6 Life-Changing Organizing Ideas We’re Stealing From the REAL SIMPLE Home

If your home had a “most likely to cause chaos” yearbook superlative, it would be a three-way tie between the fridge, the pantry,
and that tiny laundry area that somehow attracts lone socks like a magnet. The good news: you don’t need a bigger house, a bigger
budget, or a life coach named “Minimalism.” You need better systemssimple ones that match how you actually live on a Tuesday at 7:14 p.m.
when you’re hungry, tired, and trying to remember if you already bought oats (spoiler: you did).

In the 2025 REAL SIMPLE Home, organizer and designer Tyler Moore (aka “Tidy Dad”) shared six practical ideas that feel… unfairly effective.
They’re not fussy. They don’t require labeling your feelings. They’re the kind of home organization hacks that make you wonder why you
ever accepted the “pile method” as a lifestyle.

Below are the six organizing ideas we’re borrowingplus exactly how to adapt them to real life. Expect specific examples, a little playful
honesty, and plenty of storage solutions that work whether you’re in a studio apartment or a house with a pantry the size of a small nation.

Why These Ideas Work (Even If You’re “Not an Organized Person”)

The best home organization tips aren’t about perfectionthey’re about reducing friction. A professional organizer’s job is essentially
“designing systems and processes using organizing principles,” which is a fancy way of saying: make it easier to put stuff away than
to leave it out. When the system is clear, the whole household can maintain it without a weekly meltdown.

The REAL SIMPLE Home ideas share three traits:

• Visibility: You can see what you have, so you stop buying duplicates.
• Access: The things you use most are easiest to grab.
• Logic: Items live where you naturally use them, not where they “fit.”

1) Refrigerator Upgrade: Keep Condiments on a Turntable (Not the Door)

The fridge door feels like the obvious home for condimentsuntil it becomes a crowded museum exhibit of half-used bottles. In the REAL SIMPLE Home,
Moore’s move is simple: park spreads, sauces, and dressings on a turntable (lazy Susan) on a main shelf. This frees up door “real estate”
for items that benefit from fast, frequent access.

How to set it up

1. Pick your category: Put all condiments together (or split into “everyday” and “specialty”).
2. Group by shape: Tall bottles on one side, short jars on the other. It prevents tipping and makes spinning smoother.
3. Keep a wipe-ready rule: Once a week, spin it and wipe the ring. Five minutes now saves the sticky apocalypse later.

Why it feels life-changing

You stop “excavating” for ketchup. You can rotate the turntable and see everything in two seconds. Also, many food safety resources note that
the door area can fluctuate in temperature more than interior shelvesso reserving door space for less fussy items and prioritizing stable zones
for more perishable foods is a smart habit overall. (No fear-mongering herejust better fridge organization.)

Real-life example: Put your top 10 go-to sauces on the spinner. Everything else gets a “backup bin” on the top shelf. When the spinner
looks crowded, it’s your cue to edit.

2) Refrigerator Door Bins: Organize by “Who Uses What” (Not by Random Luck)

Here’s the organizing trick that makes families feel like they suddenly hired a household manager: set up fridge door bins based on your people.
In the REAL SIMPLE Home, kid-friendly snacks go in the lowest bins so children can grab what they need without launching a dairy avalanche.
Adults get the middle and upper bins.

Try these door-bin “roles”

• Lower bin: “Kids Grab & Go” (yogurt tubes, string cheese, snack packs)
• Middle bin: “Lunch Builders” (dips, sliced turkey, hummus cups, ready-to-eat add-ons)
• Upper bin: “Grown-Up Zone” (sparkling water, cold brew, specialty items)

Make it maintainable

The key is a simple blueprint everyone understands. If a system requires a 12-step training course, it’s not a systemit’s a hobby.
Use one label per bin (even painter’s tape works). Then run a quick mini-reset when you unload groceries: old items forward, new items behind.

Real-life example: If your household has “mystery leftovers,” dedicate one small container labeled “Eat First.”
It’s not glamorous, but it’s a weekly money-saver.

3) Pantry Door Magic: Add Floating Baskets for Loose Items

Pantries get messy fast because of “loose item chaos”: granola bars in half-torn boxes, snack sticks rolling around, seasoning packets doing parkour
behind cereal. Moore’s fix: floating baskets mounted on the inside of the pantry door for small, loose foodsso the main shelves stay open for
larger items.

What belongs in door baskets

• Energy bars, snack packs, and small “toss in a bag” foods
• Packets (oatmeal, taco seasoning, gravy mix)
• Small baking extras (sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, cupcake liners)

Why it works

You’re using vertical space that usually goes wasted. Many kitchen organization guides emphasize maximizing vertical storage with door racks,
bins, and stackable solutionsbecause the shelves are valuable, but the empty air above and around them is also storage.

Real-life example: Create one basket labeled “School Snacks.” If it’s empty, you know what to add to the grocery list.
If it’s overflowing, you know to stop buying snacks like you’re stocking a concession stand.

4) Pantry Shelf Risers: Stop Stacking Like It’s a Competitive Sport

If you’ve ever built a tower of canned goods, only for it to collapse the moment you grab beans, you’ve experienced Pantry Jenga.
Shelf risers solve the problem by adding a second tier, so items are visible and reachable without stacking.
Moore used risers to maximize tall pantry shelving and avoid cluttered piles.

Where risers shine

• Cans and jars: You can see labels without pulling everything out.
• Spices and small bottles: Instant visibility, fewer duplicates.
• Baking essentials: Extract, food coloring, and “why do I own three types of sprinkles?”

Set-up tip that changes everything

Don’t organize by brand. Organize by use. Put taco night items together. Put breakfast together. Grouping by purpose reduces time spent searching
(and the odds of buying your fourth cinnamon).

Real-life example: Put a riser in the “back row” and reserve it for backups only. Front row is “open and in use.”
This prevents the classic problem: five unopened pasta sauces hiding behind one empty jar.

5) Clear Bins for Staples: Decant Food So You Can Actually See What You Have

Big floppy packages waste space and hide the truth (which is usually: you’re almost out of flour). The REAL SIMPLE Home pantry decants staples
like pasta, flour, and oats into clear bins so you can see quantities at a glance and avoid buying duplicates.

What to decant (and what to skip)

• Great candidates: pasta, rice, oats, flour, sugar, cereal, snacks, baking chips
• Usually fine to skip: items with strong branding you rely on for instructions, odd-shaped bags you use quickly, single-serve packs

Label like a normal person, not a museum curator

Labels don’t have to be fancyjust useful. Write the item name and, if relevant, the “use by” date. Some organizers even recommend saving cooking
instructions or dates if you regularly rely on them. Clear containers + labels are a powerhouse combo because they reduce decision fatigue:
you know what’s inside without opening anything.

Real-life example: Put flour and sugar in matching clear canisters, then add a small scoop inside each. You’ll bake more
(or at least stop spilling flour like you’re auditioning for a baking show).

6) Laundry Room Organization: Create Three Zones (Even in a Tiny Space)

Laundry rooms fail when they try to be everything at once. In the REAL SIMPLE Home, Moore split a small laundry area into three zones:
(1) washing/drying/folding, (2) supplies and tools, and (3) an “out-the-door” launchpad for daily life.
This zoning approach makes the space feel bigger because every inch has a job.

Zone 1: Wash, dry, fold

• Keep a small basket for “needs air-dry” items (a slim rolling cart works great)
• Add a simple folding surface if possibleeven a sturdy shelf can do

Zone 2: Supplies & tools

• Store detergents and stain removers together at eye level
• Use magnetic containers on the washer side for small items (like scrubbers or lint tools)
• Hang brooms, mops, and spray bottles on wall hooks so they don’t become floor clutter

Zone 3: The launchpad

This is the “I’m leaving the house” area: tote bags, a lint roller, maybe a small tray for keys. It’s basically a tiny command center,
because real life doesn’t happen in roomsit happens in transitions.

Real-life example: If you have pets, keep a small bin labeled “pet laundry” with a dedicated towel and a lint brush.
It prevents fur from migrating into every other part of your home like it pays rent.

How to Make These Organizing Ideas Stick (So You Don’t Backslide Next Week)

Organization isn’t a one-time makeover. It’s a system you can maintain in minutes. Try these habits:

• Weekly 10-minute reset: quick wipe + return items to zones
• One-in, one-out rule for overflow categories: snacks, cleaners, “just-in-case” supplies
• Keep high-impact areas calm: pros often recommend starting with kitchens/pantries because they influence everything else

The “landing zone” warning

Most homes have a drop spot that turns into a doom pile. Experts advise treating the landing zone as a functional drop, not long-term storage,
and resetting it regularly (weekly is a great baseline). If you fix the landing zone, your whole home feels calmerbecause you stop “entering
into chaos.”

Common Mistakes (and Fast Fixes)

• Mistake: Buying containers before you declutter. Fix: Edit first, then measure, then buy.
• Mistake: Creating categories no one understands. Fix: Name bins by actions: “Pack Lunch,” “Eat First,” “Baking.”
• Mistake: Stacking everything because “it fits.” Fix: Use risers and turntables to keep items visible and reachable.
• Mistake: Systems that look good but don’t match routines. Fix: Put items where you naturally use them.

Conclusion: Steal the System, Not the Stress

The REAL SIMPLE Home ideas aren’t “Pinterest perfect” tricksthey’re practical organizing strategies designed for daily life.
Spin your condiments instead of digging for them. Give kids their own fridge zone. Use the pantry door like it’s part of the pantry.
Add risers so you can see your food. Decant staples into clear bins so you stop rebuying oats. And turn your laundry area into three mini-rooms
with clear zones that make sense.

If you want the fastest win, start with just one: the turntable in the fridge or the clear bins in the pantry. When one space flows,
the rest of the home starts to follow. (It’s like a domino effect, but with fewer bruised toes.)

Extra: of Real-Life Organizing “Experiences” (What It Looks Like in Actual Homes)

In real homes, organization usually fails for one of three reasons: the system is too complicated, the categories don’t match daily routines,
or the storage is invisible (so people forget what they own). That’s why the REAL SIMPLE Home approach feels so doableit’s built around behavior.
Here’s how these six ideas often play out in everyday scenarios.

Experience #1: The “Snack Negotiation” Household. In homes with kids (or adults who behave like kids near cheese sticks),
the refrigerator becomes a constant negotiation: “Where’s the yogurt?” “Why is the hummus behind the milk?” The family-style door bins solve this.
When kid snacks live in the lowest door bin, children can grab what they want without emptying half the fridge onto the floor.
Meanwhile, adults get a higher bin for beverages and grab-and-go items. The result isn’t just a tidy fridgeit’s fewer interruptions, fewer spills,
and fewer “Who moved my stuff?” moments. In practice, parents often notice something unexpected: when snacks are visible and grouped,
grocery lists get smarter. You stop buying duplicates because you can see what you have.

Experience #2: The Pantry That Ate the Grocery Budget. Many households overspend on groceries for one sneaky reason:
the pantry hides inventory. A half-empty bag of flour folds over and masquerades as “plenty left.” Three pasta boxes sit behind a tall cereal box,
and suddenly pasta night becomes another store run. Decanting staples into clear bins changes the whole dynamic. People typically find they waste less,
cook more from what they already own, and feel less “pantry anxiety” because the space communicates clearly: “You have enough” or “Add this to the list.”
Add shelf risers, and the pantry stops being a black hole. It becomes a map.

Experience #3: The Small Laundry Space That Never Works. Tiny laundry areas usually become clutter traps because they’re asked
to store everything: detergent, tools, pet stuff, extra paper towels, random bags, and sometimes a mysterious pile of “things to donate.”
Zoning fixes the problem fast. When there’s a defined supplies zone (detergent, stain remover, lint tools), a wash/dry/fold zone (basket and folding spot),
and a launchpad zone (lint roller, tote bag, maybe a small tray), the room feels calmer because each item has a home. Hooks are the unsung heroes here.
Wall-mounted hooks remove bulky tools from the floor, which is often the single biggest improvement in tight laundry spaces.

Experience #4: The “I’m Organized Until Thursday” Cycle. Lots of people can organize once; maintaining is the hard part.
That’s why small resets matter. In real life, the most successful households don’t do marathon organizing days every weekend.
They do quick maintenance: a 10-minute pantry straighten-up before the grocery trip, a fridge check while putting groceries away,
and a weekly landing-zone reset to prevent doom piles. The experience most people describe after a few weeks is a shift in mood:
mornings feel less frantic, meal planning feels easier, and the home feels more “supportive” instead of constantly demanding attention.

If you take one lesson from these real-life patterns, make it this: organize for the way you live, not the way you wish you lived.
A system that’s slightly imperfect but easy to maintain will beat a picture-perfect setup that collapses the moment life gets busy.