Where to Get Help Reducing Clutter in Your Home
If you been trying for years to reduce clutter, but you aren’t an organized person to begin with, so you’re having trouble figuring out how to declutter and organize your space, don’t worry help is available. In fact, it can be quite easy to find help in the area you are trying to organize. For example, let’s say you want to organize your closet, companies that provide closet organizers often also offer advice to help you make the right choices. However, bigger projects may require you to hire the big guns – professional organizers.
A professional organizer can be a life saver, providing you choose the right one for your needs. So how do you get started? It’s really not that difficult. Check your local yellow pages, local newspaper, and of course check online for professional organizers in your area. Online you can find a list of services offered. You can also use the National Association of Professional Organizers website for an automated referral. This is a handy site that aids you in finding the right person for you. You can search by specialty and location. You’ll be able to obtain names as well as contact information that matches your criteria.
Don’t make a hasty decision. Speak with a few different professional organizers before making your final decision. Try to set up an appointment so you can meet in person and request a quote. Find out if they are a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). While this doesn’t guarantee the quality of work it does indicate their commitment to a code of ethics and continuing education. Ask for their area of expertise, as well as the results you can expect. Finally request references and be sure to follow through on these. Be honest about what it is you hope to achieve and what your personal downfall to the process is.
For example, let’s say you collect your mail daily but throw it into a pile and then address it at the end of the week. Be honest and tell them this is how you handle your mail. They will only be able to build a system that works if you are honest about how you operate on a daily basis. Your honest helps to not only de-clutter your space, but also organize it in a manner you can maintain and are comfortable using. If it works the way you do then you will be much more likely to keep up with it.
There are many rooms in your home, and many areas where you may need to declutter. Closets are a common area of frustration and disorganization, but most times there’s a pattern that’s inevitable. If you are organized in one part of your home, it’s likely that your entire home needs to be decluttered.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $200 an hour for a professional organizer’s services. However, that said, there are some that charge per project, offering a value based service for those on a tighter budget, that need to know their costs upfront. Picture this – your home is organized. You can find everything easily and quickly. Your excess “stuff” no longer resides in your home or office. Your dreams of living and/or working in a clutter free environment have finally been met.
Reduce Clutter in Your Office
Take your career to new heights just by reducing clutter in your office. You’ll become more organized and more productive and that can lead to advances in your career. When you have a work space that’s organized you can save tons of time and get so much more done, by not having to dig through clutter to find what you are looking for. People like working with others that are organized. So it is time declutter your office. Let’s get started.
Start by examining your office layout. Look for ways to create clear walk ways between the door, filing cabinet, and your desk. Think about the space you have available to you. Look at your desk – does it work, is it too small, or perhaps it’s too big. If your desk is too small add a matching table to give you more space, and it will look great. Look for a table that matches in height as well.
Consider whether you have all the necessary furniture so that you can have all your office equipment easily available. Just by organizing things like the fax machine or photo copier you can gain a good deal of work space and you can also gain some much needed floor space. When you organize office essentials you also streamline your activity meaning you get more done in a shorter time. That’s good for you and for the company.
For example, how many times does the fax machine or printer land up on a person’s desk taking up valuable space. By simply purchasing a printer stand you can free up desk space and also gain a little storage space on the printer stand. If you are lacking space for books or files you should invest in the necessary shelves or filing cabinet. Place your desk in a position that makes the shelves and filing cabinet easy to access. Behind the desk is always great, but may not always great leaving enough space for you to be able to roll your chair back and forth between the filing cabinet and the desk.
A cluttered desk is one of the biggest downfalls of corporate America. An unorganized desk leads to unorganized work. Keeping your paper organized is essential to keeping your desk organized and clutter free. Label all your files and folders that are sitting on your desk. Get them off your desk using stacking trays or a step file holder. Stacking trays work well for an inbox and outbox. Both save space and help you to keep your desktop organized and functional. Office supply stores offer all kinds of caddies and trays that can help your organize the top of your desk and the inside of it too. Get your pens, tacks, paper clips, and everything else in your desk in order.
Check your floor space too. There should be nothing stacked on the floor that you don’t have room for. Everything should have a home, whether on your desk, in your filing cabinet, or on shelves. A clear walkway allows you to move more freely and therefore you spend less time dodging obstacles and more time getting your work done.
An office that is decluttered is an office that is productive and stress free. Find out for yourself why it pays to declutter your office. And for just ten minutes a day you can maintain this optimum work environment. It’s simple and effective.
Reduce Clutter in Your Bedroom
When you enter your bedroom you should feel relaxation engulf you. However, when the bedroom is cluttered this doesn’t happen. It takes only a day to declutter your bedroom, and once the clutter is gone you too can enjoy the relaxation and comfort your bedroom should create for you.
Don’t just rush in “full speed ahead.” Instead grab pen and paper and then take a minute to analyze your room. Write down what you see. Where is most of your clutter? Is it in your closet, or perhaps it’s on your dresser or nightstand. For example, make a note of those things you consider essential that you want to keep on your nightstand so they are close to you, and also list which things are creating clutter on your nightstand. Maybe you enjoy reading before bed, so there might be a pile of magazines that are cluttering your nightstand space, perhaps water glasses are piling up, or whatever it is write it down.
The installation of just a few shelves either above the bed or to the side of the bed can work wonders for bedroom clutter. Just don’t make the same mistake and fill these new shelves with more clutter. Remember they are designed to reduce clutter not add more. Toss out old magazines, place books on the shelves you install.
Your clutter could be from piles of dirty clothes that haven’t made it to the laundry room, or perhaps it’s clean clothes that need to be put away. You may even have too much clothing for your space. A good rule of thumb for cleaning out the closet is “if you haven’t worn it in 6 months then get rid of it.”
Don’t forget about the space under the bed. It’s easy to forget about because it’s out of sight. You might want to invest in some bins for under the bed to help you sort and organize. The ones with wheels easily slide in and out from under the bed.
Your notes will help you come up with an action plan that will work. Sort your clothing – bathing suits, socks, underwear, etc. Get rid of clothing you no longer wear. If it doesn’t fit it should be gone. Don’t keep it in case you might one day fit back into it. You may need to invest in another dresser or upsize the one you have. There may be things you store elsewhere other than in your bedroom. For example, seasonal bedding could be stored in another room, or it could be stored in sealed containers under the bed. Under the bed is also a great place to store shoes. Consider all your options.
Keep in mind that containers are an ideal way to organize your bedroom. They are affordable and make the decluttering process almost painless. Your bedroom should be a place of relaxation and by reducing clutter you can enjoy the space where dreams are born, and all this can be achieved in just one day.
Reduce Clutter in Your Closet
The last time you picked up your dry cleaning or went to put your laundry away did you find yourself fighting to find room in your closet? Clothes are constantly changing styles and so are you. What you liked yesterday you might not wear today. The problem is we procrastinate in getting rid of clothing that’s in good shape, when we shouldn’t.
Spring and fall are a good time to declutter your closet and clean everything out. Late spring and fall is better than early fall because by then the weather is more stable and you are less likely to find yourself digging for clothes from the previous season. For example, if you put away your summer clothes too early you might find yourself looking for that summer dress when Indian summer arrives.
There are many ways to store clothes from other seasons. Many choose to use sealed containers on wheels that slip under the bed. This is a good option. Others, with larger closets opt for closet organizers that offer a convenient, permanent solution. There are several companies, like EasyClosets.com, that offer complete solutions for your closet.
Take on your closet decluttering project early in the day so that you don’t find yourself having to move everything you stacked on the bed so that you can go to bed. Generally that’s where all the clothing gets put while trying to sort through it all, and you don’t want to land up throwing it all back in the closet before you are done because you ran out of time.
A few days before you take on the project, begin to think about what it is you want to accomplish, what you visualize as the optimum organized closet, and how you might achieve that. For example, maybe you have way to many pairs of shoes just scattered along the floor of the closet, or perhaps your accessories are all messy because you don’t have a good way of storing them. What would make these items more organized? More racks, specializes hangers, or perhaps additional shelves? Figure out what you will need and then purchase these products before you begin to reduce clutter in your closet.
It’s then time to tackle your clothing. Judge each piece individually. Ask yourself when you last wore it, and if it’s more than a year get rid of it. Also ask yourself whether it fits you well enough to keep and whether it’s too worn to keep. Anything in poor condition or with an improper fit should go. Next wipe down all the racks and shelves in the closet and vacuum the floor. When you are done that you can start putting things back into the closet in an organized fashion.
If you have a small closet, which many of us do, you’ll need to be careful on how you maximize your space. If your closet has a door, putting a few hooks on the back, a shoe rack, or an accessory rack, can help to get the most out of your limited space.
If your closet is too small to store all of your shoes, there are other alternatives to consider, such as a bin with wheels that can easily slide under the bed. If your bed is not high enough off the ground you can buy bed lifts. Vacuum seal bags are a good option for your seasonal clothes, which can also be neatly stored under the bed. You can even leave the hanger on so that when it’s time to use these seasonal clothes it will take only minutes to get them out. Another option is a closet organizer. EasyClosets.com is one company that offers a variety of closet organizer options.
Reducing clutter in your closet can be fun and easy. When you are done you’ll be rewarded with a nicely organized closet where you can find anything you need in just minutes.
Reduce Clutter in Your Home
The days come and go and one day you look around wondering where all the “stuff” that fills the space and your home comes from. It didn’t just get there overnight. Over time we collect things and it builds until one day we look around and think it’s time to declutter. Decluttering is a great way to begin to organize your home.
The project is likely far too big to undertake in just one day, so why not set aside some time every day to work on your declutter my house project, or even every few days, however your schedule works. But how do begin? Without a system you’ll become overwhelmed very quickly and give up on the task at hand. Start by getting three containers. Label them “put away,” “throw away,” and “give away.” It’s a great starting point!
Since your object is to organize your home it makes sense to start in one room and progress to the next when you finish the first, in an organized fashion. It’s best if you start where you enter the room and then work in an organized fashion usually clockwise until you finish the room. Sometimes it can become a bit overwhelming trying to decide what to do with some of the stuff, and you’ll be tempted to bypass the items. Don’t. Instead ask yourself some questions to determine where it belongs.
First ask yourself how you feel about the item – do you have nor attachment, do you like it, or do you love it. Does the item make you happy, sad, or mad? Perhaps it has sentimental value. What condition is it in? Do you have more than one of the items? You get the idea. By asking yourself some step by step questions you can better decide what to do with the item. Once you fill your give away box you can send it off to the thrift store or put it up on Craigslist, e-Bay, or even in your local paper. Then start filling the box again. Don’t make the mistake of putting the box somewhere out of sight, because you’ll never get around to getting rid of it and therefore you’ll never finish your de-cluttering.
Don’t be too surprised if you suddenly come to the realization of just how cluttered and unorganized your room is. When your keeper box is full, it’s time to stop and begin to put those items in their proper placed. Don’t bypass shelves or drawers. This is your chance to organize your room from top to bottom. Take a minute to organize pens, paper, socks, etc. so that everything has a proper place. When it comes to discarding items use the rule of thumb “if you haven’t used or worn it in a year get rid of it.”
The thought of decluttering may seem overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. Have a little fun with it, and when you’re done you’ll feel great about the undertaking of such a big project. Just stick to the time you’ve scheduled to work on decluttering and before you know it you’ll be enjoying a clutter free, well organized home.
