Organizing products is a really hot topic right now. With the rise of “organizing influencers”, we may feel like we need these products in order to be organized. There are so many beautifully organized spaces all over the internet, but does that mean you need organizing products to be considered organized? Does the product make you organized or is there a secret to being organized that has nothing to do with products? I am breaking down both sides of this discussion to help you get clear insight on if you actually need products or not to organize. Because there is no “right” answer. Only you can decide if organizing products are right for you.

Do You Need Products To Organize?

There are two sides to this discussion. The one side that says you need products to organize and the other side that says you don’t. 

The YES side believes that you will be organized because everything is contained in bins or baskets. And by having all uniform baskets, bins, or hangers reduces the visual clutter. Visual clutter is basically where your eyes go when you look at something. So if you have a very “busy” looking space with different bins or hangers, your eye may go to the colors of the bins or the different hangers rather then the clothes or labels you would prefer your eye view instead. It keeps the look simple and streamlined. 

The NO side believes that just because something is in a bin or basket doesn’t necessarily mean it is organized. So if you remove the bin or basket, you are more likely to keep less stuff. And with less stuff, you don’t have as much to keep organized. A lot of people on the NO side are considered minimalists. Minimalists are people who enjoy living with the things they need. There is a range of people who follow the minimalist lifestyle, with some having only the essentials and nothing more. While others just don’t want as much stuff so they only keep things that they use and enjoy. 

Now, how can you determine if you actually need products to organize your home? Let’s look at a few things to decide!

May Need Containment

Sometimes you may need to keep your items contained in something in order to keep them organized. Like your silverware or knives or baking flours. 

My feeling is if there is something that wouldn’t be organized if it was loose in a drawer, then it should be contained. But not everything needs to be stored in a bin or basket. Some things may be completely organized lined up like you would find at a grocery store or department store. 

You just need to decide if it is easier for you to keep things tidy by putting it in a basket or bin or shoebox!

Declutter First

Another way to determine if you actually need a product to keep yourself organized is to declutter all your things first. Then see what is left. Back when I was working with in-home clients, we would never bring products to their homes first. We always decluttered their things first. Then, if we needed, we would get products that would fit in the space.

But most of the time, you will be surprised how often you have more stuff than you need. So once you declutter, you can see if things need to be contained or not.

If you want more decluttering tips, check out the posts below:

Where To Start When Decluttering

How To Think Like A Professional Organizer While Decluttering Your Home

How To Declutter Your Home In One Weekend

What Is Your Goal

When deciding if you need products, you should ask yourself what is your organizing goal for this project. Sometimes you may want a Pinterest organized space like a pantry. If that is the case, then you may want to purchase products to help you achieve that look. While other spaces you may find that you want to be able to find things easily, so products may not help with that.

Focus on what your end goal is. Once you figure out the goal, then you can decide if products are actually necessary or not.

Use What You Have

I also suggest using what you have first when it comes to finding containment. My guess is that you have products that you can use if you find that you need containment to get organized. So use what you have first after you declutter your things. This could be using things like shoe boxes or bins that are stored somewhere else in your home. The reason being is that you can save yourself time and money when you shop your home. (Want to know more about shopping your home? Read about it here.)

Invest In Quality

Finally if you do find that you need products to keep you organized, then you should invest in quality rather than quantity. When you find a few products that work best with your stuff and the space, then you have a quality product. Let me give you an example. The Dollar Store has organizing products but the size of those products doesn’t always work. So I have had clients purchase a lot of the Dollar Store baskets and use them to hold a bunch of the same type of item. But since those items are in a few different baskets, things get lost or misplaced. Making my clients buy more of things they already have because they couldn’t find a basket with those items. Now if you invest in one basket that is long and narrow to hold all your things, you are actually going to save yourself money because you aren’t going to misplace a basket. 

When you take your time to look at what your goals are for organizing and declutter first, you are able to determine if you actually need organizing products to get you organized. Then you can find products you already have or invest in quality products only if you find them to be useful.