Try this “Tidy Toss” Closet Organizing Tip

As a recovering perfectionist (and a new mom), I’m always trying to keep a balance between a home that is tidy enough to function as a calm space for me and my family with organizational systems that don’t take all my energy to maintain.

The Tidy Toss is exactly what it sounds like: you toss small items into baskets or containers, instead of neatly organizing every single item in the closet. (These are the exact baskets that Blakey uses in her video.) 

You could have a Tidy Toss basket for seasonal items (sun hats, sandals, and swimsuits in the summer, and beanies, gloves, and scarves in the winter), or other small closet items. For instance, I’ve moved everyone’s socks into baskets, so there’s no more pairing and rolling after the laundry is done.

Maybe tossing everything into baskets is a bit less perfectly organized than folding and storing every single item neatly by color or size — but in the real world, it keeps my space overall tidier because it’s so quick to do.

“My closet stays tidy because I don’t spend the time doing unnecessary organizing… I end up tidying because it’s NOT a lot of work,” Blakey says in the caption.

And you don’t have to confine the Tidy Toss to your closet either. I’ve found myself installing baskets in all sorts of corners around my home to just toss bits and pieces into. Kids’ spoons and straws in the kitchen? Tossed into a basket on top of the fridge! Husband’s wallet, keys, small change, candy wrappers, and other pocket paraphernalia? Tossed into a basket in the entryway! Are skincare products getting out of hand? You’ve guessed it, I’ve got a splash-proof Tidy Toss basket on the bathroom vanity.

And it’s kinda fun, too (okay, maybe my definition of “fun” has changed somewhat over the years). I’ve made a game of keeping things off the floor and other surfaces and yelling, “Tidy Toss!” every time something lands in the correct basket. Even the kids (or other less-tidy household members) might get involved if you can persuade them that “Tidy Tossing” is a game.

It’s easy to “over-organize” yourself — I’m guilty of spending more time setting up and (trying to) maintain a complex organizational system than I do actually enjoying the results of my organizational prowess. The type A in me wants everything to be perfectly organized and filed away, but the working mom in me needs quick solutions for keeping like-items together while keeping clutter to a minimum.

“With everything — each home and closet is different. Each person is different. Find what works for you,” shares Blakey in the caption, and I couldn’t agree more.