11 Easy Color Coding Hacks That Will Save You Tons Of Time

I love when my house is neat and organized, but I don’t really love the act of organizing. It takes a certain amount of time and effort to do, and I usually find myself wondering which organizing system would be the most helpful in any given area. But recently I’ve found myself going “back to basics” so to speak, and re-embracing the simple idea of color coding things. One of the advantages of color coding is that it makes it incredibly quick and easy to identify things. This saves me plenty of time throughout my day!

Color coding can also be quicker, easier, and cheaper than other organizing methods. You can use things your already have around the house to color code your stuff, like washi tape, permanent markers, rubber bands, and even nail polish! With simple supplies and just a few minutes of work, you can implement a color coded system that will save you tons of time and energy down the road. Today I’ll be sharing 11 examples of things you can color code around the house to make your own life easier! :-)

11 Things You Can Color Code To Make Your Life Easier

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1. Keys

If you have a keyring full of similar-looking keys, it can be tricky to remember which key is which. To solve this problem, grab a few different shades of nail polish! Just paint the end of each of your keys with a different color of nail polish. You could use yellow for your front door key, red for your storage unit key, etc. Use whatever colors you’ll be most likely to remember, and you’ll never have to struggle to find the right key again!

2. Cords & Cables

In this day and age, many of us carry cables, cords, and other charging implements so we can charge our smartphones on the go. But since all those cables tend to look the same, it can get tricky to remember whose is whose! To solve this problem, use a distinct colored or patterned washi tape to mark your cords, cables, and plugs. You’ll know for sure which ones are yours, and you can skip the arguments and accusations. And since washi tape is easy to remove, you won’t have to worry about leaving behind sticky residues on your cords.

Another way to keep cords organized is by storing them in toilet paper tubes. Use color-coded washi tape to identify what kind of cord is in each tube.

3. Medications

Wrap colored rubber bands around the lids of your medications to color code them. There are a few different systems that can be helpful depending on your situation. You could color code them according to when you’re supposed to take them (like a green rubber band might indicate once daily meds, while a blue band means twice daily.) Or if your family keeps medication in one central place, you could color code them based on who they’re prescribed to.

4. Bills

Use colored stickers or colored clothespins to group together important papers and bills. For bills, you could use a green clothespin for bills that have been paid and a red clothespin for bills that still need paying.

5. Spices

Color code your cooking and baking spices by using colored rubber bands, stickers, or nail polish on the lids. You could use green to signify dried herbs, yellow for baking, red for the spicy ones, etc.

6. Recipes

You can use stickers or washi tape to color code your recipe cards, or just buy different colored index cards! This makes it easy to track down a particular recipe based on type (like baked goods, main courses, side dishes, etc.)

7. Holiday Storage

Color coding can be extremely helpful when it comes to holiday decorations! Your seasonal decor stays stored away for most of the year, which leaves plenty of time for you to forget where you put things. Use different colored storage bins to keep things organized, or mark your current storage bins with colored duct tape. Use an orange bin or tape for Halloween decorations, and a green bin or tape for Christmas decorations, etc.

8. Laundry Bags

Use laundry bags in different colors to pre-sort your dirty laundry. Then when laundry day comes around, you’ll know exactly how to wash the clothes in any particular bag without having to sort them again!

9. Cutting Boards

Color coding can be a great way to ensure you’re using good food safety practices in the kitchen. Using a color coded set of cutting boards like this one from Amazon can help reduce the chance of cross-contamination. This set has a red cutting board for red meat, a yellow one for poultry, a green one for veggies, and a blue one for fish. You could also color code your existing cutting boards by marking them with permanent markers.

10. Planners & Calendars

Whether you prefer to use a paper planner or an online calendar, color coding your appointments can help you stay on top of things. If you are keeping track of appointments and events for your whole family, try color coding events by which family member they’re for. Or you could color code events by type, like social events, work events, etc.

11. Towels

Towels come in tons of different colors, which makes it easy to implement a color coded system at home. You could designate different colored towels for different jobs, such using blue towels for kitchen cleanup and yellow towels for bathroom jobs. You could also color code the towels you already own! Just make a small slit in one corner of each towel, and tie a scrap of colored ribbon through the hole to mark it.

What’s your favorite way to color code things at home?

I believe we should all love the place we call home and the life we live there. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to making One Good Thing by Jillee a reliable and trustworthy resource for modern homemakers navigating the everyday challenges of running a household. Join me as I share homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make life easier so you can enjoy it more!

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