Every time I watch Japanese dramas or see photos of homes on social media, I'm amazed by the Japanese: "This is so clean! Oh my goodness! How can it be so tidy!"

It is not an exaggeration at all that the Japanese can organize and organize a small house of 80 square meters into a large house of 130 square meters.

But on the other hand, many families will hoard all kinds of food, pots and pans, clothes, shoes and bags. No matter how they clean up, there will always be chaos, falling into a vicious cycle of "25 days of chaos - 1 day of tidying - 2 days of cleanliness - 2 days of chaos again" .

We waste a lot of time looking for things. Sometimes we can’t find them after searching for a long time, so we buy new ones. At the end of the year, when we clean, we find a bunch of the same items again.

"Not knowing how to organize" has become a pain point for many people, so there are now various organizing courses on the market to teach you skills and techniques.

Those Japanese master-level organizers are very popular, such as "Datsu-sare-ri" Yamashita Eiko and "The Heart-beating Magic of Tidying Up" Marie Kondo, and they have students all over the world.

We don’t have enough time to travel around the world to take classes, nor can we afford the high tuition fees, but we can learn through reading and first get a basic understanding of “organizing and storing things” .

So last week, I finished reading "The Simplest Way to Organize Small Apartments." It's packed with practical examples and valuable insights, making it a great learning path for beginners. I also plan to redesign my own room before the end of the year to make my 10-plus square meter space more comfortable.

You might ask: Do I need to learn how to organize? Actually, organizing is a universal skill that everyone needs to master. People who know how to organize will have smoother work and life.

The tidying magic of 10 home storage masters

The book lists 10 cases of storage masters, who share a lot of experience:

1. Ms. Hosoya, 16㎡ room

The room is small and there is no wardrobe, but she makes full use of the space and creates a neat little room with IKEA home furnishings.

She is very good at organizing , such as putting all daily necessities in a box, covering all clothes with a pair of curtains, selecting multifunctional tableware, and placing easy-to-care-for plastic flowers.

2. Ms. Akahori, 21㎡ room

There is no extra stuff in the room, which is mainly white, simple and elegant. When you open the cabinet, you will find that it is full of storage boxes , which are clearly classified and you can find what you want at a glance.

The steel brackets are good at being used to support electrical appliances, books, CDs, etc. There is also a special basket for free samples.

3. Ms. Ueda, 19.4㎡ room

The combination of bed + sofa + table and chairs, the color of the room is light yellow, which is a warm and fresh style.

She shared a tidying secret: invite friends over often. Everyone becomes a supervisor, and you'll naturally be more proactive in tidying up. It's a great idea, so I quickly marked it down.

4. Ms. Iwamoto, 27㎡ room

Although she would place a lot of daily necessities outside, they were categorized and neatly organized.

She has very few clothes in her wardrobe and seems to be a minimalist.

5. Ms. Yuda, 17㎡ room

Considering that the space was too small, she did not want to buy furniture impulsively. After thinking for a long time, she decided to DIY and make the furniture to the right size.

The mini kitchen is fully equipped, and many kitchen utensils are hung on the wall , not taking up countertop space.

6. Ms. Wakisaka, 24.5㎡ room

Hang a string of colorful pendants and place small green plants to make the room look lively and vibrant. Hang jewelry in front of the mirror as a decoration to add a lot of color.

By effectively utilizing dead corners , you can place items that are not often used, such as air pumps.

7. Ms. Miyashita, 17.5㎡ room

Her secret to home storage is to balance "display" and "hiding" . Things on display should be beautiful, and things hidden should be neat.

There are two clothes drying rods in the closet, which doubles the storage capacity.

8. Mr. Maeda, 24.5㎡ room

Use the folders as drawers with the backs facing outwards to blend in with the style of the space.

Hang all your clothes for easy access and wrinkle-free storage. Place baskets with handles in higher areas of your closet so you can reach them without a ladder.

9. Ms. Mochizuki, 19㎡ room

Her home is really empty, with not much in it, but I really like the way she hangs small items online , which gives it the feel of a display wall.

In order to keep the house clean, she often invites friends over to visit and consults them on whether they should get rid of some things, and has gained a lot of experience.

10. Ms. Nakata, 25㎡ room

Use open shelves to reduce visual oppression. If arranged nicely, it can become a small "exhibition cabinet" that friends who come to your home will probably like to see.

She would boldly display the things she liked as a decoration, which would also help her remember the beauty that the item brought.

Perfect organization tips for closets and wardrobes

1. Closet

What is a closet? It is a cabinet embedded in the wall that can be used to store clothes and other sundries, greatly enhancing the usability of the space.

1. Use drawers to make full use of space. If you want something, just open the drawer and you can see it.

2. Label the boxes and drawers well, otherwise you will not be able to remember what is in the boxes/drawers that are not often used, which will waste time.

3. Make good use of small objects, such as sticks, hangers, etc. You can imagine that you are designing and building a boutique and put your own items in it bit by bit.

2. Wardrobe

1. Use compression bags to control storage space. This is super useful. I also plan to buy a few to store clothes.

2. Use a large rack to clamp onto the hanging rod to separate areas for different types of clothing.

3. Learn to “roll up” and “place vertically” to avoid overlapping, making it easier to select and find.

40 creative storage tips

The book lists 100 tips. I have selected some of them and made some modifications. Maybe some of them are suitable for you now.

1. Items related to kitchenware

1. Place stylish tableware and containers to transform the place into a cafe.

2. Purchase a cutlery organizer from a ten-yuan store.

3. A small cabinet can be placed between the sink and the refrigerator.

4. Use the extra small refrigerator as a tableware storage cabinet.

5. Use wooden boards under the sink to prevent moisture.

6. Buy a basket with handles.

7. Use folders to store large tableware.

8. Use rubber bands to secure the cutlery.

9. The rack for drying dishes can be a storage rack.

10. Put chopsticks, spoon, etc. into the cup.

2. Kitchen supplies

11. Use shelves for storage.

12. Fix the pot lid on the wall.

13. Make good use of the space behind the door.

14. Sort and fold the garbage bags.

15. Use S-shaped hooks to hang frequently used items.

16. Make full use of the space on the side of the refrigerator.

17. You can DIY a storage rack to store spoons and chopsticks.

18. Put the dishes and utensils into the basket.

19. Put the powdered seasoning into a glass bottle.

20. Put liquid seasonings into transparent bottles of uniform shape.

3. Clothing, shoes, accessories and other items

21. Prepare your clothes for tomorrow morning in advance.

22. Have a basket specifically for changing clothes.

23. Organize and display clothes like a store.

24. You can hide clothes that you won’t wear this season in the seat cushions.

25. There is a special box for clothes that we wear frequently but don’t often change.

26. Put a bag in a bag.

27. Hang the bag behind the door.

28. Hang bags on the clothesline.

29. Put the shoes you wear frequently in one place.

30. Hang up your high heels.

4. Books, stationery, CDs, electrical appliances, etc.

31. Expose the spine of the book so that the title can be seen easily.

32. Place a small drawer under the sofa to store magazines.

33. Use a small bookshelf to store magazines.

34. Show up on magazine covers like a beauty salon or hospital.

35. Arrange books according to categories.

36. Install several storage racks on the wall to store books and CDs.

37. Sort small stationery items into plastic boxes.

38. Hang important documents with clips.

39. Roll up the electrical wiring and hang it up with a magnet.

40. You can also hide the wiring behind the computer.

There are also many great contents in the book, such as the ultimate storage tools for storage and organization masters. Those inexpensive or even free tools can instantly expand small spaces. It is really space expansion magic!

I really like the photos in the book. They are very beautiful and pleasing to the eye. I can spend a long time just looking at the pictures. It feels like I have visited the homes of dozens of storage experts.

What is home? It is not just a place where we eat and sleep, but also our own private little world. Whether we are alone or living with family, friends or lovers, a clean and tidy home is much more comfortable than a messy and sloppy home.

If you are interested in organization but don't know where to start, Miss Dounan recommends that you read these books first: "The Magic of Tidying Up," "The Magic of Tidying Up," "Small Homes Grow Bigger," "Creating an Easy-to-Organize Room," "The Complete Book of Organization," "Minimalist Organization," and "The Art of Tidying Up."

A house can be rented, but life is not. Being able to clean up your own house, even if it is only a few square meters or more than ten square meters, cooking a meal when you get home from get off work, and reading a book before going to bed, this is our home.

with love,

Miss Soy Milk