Keep Your Home in order: A Comprehensive Guide to Categorizing and Classifying Household Items

A tidy and orderly home environment not only brings visual comfort but also enhances life efficiency and reduces the trouble of looking for items. However, with the continuous increase of daily necessities, many families are confronted with the problems of disordered items and difficulties in storage. The key to solving this problem lies in scientifically and reasonably classifying household items. Mastering the correct classification methods and storage skills can make our home look brand new and our life more convenient.

I. The Importance of Classifying and Categorizing Household Daily Necessities

(1) Enhance the efficiency of life

When daily necessities are properly classified and stored, we can quickly find the items we need and avoid wasting time rummaging through a pile of messy items. For instance, by uniformly placing commonly used kitchen seasonings in a fixed area, they can be quickly accessed during cooking, saving cooking time. Sorting and storing clothes by season and type makes it more efficient to pick out clothes before going out in the morning and reduces the panic of rushing out.

(2) Extend the service life of items

Proper classification and induction are helpful for protecting daily necessities. For instance, store clothes by material classification to prevent mutual friction and damage between different materials. Sort and store electronic product accessories to prevent cables from tangling and knotting, and extend their service life. At the same time, classified storage can keep items neatly arranged, reduce compression and deformation, and maintain a good condition.

(3) Beautify the home environment

Neatly and orderly arrangement of items can make the home space more beautiful and comfortable. Reasonable classification and induction can make the layout of the room more reasonable and avoid the messy feeling caused by random stacking of items. Whether it’s the living room, bedroom or kitchen, orderly storage can enhance the overall home style and create a warm and pleasant living atmosphere.

Ii. Classification Principles of Household Daily Necessities

(1) Classification by usage function

Kitchenware: Kitchenware is classified into categories such as cooking tools, tableware, and storage containers based on their functions. Cooking tools include POTS, spatulas, knives, etc. Tableware such as bowls, plates and chopsticks should be stored separately. Storage containers such as airtight containers and sealed cans should be placed centrally. This classification makes it easy to quickly find the items needed during cooking and dining, and also facilitates cleaning and organizing.

2. Bathroom supplies: Bathroom supplies can be classified into toiletries, cleaning supplies and personal care supplies. Toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and facial cleansers should be placed near the washbasin. Cleaning supplies such as toilet brushes and cleaning agents are placed in the corner or under the cabinet. Personal care products such as body wash and shampoo should be classified and placed according to their usage frequency. Commonly used ones should be placed in easily accessible locations.

3. Living room supplies: Living room items can be classified into entertainment items (such as TV remote controls, game console controllers, etc.), decorative items (such as ornaments, photo frames, etc.) and daily necessities (such as tissues, water cups, etc.). Store entertainment items in the drawers or storage boxes of the TV cabinet, arrange decorative items uniformly according to the style, and place daily necessities on the coffee table or side cabinet for convenient use at any time.

(2) Classification by usage frequency

1. Frequently used items: For items that are used every day, such as common seasonings in the kitchen, remote controls in the living room, and pajamas in the bedroom, they should be placed in the most accessible positions. You can place the commonly used seasonings on the seasoning rack near the stove, put the remote control in the fixed storage compartment of the coffee table, and hang the pajamas on the outermost hanger of the wardrobe.

2. Occasionally used items: Items that are used occasionally, such as festival decorations, spare bed sheets and pillowcases, and infrequently used tools, can be stored in high places, deep places or infrequently used cabinets. For instance, put the festival decorations in storage boxes and place them on the top of the wardrobe. Fold the spare bed sheets and pillowcases neatly and store them in the storage boxes under the bed.

3. Idle items: Idle items that have not been used for a long time and are confirmed to be no longer needed should be cleared away in a timely manner. You can choose to donate, sell or discard idle items to avoid them taking up a lot of space and affecting the storage and tidiness of your home.

(3) Classification by material of the items

1. Clothing: Store clothes classified by material, such as cotton, linen, silk, wool, etc. Cotton clothes have good breathability and can be folded and stored. Silk clothes are soft in texture and should be hung for storage to avoid wrinkles. Woolen clothes are prone to insect infestation. When storing them, you can put in insect repellent.

2. Furniture and household items: Different materials require different maintenance methods, and attention should also be paid when storing them. Wooden furniture should be kept away from moisture and direct sunlight, metal furniture from rusting, and plastic furniture from deformation under heavy pressure. Store furniture and supplies of the same material together for convenient unified maintenance and management.

Iii. Practical Storage Methods and Techniques

(1) Utilize storage tools

1. Storage boxes and baskets: Storage boxes and baskets are great helpers for home storage. Choose storage boxes of appropriate size and shape, categorize and store small items such as socks, underwear, stationery, etc., and label them for easy search. Woven storage baskets can be used to hold towels, magazines and other items, adding a sense of warmth to the home.

2. Shelves and hooks: Install shelves in Spaces such as kitchens and bathrooms to increase storage space. For instance, install multi-layered shelves on the kitchen walls to store seasoning bottles and cooking tools. Install hooks in the bathroom to hang towels, bath balls, etc. Shelves and hooks can make full use of vertical space, keeping items neatly and orderly arranged.

3. Drawer divider: A drawer divider can divide a large drawer into multiple small compartments for storing small items such as tableware, jewelry, and office supplies, preventing messy accumulation of items and improving the efficiency of drawer usage.

(2) Optimize space utilization

1. Vertical space utilization: Utilize vertical Spaces such as walls and the tops of cabinets for storage. Wall-mounted storage racks can be installed to place green plants, decorations or small daily necessities. Place storage boxes on the top of the cabinet to store infrequently used items, making full use of the high space and reducing the occupation of the floor and countertop.

2. Hidden storage: Design hidden storage Spaces, such as under the bed or under the sofa. Buy a bed with storage function and store seasonal clothes, quilts, etc. under the bed. Choose a sofa style with drawers at the bottom to store remote controls, magazines and other items, making the space neater and more beautiful.

(3) Develop good storage habits

1. One item, one place: Determine a fixed storage location for each item and return it to its original position promptly after use. For instance, it is stipulated that keys be placed in the key storage box at the door and umbrellas be put on the umbrella stand behind the door. Develop the habit of “putting things back in their original places” to keep the home environment clean and orderly.

2. Regular organization: Conduct a comprehensive organization of household items at regular intervals, clear out expired, damaged or no longer needed items, and readjust the placement of items to ensure that the storage system is always in an efficient state. At the same time, adjust the storage plan in a timely manner according to the changes in seasons and the alterations in living needs.

The classification and categorization of household items is an art of living and an important part of improving the quality of life. By following scientific classification principles, applying practical storage methods and techniques, and developing good storage habits, we can create a clean, comfortable and efficient home environment, making life more relaxed and pleasant. From now on, start tidying up your home and embark on a new chapter of an orderly life!