🎒Back-to-School Organizing: 5 Ways to Reset Your Home Before the First Bell Rings
- Kiera Malowitz
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
Summer may not be over, but that back-to-school energy is already in the air—supply lists, earlier bedtimes, sports schedules, and… all the stuff that comes with it.
If your home is still operating in summer mode, now is the time to reset. A few smart organizing tweaks can help your family transition more smoothly into the school year and actually stay organized when life gets hectic again.
Here’s how to get ahead before the first bell rings:
1. Create a Drop Zone by the Door
The mornings will only get busier so set up a landing zone now to avoid chaos later. Think:
✅ Hooks for backpacks and jackets
✅ A shoe basket or shelf
✅ A bin or tray for papers, library books, or signed forms.
📌 Pro Tip: If you don’t have a mudroom, use a hallway, garage entry, or even a corner of the kitchen. Command hooks, cube storage, and labels go a long way. I still use this in our hallway as our entry is tight, and right across from this is hooks for their backpacks, sweatshirts and coats.
2. Back-to-School Organizing of School Supplies Before You Shop
If your school or parent-teacher group offers supply packs to purchase, it's a nice way to make sure you get everything up front and the teachers have enough supplies for the year. But if you are not so lucky, just know you don’t need to buy everything new. Take inventory now and donate what you no longer need. Set up a school supply station with:
Pencils, crayons, markers
Scissors, glue sticks, tape
Notebooks and folders
And whatever else is on the list that you may already have
🧠 Pro Tip: Use labeled bins or drawers so kids can grab what they need and put it back easily. This is helpful from young to college-aged kids.
3. Refresh the Closet for Faster Mornings
Outgrown clothes? Missing shoes? Take an hour or two to declutter your child’s closet now. It’ll save time and tears on the first day of school for the grade school kids, and make it easier for the college-aged kids to pack what they need.
👚 Back-to-school organizing tips:
Pack away summer clothes that won’t be worn (or designate a time to do this once the season starts to change)
Donate anything too small
Make outfits easy to grab with labeled bins or weekday hangers
Bonus: Create a school-week outfit station so kids can help pick and prep clothes ahead of time.
4. Reset the Pantry for School Snacks and Lunches
Whether you pack lunches or do snacks-on-the-go, your pantry and fridge can work for you instead of against you.
🥪 Try this:
Use bins labeled “Snacks,” “Lunch,” and “Grab & Go”
Pre-portion non-perishables into reusable containers or snack bags
Keep a lunchbox station with napkins, utensils, and containers
📍Need help organizing your kitchen or pantry? We love to organize these spaces!
5. Designate a Homework + Art Zone
No more lost glue sticks or half-done assignments at the kitchen table! Set up a small space for schoolwork, even if it’s just a corner.
Ideas:
Use a rolling cart for mobile supplies
Install a magnetic board or calendar for deadlines
Add bins for art, homework, and reading
Create a drop-zone for take-home papers that you have to review
🎯 Ready to Reset Your Space for the School Year?
Whether you’re juggling new school schedules, shifting routines, or just too much stuff, we can help you simplify the transition.
At Decluttered™, we offer:
One day organizing sessions
Closet + seasonal resets
Pantry and lunch station setups
Supply zone and homework area setups
Serving clients across Dallas–Fort Worth and throughout Rhode Island, including parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts.
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