter.
The can organizer allows you to organize all your favorite cans of soda, soup, fruits and veggies in a compact and convenient way. You can use them in the refrigerator and pantry.
This clear plastic turntable is small enough to take out of the fridge and put on the table at dinner time so your family can easily choose their favorite condiments.
Vertical wall space is also a great place for a wall-mounted hair dryer holder. This inexpensive holster organizer uses 3M’s Command Tape to secure the unit to the wall, so no hardware is required for installation and it won’t damage the wall.
The fabric organizer has six pockets to hold tablets, notepads, remotes, glasses, chargers and more, keeping them tucked away but still within reach.
If you’re someone who tends to keep a big pile of books on your bedside table – they take up valuable space needed for a box of tissues, glasses, remotes, etc. — Wall Mounted Floating Bookshelf will save your life and space.
A monitor stand can also create additional vertical space on a desk; models with built-in cubbies or drawers offer more storage space than simple shelf-style designs.
This clip-on headphone and headphone stand attaches to the side of a table, keeping headphones out of the way but still readily available when you need them.
This multipurpose unit utilizes unused wall space to create storage for mats, rollers, and towels, and features hooks for attaching resistance bands, jump ropes, and even extra hair ties.
These zippered storage boxes are great for storing off-season clothes or extra bedding, and they have soft sides that make them more flexible than hard plastic storage boxes, yet they zipper fully closed to keep dirt, dust, and hair out.
Typically, dorm beds do not have nightstands, and most rooms are not set up to accommodate a nightstand. This caddy helps with that.
Slim hangers have slimmer hooks and shoulders than standard hangers, so they really maximize closet space. And, unlike plastic hangers, most slender hangers are covered with non-slip velvet, so delicate items like silk shirts stay in place instead of sliding off the hanger and crumpling — or worse, ending up with All your shoes on the closet floor.
This 3-tier shoe rack gives you plenty of space to store your shoes with easy access.
This hanging purse organizer takes a cue from those ubiquitous hanging shoe cabinets. We like this style because it doesn’t have any plastic details, so it’s more breathable than other similar fabrics.
This wallet is roomy enough to hold not only a passport but also boarding passes and other travel documents, and it’s available in a variety of colors.
Use this product with economical liquid laundry detergent to prevent drips and spills from creating huge messes.
The attic is a prime place to store holiday decorations during the off-season. There are many holiday ornament storage options to choose from, but this cube-style zippered ornament organizer’s small footprint—holds up to 64 ornaments—means it won’t take up a lot of room.
Many bags designed specifically for storing artificial trees also do double duty as protective storage options for inflatables.
This tool organizer secures long-handled items like mops, brooms, rakes, and grapples in spring-loaded clamps, while four small hooks hold smaller items like brushes and dustpans.
This golf bag storage rack has small compartments for two golf bags and four open shelves for golf shoes, towels or a bucket of balls.
If display is an important part of choosing a bike storage option, the Delta Michelangelo is a vertically oriented floor-standing model that sits against a wall and can accommodate two bikes. This is a great choice for apartment dwellers because it has a small footprint and is easy to install.
One of the most effective things you can do is create a place for trash so it doesn’t fall to the floor. This hanging trash can, designed to fit on your car’s center console, does just that.