The story below is a preview from our September/October 2017 issue. For the full story Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
Ready to organize your home but not sure where to start? Try these 5 easy tips from the professionals.
Staying organized is not always the easiest thing to do. When you get home from work, or your kids are finally off to bed, and night is falling in, the last thing you want to do is spend time cleaning and organizing a space. Your priority isn’t always a clean kitchen. But sooner or later, you will have to confront the piles on the floor, the stack of important papers, and the waterfall of clothes cascading out of your closet.
What many people don’t realize about organization is that it is a form of self-care. Each person is different, and so the process of keeping an organized home is going to be constantly evolving based on the specific needs of the individual. Here are five basic tips from local Roanoke professional organizers Ann Custer, with Wow Organization, and Carol Jensen, with Jensen Services LLC.
Assemble and Assess!
According to Jensen, this is a vital part of the organization process. One way to do this is to gather all of your clothes, for example, and go piece-by-piece, deciding whether or not you need it. Custer offers a slightly lengthier process, in which every time you wear an item of clothing, and are hanging it back in your closet, to put it back on the rod backwards. That way you see what articles of clothing you are wearing and which are just hanging in your closet for months on end.
Assign Zones!
Using an example from Jensen, if you have one shelf for books, you should be dedicated to allowing only your books to occupy that space. She suggests only filling the space up to 80 percent, as to leave room for new items. Once you arrive at the 100 percent capacity, it’s time to purge the space, dwindling the items until you’re back to 80 percent. This way, you avoid overflow and keep clutter off the floor.
Know Exactly What You Need at the Container Store!
Part of the fun and thrill behind getting organized is the idea of buying organization containers to help with the process. People often want to skip right to the purchasing before they even know what is going to go in them. You really should wait, according to Jensen. She says, “people will often get excited, buy containers, and realize later that those containers don’t even fit their needs.” It’s important you know exactly what the containers are going to be used for, so that you can purchase the right size and shape to fit your needs. A further tip from Jensen is to purchase clear plastic containers, and label one short side and one long side, for ease of access.
Avoid Buying in Bulk!
Stick to the zones you recently assigned. If you have an assigned space for paper towels, and it only fits four rolls of paper towels, then only purchase four rolls of paper towels at a time. Buying in bulk is tempting, especially when we feel that we are saving money by buying a pack of eight rolls of paper towels, rather than four. Custer asks, “Is it possible that a high percentage of household clutter is a result of ‘too much stuff’… not lack of space?” You have to be aware of how much room you have, and you must be dedicated in not allowing yourself to overflow that space.
And of course,
Get Started!
Jensen and Custer are in resounding agreement here. Half of the battle is dedicating yourself to organizing a space. Whether it’s a small closet, your cluttered garage or a complete overhaul, you just have to do it! And don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is no shame in it; everyone, even the professionals can confirm that they’ve been in a place where they had to sit down and decide enough was enough. It’s time to organize!
… for more from our September/October 2017 issue, Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
