Interiors
A Definitive List Of Stacey Solomon's Best Tidying Hacks
10 tips from the queen of clean herself
Stacey Solomon may have gained fame over a decade ago on The X Factor, but the presenter and mum of three has since gone on to amass more than 4 million loyal Instagram followers thanks to her home organisation hacks and her “tap to tidy” tricks. On April 5, the star will begin helping people across the nation declutter their homes on her new BBC show, Sort Your Life Out — and I think we can all agree she’s more than qualified for the job. If the show inspires you to get your home in order, I’ve gathered together a list of Stacey Solomon’s best tidying hacks. All 10 hacks have been hand-selected from Solomon’s Instagram page, from interviews she’s done, and from her brand new book, Tap to Tidy, which was released in March this year.
Speaking to Bustle after the launch of her book, Solomon explained a little bit more about her love for organisation. “To find a little drawer and meticulously organise, it feels like I’m in control of that drawer,” she said. “The rest of my house might be an absolute pit, but this one drawer, this one cupboard, is beautifully presented and shining. And there is a joy in that for me.”
If you’re looking for a little bit of organisational joy in your life, the list below will have something to brighten your day.
1. Repurpose Every Jar
Any fan of Solomon will know she keeps just about everything in glass jars. From cereal to spices, dog food to decorations, her house whole is organised by jar. After you’re finished with a jam jar (or any glass container, really), keep it, clean it, spray paint it (if you fancy), and label it. Solomon uses some jars to hold candles and others to house little notes with reminders of what she’s thankful for.
2. Hang Up Your Snacks
This is a Solomon trademark — and can be found on her “Organising” story highlight. One of the star’s most famous hacks is her solution to a messy snack cupboard. She gets a tension rod, slides on some shower-curtain clips, and places it in the snack cupboard. Then she simply hangs up the family’s snacks — think crisps and baby food pouches.
3. The Coat Hanger Bed Hack
Solomon’s bed always looks like it’s been taken straight off the front cover of an interiors magazine. And during an interview with Fearn Cotton on her podcast Happy Place, Solomon revealed the secret to her success: “I get a hard wooden coat hanger and I lay the duvet across [the bed], and then use the hanger to shove it right down the sides of the mattress. And it pulls it so tight that it looks like it’s been ironed and my nails are safe.” Now you know!
4. Oven Shelves To Organise Makeup
Fans of Solomon will know that pretty much everything in her house is divided up into containers or boxes. However, her makeup tidying hack in Tap to Tidy takes things one step further.
“In my makeup drawer, I used to have drawer organisers — little tubs — that were getting on my nerves because I couldn’t really see what was inside them,” she writes. “At the same time, I had so many shelves in my oven that it was annoying me: every time I wanted to put something in there I had to move all these metal grilles around. I took them out and thought, I could put them inside my drawer and stack my makeup. So I did!”
She adds: “I laid two oven shelves flat inside my makeup drawer, then arranged my makeup between the wires, so it couldn’t roll around. It looks smart — you can’t see the oven shelves — and helps me keep my makeup arranged by type: lips, face, whatever.”
5. Organise Your Batteries
Most people have odd draws in their house where random necessities gather, but not Solomon. She tackled her battery drawer by investing in a nifty case like this one. Now her batteries are organised and there’s no mistaking new ones with old, partially used ones. Genius! You can find this tip on her “Organising” story highlight.
6. Hidden Skirting Board Drawers
Always conscious about using the most of her space, Solomon revealed to her Instagram followers in January 2020 that the skirting boards underneath her kitchen units actually double up as food drawers. If you’re planning on having your kitchen redone any time soon, this is definitely one to consider.
7. Utensil Magnets
Here’s another one you can find on Solomon’s “Organising” story highlight: We all know how quickly utensils drawers can become cluttered and difficult to navigate. But Solomon doesn’t have that problem in her house. Instead, she bought thin strip magnets with sticky-back plastic and stuck them to the inside of the cupboard door. Now, rather than having pizza slicers and can openers rolling around in the drawer, Stacey has them attached to the side so they’re easily accessible.
8. Lazy Susans As Storage
Storing cans can take up a lot of space, but Solomon’s genius Lazy Susan hack means they can be neatly organised together. She places the cans on a Lazy Susan, labels facing outwards. “That way, you won’t struggle to reach a can hidden at the back of a cupboard,” she writes in Tap to Tidy, “just give it a twirl and grab the one you want.” This one is in her “Organising” story highlight, too.
9. Organise Your Electrical Wires
Wires, wires, wires. They’re a big problem for any modern household. When you’ve got multiple phones, laptops, and devices it can be really easy for them to get all tangled up. On her “Organising” story highlight, Solomon shows her followers how she detangles each wire and then uses organisers such as these ones to tidy everything away. Problem solved!
10. Colour-Code Everything
From her children’s Legos and crayons to her wardrobe, Solomon is a big believer in colour coordination. In Tap to Tidy, she says she colour-coordinates her wardrobe because it’s the most logical way for her to get dressed in the morning. She can see what colours match and that will finish off an outfit, plus her wardrobe looks like a rainbow.
