Find out what's happening in Westhampton-Hampton Baysfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
email: jean@jeanlinderorganizing.com
phone: 631-806-4852
Find out what's happening in Westhampton-Hampton Baysfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
I came across this question the other day: Why does MY house seem to be the only one where nothing has a place, or if it has one, no one puts it there? Never do I go into other homes and see their dresser tops and counters piled with boxes, hangers, toys... toys...and corners with laundry, kids' rooms with stuff just sitting around! No order.
In its most basic sense, the answer would be “Your house is NOT the only one!”
This I know for sure. I’m a Professional Organizer who gets called in to ‘fix’ these situations in homes and offices. A good Professional Organizer is not the same thing as hiring a cleaning person to help. Chances are, if your space got to a point where you need help with it, you could benefit from having a PO come in and help you get it back in order quickly. Importantly, she will teach ways to maintain order after she leaves. We POs have an arsenal of tips filed away neatly in our brains, and the more we can share with you and you implement, the more likely the changes we make will last, and that you won’t have to call in the cleaning person to help with a huge mess again in 6 months. We also listen to your underlying issues, and keep them in mind at all times.
I have seen enough houses filled to the brim with clutter to know that the woman who asked this question is not alone in her frustration. Many people I meet initially feel ashamed at how their place got to be how it is. To them I say, it’s OK! What matters is what you do about it when you are able to, for your own sake and sanity. ;)
“Never do I go into other homes and see their dresser tops and counters piled with boxes, hangers, toys…”
The first response I can think to that is…blinds and curtains! Seriously, many people I have worked for purposely keep the curtains drawn so no one can look in and see the mess. After we work together they are able open the shades. That gives them just as much of a “Hallelujah” feeling as anything else in their life has! It really is remarkable.
People with extreme clutter issues tend to not have guests over or entertain. How could they? The guest room may be impassable or the dining table is covered with stuff. So, that’s a lot of the reason why you’re not seeing other houses like this.
There are many tricks of the trade to keeping countertops and dressers clear. But none of that will be effective without a major decluttering of the area first. Decluttering is always the first step. Decluttering means REMOVING the unwanted and unneeded spaced hogs from your home and property, not shuffling them around, even in a sorted fashion. The easiest way to do this (and who doesn’t like easy?) is to schedule a Charity who does pick up service to come. They generally will take everything you have to give, so you don’t have to think item by item what should go where. The fact that they will come pick up your stuff saves a ton of time and energy.
Once the clutter is has been addressed and removed, and items have been put into their homes that you can remember easily (I appreciate that for many this is easier said than done), you can implement many tactics to keep your place in order.
Next post, I’ll provide a list of tried and true tricks of the trade to help you keep your surfaces clear. If you want to be sure to catch it, visit www.jeanlinderorganizing.com, Contact Me, and indicate that you would like to receive the next article in this series. Or let me know if you’d like a copy of my previous post about naming homes for your items and living with people who may or may not help keep your place neat. Happy Organizing!
