Congratulations, you made it to Day 2 of our Organize Your Entire Home in 20 Days series!

I hope you are just as excited as we are to continue working through your home and clearing out all of the clutter!

For Day 2, we are going to be focusing on the coat closet. Like the entryway, the coat closet serves an important role for your family as they enter and leave your house.

Coat closets are easy to get cluttered because they are frequently visited throughout the day but only for a few moments at a time so you never actually have to look at the damage inside.

No worries though, organizing coat closets is one of our favorites!

Check out more of our favorite before and after pictures here!

Start by pulling everything out. Pull out all of the coats, the boots, the umbrellas; absolutely nothing stays in the space during the organization process.

When you pull out of the items from the space, it makes it easier for you to see what items really belong in the closet and what items are just adding to the clutter.

After all of the items are out of the coat closet, categorize everything into groups with similar items, throwing away any trash as you go. Make groups of coats, shoes, backpacks, mittens, beanies and anything else that’s in the closet.

Grouping together like items will help you make decisions about what you want to keep, donate, or trash because you will easily be able to see what items your family still regularly uses and what items your family no longer needs.

Items you want to keep should be things that serve your family a purpose and you definitely will be using in the future. These are going to be items that are still being used like coats that still fit, gloves that have a match, umbrellas or scarves.

Items that need to be donated are things that are still in good condition but no longer serve a purpose for your family. These are going to be items like coats that won’t fit anyone in your family, boots you no longer wear or scarves that are out of style.

Items that are trash are things that don’t serve your family any further purpose and wouldn’t serve anyone else purpose either. This could be a glove that doesn’t have a match, a backpack that won’t zip up or a coat that has a stain or tear.

If you are having difficulty deciding on what items should be kept or donated, ask yourself questions such as, when was the last time someone in my family used/wore this item? Does this item still serve its original purpose for me? How many of this one item do I have and is more than one really necessary? Would someone else better benefit from having this item than I would?

Asking yourself these questions about items you aren’t sure if you should get rid of, you are opening your mind and being honest with yourself about the needs of your family. Any items that you keep but you don’t need, will continue to add to the clutter around your house for no reason.

By giving away these items you’re clearing the mess from your house and allowing someone else to use them, someone who may need them more than you.

Once everything has been categorized and you’ve made decisions on all of the items, take a step back from all of the items and focus on just the space. Now is the perfect time to clean this area!

Since there is nothing in the coat closet, cleaning will be super easy. Wipe and dust off any top shelves, wipe down the door handles (those can get pretty dirty!), and sweep or vacuum the floor.

Once the closet it cleaned, it’s time to put the categorized items into containers and label them.

For your coat closet, you want to make sure the items are easy to access for you and your family. It’s important everything stored in the coat closet has a “home” — any item that doesn’t have a home needs to find a new place to reside in your house.

Start by giving each family member their own basket for all of their small items like hats, scarves and mittens. Or you can give each item its own bin if your family shares all of the items. Remember its all about finding a system that works best for you!

Target has a wide variety of baskets ranging from different sizes and colors so you are guaranteed to find some you like!

If space is limited in the closet, take advantage of vertical spaces. Any wall space and on the backside of the door is great for additional storage.

Doors are perfect for hanging baskets to keep your smaller items organized. You can also use the door for hanging hooks for bags and purses.

If you have children, over the door organizers are a great solution for your kids to store items. These offer low spaces so kids can easily reach for and put away items on their own.

Finish up by hanging the coats by who it belongs to.

Place the kids’ coats on a bottom rack and the adults’ coats on the top rack. If there is only one rack, put the kids’ coats in the easiest accessible part of the closet and the rest behind them.

Store only heavy boots and “mailbox” shoes in the coat closet, any other shoe needs to go in the room of who it belongs to.

By only keeping a few pairs of shoes in the closet and the rest in bedrooms, you are keeping unnecessary clutter out of the closet.

Only keep items you’ll need when you are away from your house in the coat closet. You want to keep this space clear so your family can move through it easily and quickly.

Finish up by dealing with the leftover items. These are the items that were in the closet at the start of today’s process but don’t actually belong there.

If you are still feeling overwhelmed with the organizing or would like extra help, please reach out to the Clutterless Home Solutions Team.

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

Welcome to Day 1 of our Organize Your Entire Home in 20 Days series!

During these 20 days, we are going to dive deep into spaces around your house so no room in your home is left unorganized. This will be an amazing experience for you, leaving you feeling so much better at the end of the process.

This series is going to be an exciting adventure for your home, your family, and yourself, so… let’s get started!

Our 20 day organizing extravaganza begins with the entryway of your house.

At first glance, the entryway may seem like an insignificant area to spend time organizing because it’s such a small space, however, the function of the entryway is so important to your family daily routine and the guests who come into your home.

Like we said before, the entryway is your first impression to your house, so you want to make it count!

Pull everything (yes everything!) out of the space.

Open any drawers or cabinets and pull out keys, phone chargers, decorations, lint rollers, candles, or anything else that hides in the entryway.

Take all the coats, shoes, sports equipment and other clutter that often finds it’s home here and put them in piles for the specific family members they belong to! (You can use your kids to help you with this step. They can take all of their belongings to their rooms where we will be heading in a few days!)

By pulling out all of the items that occupy the space, you will be able to see what items truly belong there and what items are just adding to the clutter.

Next you’ll want to categorize these items (we usually categorize AS we pull things out of the space to keep things efficient). Jackets with jackets, keys with keys, umbrellas with umbrellas, decorations with decorations and so forth.

Grouping together like items will help you decide which items you want to keep and what items you’re ready to let go of.

Now let’s get back to all of that stuff. There are only 3 options to all of these items: keep, donate, or trash.

Items that are trash are things that don’t serve your family any further purpose and wouldn’t serve anyone else purpose either. This could be old receipts from food delivery, junk mail, or bags of trash that you haven’t taken to your dumpster yet. By getting rid of the obvious trash first, you are quickly and effortlessly getting rid of some of the clutter.

As you dig deeper through the stuff you’ll find more items you can throw away. These are going to be things like expired batteries, a broken toy, a stack of old newspapers or a ripped coat.

Items that you want to keep should be things that serve your family a purpose and you definitely will be using in the future. These are things like keys, umbrellas and current decorations.

Items that need to be donated are things that are still in good condition but no longer serve a purpose for your family. These are out of date items, items that you have an excess of and items that no longer fit anyone in your family.

If you are having difficulty deciding on what items should be kept or donated, ask yourself questions such as, when was the last time someone in my family used/wore this item? Does this item still serve its original purpose for me? How many of this one item do I have and is more than one really necessary? Would someone else better benefit from having this item than I would?

By asking yourself these questions about items you aren’t sure of, you are opening your mind and being honest with yourself about the needs of your family. Any items that you keep but you don’t need will continue to add to the clutter around your house for no reason.

By giving away these items, you are not only clearing the mess from your house, you are also allowing someone else to use these items that may need them more than you.

Once everything is grouped together, put a pause on the items and focus back on the space. It’s important that you have baskets and containers that fit the space and work well with your different categories.

Before you put things back, now is a great time to clean this area since there are nothing occupying it. Dust high to reach spaces, wipe down (and inside) all the drawers and cabinets, wipe all the other flat surfaces and then sweep or vacuum the floor. Don’t forget about your entryway mat, give that guy a wash too!

Finish up by spraying disinfectant spray on commonly touched surfaces like doorknobs and light switches.

Once you have your area cleaned and ready, you want to put your categorized items into your containers and label them.

This will be different depending on which space of the house you’re working in.

For the entryway, you can use baskets for each family member — this can create a smaller space for each family member which can help keep the clutter down.

We do suggest using matching baskets and bins if possible. The aesthetic will not only look nice, but it will also trigger your brain to keep the space tidier.

It’s time to start putting the remaining items back into their places. The entryway is the first room you walk into when you come home, the last stop you make before leaving your house and the first impression a guest will have of your home. Therefore, you want it to be equal parts functional and appealing to the eye.

To ensure it’s a functional space, create spots for all of the items that will be coming through this area. By having specific “homes” for everything, you will easily be able to find items when you need them and quickly put them away when you’re done using them.

Items like mail, keys, backpacks and items that need to be returned to the store, are all things that need to be left in the entryway.

Have a dedicated spot for mail that was just delivered and mail that you need to send out.

Check out these cute options from Target (bonus if the mail organizer also doubles as key hooks, you should have a spot to store those as well!).

If you don’t have one already, create a spot for purses and backpacks to be stored while they’re not being used. This could either be hooks to hang them up or an entryway table to set them on, whichever works best for you and your family!

Add a decorative bowl or tray for small items like wallets, lint rollers and sunglasses to be kept while they aren’t in use.

Use a bin to store items that need to be returned to the store so they don’t accidentally find a permanent place in your house. After that, the only other items that should be kept in the entryway are the decorations that you are currently using. Minimalism is key in this small space!

Any other items that you would want close by the front door (coats, hats or umbrellas) should be kept in your coat closet which we will be talking about on Day 2 in our “Organizing Your Entire Home in 20 Days” series.

If your entryway doubles as your coat closet, check back for Day 2 on how to declutter and store those items.

If your entryway originally just consisted of clutter and had no spaces for your items, check out these organizers that will give you additional storage space for the items that you want kept here. Remember, having homes for everything in the space will ensure it stays clutter free and looking good (plus it’ll make it easier on everyone in the house to put things back!).

Don’t forget guests use your entryway too! Leave extra space for items they will have while they are visiting your home. This can mean extra hooks or table space for any bags they have, as well as easy access to your coat closet (or coat rack!) for their jackets.

For any of the items that were in your entryway at the start of the process but don’t actually belong there (an array of shoes, coats that were left on the floor, random kids toys, books that need to be taken back to the library, a bag of clothes that need to be taken to the donation center, whatever it may have been), now is the time to deal with those.

Put those shoes in the room they belong in (use your kids and their limitless energy to help you here!), hang up those coats in the coat closet, take those phone chargers back to their home base, and put those bags that are for donation in your car (Good Will is still allowing donations at their in-store donation stores). If you don’t want to deal with donations, we would love to help you take care of that!

Again, you want to keep this space clear so your family can move through it easily and your guests don’t feel overwhelmed when they walk into your house.

If you are still feeling overwhelmed with organizing or would like extra help, please reach out to the Clutterless Home Solutions Team.

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

Ever look around your house and know it could be better? Like you really want to spruce up the rooms in your home and organize all the chaos?

Maybe you’ve tried to declutter your pantry or your closet and stopped halfway through because it started to get too overwhelming and it was time to start dinner anyway.

If we’re being honest, cleaning up clutter is the last thing most people want to be doing when we have a day off and are trying to recharge from the week.

But then when you’re sitting in your living room trying to finish up your favorite series, you can’t help but notice how your children’s toys always end up scattered around and why is there a never ending stack of papers on your kitchen table?

You ask yourself… where would you even begin or what’s even the point when it’s just going to get messy again?

For the next few weeks, we’re going to work our way through your home, organizing every single room in your house.

No worries though, follow along with us and we will give you step-by-step instructions on decluttering the entire mess away!

During this entire process, no matter what space you’re working in, there are 7 main steps you will always follow. You can read about the steps in detail in our Blog, How to Organize any Area of your Home (The Ultimate Guide)!

These 7 steps will not only help you tidy up the space, but also build a lasting organization system that you will easily be able to follow moving forward.

Building an organization system is important because it ensures that you don’t have to keep cleaning up the same mess over and over — it helps you and your family be able to easily and quickly put things away as you use them. We talk about the importance of our “Organizational Foundation” here.

The 7 steps are: take everything out of your area, categorize your items and get rid of trash, purge and declutter unused items, gather containers for your kept items, utilizing your bins/baskets and labeling them, storing like baskets in groups, and making adjustments for your own personal system. Follow these 7 steps for 20 days and your entire house will get organized!

A few tips to remember along the way:

* The most important thing to remember is to start with one space at a time. This is why we will only be focusing on one room a day. Organizing can be overwhelming, so starting small is the best thing to do!

* Every home and person is different, so think of this plan as a road map. You can do one day at a time or combine the days together. If one of the days has a room that isn’t in your house, use that day as a resting period. Go at a pace you feel comfortable!

* We want to be clear: decluttering is NOT moving items from one room to another. If you do this, you will continue to have clutter. Use these steps to find real “homes” for items and get rid of items that you don’t ever use.

* Remember that organization is about efficiency first! It’s great to have a Pinterest worthy pantry, but all that matters at the end of the day is you can find what you’re looking for when you need it. Build an organization system that values functionality over looking good and it will work better (and last longer!) for you and your family in the long run.

* You cannot organize clutter. You can tidy it up, but then you will do that a hundred more times in your life over and over again. Let’s build a lasting organizing system, not just clean up a mess.

Here’s the overview of what each day will look like, check back here in the next few weeks to go in detail for each room, lets get started!

Day 1: Entryway

This is the first place people see when they enter your home, and it’s usually the zone where everything gets dumped (purses, shoes, sports gear, backpacks!).

On the first day, we will go through your entryway (or mudroom!) and organize the first mess you see when you walk inside.

Items like mail, keys, backpacks and items that need to be returned to the store, are all things that need to be left in the entryway. Have a dedicated spot for mail that was just delivered and mail that you need to send out.

Try to keep this space as minimalistic as possible — your entryway is like the first impression to the rest of your house, so make a good first impression!

One thing we stress to our clients is to make sure you’re only keeping things you and your family use daily in this space. It’s not the dumping ground for every pair of shoes you own!

Having a space and a system for every area of your home will not only help you stay organized, but it will also help your family help YOU (because we know it’s mostly them already, right?)

Day 2: Coat Closet

The coat closet can become cluttered strictly because there are SO MANY different kinds of coats. Rain coats, parkas, event coats, pea coats, light jackets, hoodies, and more!

Then there’s boots, scarves, hats, mittens, backpacks and everything else that gets shoved to the back of this space! On this day, we will go sort through this dreaded closet so it stays looking tidy.

We like to keep our gloves, scarves and hats in baskets, and keep our different types of coats categorized to make it easier to navigate this space — we will go more into this area in Day 2!

*The kitchen is a big project so we will split it up into the next three days so you won’t feel overwhelmed while working through it.

Day 3: Kitchen Drawers and Cabinets

Drawers and cabinets can easily become messy when the entire family is moving through them at all times during the day. Drawer organizers are going to be your best friend here. Get ready because we’ll have even more tips and tools for you to check out on this post!

Day 4: Kitchen Counter Tops

The counter tops in your house can sometimes be the worst clutter dump zones.

Just like your kitchen drawer and cabinets, counter tops bear the brunt of the chaos that ensues from your families regular use.

One way to combat the clutter here is to designate a space in your cabinets for as many appliances as possible.

We also like to put decor, something like a basket of apples on the counter (this is good for healthy eating habits as well — it’s been proven that people with healthy snacks in plain view are overall healthier!)

On day 4, we will work through this space so you can actually see your counter tops during the day!

Day 5: Kitchen Pantry

The most dreaded room in the house (in my opinion!) to look into is the pantry. This little space can cause so much stress.

Pantry’s are constantly getting messy because of constant trips to the grocery store and it’s oh so easy to shut the door and pretend like everything is fine. Everything is not fine!

The satisfying thing about a pantry is that it can look and feel so much better after it’s been organized.

One way to keep things organized in the pantry is to categorize the foods you have. For example, I like to separate salty snacks and sweet snacks, a section for baking supplies, and a section for grains like pasta and rice. We will go into this in more detail in our blog post on organizing the pantry!

Day 5 dives deep into your pantry so you can open the door and not have boxes and cans falling on you.

Day 6: Living Room

Your living room is the main gathering place in the house for your family. This is where your family spends most of their time together hence, where a lot of clutter accumulation occurs.

It’s important to make it a priority every night to spend a few minutes to pickup this space. The living room is one the place where everyone congregates at the end of the day, and it’s easy to leave it messy.

On Day 6 we spend time here, focusing on four main zones so it’s easy to work through and easy to keep organized your organizing overhaul.

Day 7: Dining Room

Day 7 will focus on your dining room! Like your living room, a lot of family activity happens here which can bring a lot of mess.

On this day, we will focus on going through old dishes, seasonal items and clearing off your dining room table.

It’s easy to hold onto these kinds of things (china and other plates and dishes in your dining room hutch) because they often sit unused.

Similar to the kitchen counters, having items already set on your table, you will be less likely to leave items like old mail or lunch boxes sitting on the table since that space is already being taken up.

We will have more tips and tricks for you during this day, so get ready!

Day 8: Kids Dresser and Closet

On this day we will be going through your children’s dresser and closet. Enlist them for help and start building their organizing skills along with yours.

If you have more than one child, do all of their clothing today or split up each child for a separate day, whichever works best for you as long as it all gets done!

If you plan on re-using your kid’s clothes, you can store the hand me downs in bins by size to keep them easily accessible.

Bonus Tip:* When making the final decisions about clothing, remember that you can use old beloved clothes as decor like framing their favorite T-Shirt or you can cut them up to make a blanket.

Day 9: Kids Toys

Day 9 will be focused on your children’s toys, so definitely make sure they are there to help you!

In order for your children’s toys to stay organized after this day, you’ll have to purge old toys they no longer use, so make sure you prepare your children for this going in.

Remember also that your kids may want to keep everything. This is the best time to figure out what toys are most important to them, because anything they’re not playing with should be donated or consigned so another child can enjoy it!

The most important thing to remember is that kids are great at organizing, because they are still building good habits! If you come up with a system that’s easy for them to follow, and hold them to cleaning up their toys, they’ll do the job for you!

Day 10: Kids Bathroom

Another day for the kids! After you have gone through their clothing and toys, we’re going to finish up the children’s segment by organizing their bathroom.

This space can get messy because (at least for little girls!) there can be a lot of fun hair-ties and small accessories to keep in order.

Small drawer organizers work well for these small items!

Day 11: Guest Room and Bathroom

Whoa two rooms in one day? You read that right!

On Day 11 we will tackle both the guest bedroom and bathroom.

If you’re anything like me, this room is mainly used for storage so get ready to go through some old boxes!

Always remember to ask yourself: Are these items being used? Do I have multiple pairs of guest sheets or towels? Do you have another space to store memorabilia that doesn’t take up space in your guest room?

Day 12: Master Dresser and Closet

This one’s going to be a fun one!

Get ready to sort through all of your clothing, shoes and accessories! We will spend time purging old items and creating an organizational system that works best for you.

Contrary to the Marie Kondo method, we don’t suggest you put all your clothes in a pile on the bed. The best thing we’ve found is to put together all like items to decide what to purge in each category. If you see all the blue dresses you have in one spot, you’re more likely to know which ones you really want to keep.

Day 13: Bathroom

Get ready for a fun day of work! We’re going to spend time going through hygiene products, makeup, hair products, face care and paper supplies.

We’re going to dive deep into those bathroom drawers and cabinets to leave your bathroom looking amazing.

This space can house a ton of unused products (can we say impulse buy?). It’s best to keep your daily products on the counter (keep this as minimalistic as possible!), and store the back-up or larger products in the closet or under the sink in labeled bins or drawers.

Day 14: Your Bedroom

After we have worked through your clothing and bathroom, we’re going to focus on your bedroom. We’re going to sort through the drawers, bins and cabinets to declutter your room.

Once again we remember that using up your counters and open space with decor instead of clutter can make it easier to keep this space looking clear.

An important thing to remember on this day is you can’t organize clutter so get ready to part ways with some old things!

If your bedroom doubles as your office, skip this day and complete day 14 and 15 together (or continue with this guide and split your bedroom into two days, remember this is all about doing it in the best way for you!).

Day 15: Office

Day 15 we’re going to organize your entire office! We will work through all areas but focus on going through old papers.

Lots of people have multiple filing drawers for all the paper clutter they’ve accumulated over the years.

A few rules to live by when purging your paper: keep your taxes for 7 years, bills for 6 months and bank statements for a year!

If you really want to go crazy, make sure to test all your pens and trash all your pencils without working erasers.

This day will have plenty of tips to ensure your office stays looking nice.

Day 16: Laundry Room

Oh the dreaded laundry room! Growing up, cleaning the laundry room was always my least favorite chore but today we will make it a fun one!

We’re going to spend time deep cleaning this room and organizing the miscellaneous items that find their way here.

This is often the space that houses overflow houses supplies in the extra cabinets, so make sure to keep these things categorized so they’re easy to access when a lightbulb goes out or your need to replace a smoke detector battery.

If your laundry room doubles as your linen closet, skip this day and complete day 16 and 17 together (or continue with this guide and split it into two days, remember this is all about doing it in the best way for you!).

Day 17: Linen Closet

For this day, we’re going to purge through old sheets and blankets so get ready to part ways with some things!

After we purge a few items, we will focus on how to fold linens so they stay looking neat while they’re not in use. (Here is a video on folding some common items in your home for a more in-depth look at what we mean and how to fold!)

One way we like to keep this space looking nice is to keep what we call the “fat fold” facing out. This means that you want the largest fold of the sheet or towel facing out in order to create an aesthetic appeal in the closet. You can see it in the closet below!

Day 18: Cleaning Supplies

For Day 18 we’re going to get your cleaning supplies ready for spring cleaning season.

One easy way to cut down on the space cleaning supplies is to consolidate bottles of same cleaning supplies into one!

We’re going to sort through cleaning supplies, check expiration dates and organize them. Get ready!

Day 19: Garage

The garage day will be a great time for a little family bonding over a fun project!

This is a space that holds a lot of stuff so make sure to get help from others in your household.

We highly suggest getting some sturdy shelving units and plastic bins or baskets to keep your garage items organized!

Get ready to sort through all the items in your garage and make decisions on what you want to keep and donate.

Day 20: Car

Ah finally the last day! We’re going to wrap up our series by organizing your car!

It’s not a room in your home but it’s a place that you spend a lot of time in and you should feel comfortable in!

You can also take this time to clean, vacuum and fully sanitize your car!

Most people spend up to an hour in their cars every day, so it’s important that it’s kept tidy.

And that will be a wrap, friends! After following along with this guide for the last 20 days, your house should be looking ahhhmazing!

Thank you in advance for joining us in this series, we hope you have fun and that you have a peaceful house to come home to everyday at the end of this.

Regardless if you finish the series, only make it halfway, or this is the only post you read, please reach out to the Clutterless Home Solutions Team if you have any questions or would like extra assistance!

Talk Soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

If you find yourself constantly tired and weary, then perhaps you have to take a look around. Chances are if you see mess everywhere, then it’s probably one of the reasons why you feel so drained.

The truth is, clutter has a way of zapping your energy. And if you tend to overlook the dirt and the mess, then you’re dealing with a lot more emotional and mental fatigue.

Read more as we are going to dive into the draining effects of clutter on your life and how you can turn things around and start enjoying your life again!

Physical Clutter

A messy home can be a potential energy zapper. Clutter creates an unwanted distraction and you’ll start to feel out of place.

Moreover, a stacked room causes your eyes to continuously scan all around the place which gives a small room for your eyes to rest.

This can make you feel overwhelmed. When there’s a lot to look at or sort through, it’s hard to know where to start.

In short, the entire scene can exhaust your mind and your body.

In addition, a disorganized house carries a lot of visual reminders of all the chores you need to do. And the mere thought of cleaning is actually taxing.

Mental Clutter

The draining effects of clutter also affect your mental well-being. It consumes your ability to think practically and productively.

This can make you feel overwhelmed. When theres a lot to look at or sort through, it’s hard to know where to start.

So How To Deal With Clutter And Put Energy Back Into Your Life?

When you are overloaded with thoughts of unfinished tasks at home or at the office, your mind is constantly distracted.

Here are some ways you can deal with the physical mess around your house:

• Throw things away you don’t need.
• Keep donation boxes or bags in a few areas around the house to make decluttering easier.
• Return things to their place right away.

And some practical ways of dealing with mental clutter:

• Having a packed schedule is very common, but be efficient with your time and schedule. Don’t overload yourself so you don’t have time to control the clutter.
• Make a simplified “To-Do” list.
• Say ‘No’ to tasks that are not productive and do not bring you joy so you can only focus only on the tasks that really matter!

That’s the whole reason why we’re trying to get organized right??

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

Are you familiar with the show “Hoarders”? This reality show was first aired on August 17, 2009. And for 6 seasons, it served as an eye-opener to most of us about the devastating effects of hoarding on the lives of both the victims and their loved ones.

Amidst all the clutter and mess, we really can’t blame the victim because they’re suffering from a mental condition that causes them to collect items excessively, including things that can already be considered garbage.

The best way to deal with this condition is to provide proper treatment intervention for the victim and to help the hoarder get rid of the mess inside their home.

1. Understand The Condition

The first step in decluttering a hoarder’s home is to gently approach them and show a sincere expression of support by listening to them without judgment or discrimination.

As often shown in the TV series, hoarders tend to resist when they think you are throwing away things that they hold valuable.

So expect some form of retaliation from them.

What’s important is that you are now able to establish a rapport so you can make them realize how hoarding can lead to deplorable living conditions, can make them ill, and even cause a rift in their relationships with their loved ones.

2. Suggest Their Need To Ask Assistance

Proper communication is essential when dealing with a hoarder to establish trust. And once this is achieved, don’t hesitate to suggest their need to ask assistance in dealing with the hoarding issue.

By asking assistance, we mean their need to undergo hoarding treatment and the need to purge the hoard.

As previously mentioned, hoarders will still retaliate at this point as they don’t admit that there is an issue in the first place. So you need to be very patient until they are willing to work out the problem with you.

3. Plan Out The Decluttering Process With The Hoarder

Make sure to get the hoarder is involved in the decluttering process by letting them sort out the salvageable things from trash.

As shown in the reality show, hoarders will show some struggle with letting go of some stuff. So make it a point to set a firm criterion as to what things are to be discarded and what things will be kept.

4. Expect A Long Period Of Organization

Our natural tendency to declutter a hoarder’s home is to get done with it as quickly as possible.

But this is not the case when dealing with a hoarder as it will only derail the decluttering process if you do it.

Instead, you have to work with the hoarder and let him or her dictate the pace of the cleanout.

5. Enforce Certain Techniques/Systems That Will Prevent Them To Hoard In The Future

And finally, the effort to declutter a hoarder’s home does not end there as you also need to implement techniques that will help the victim to maintain a clutter-free home.

This applies to every person who needs organization from my clients who are already organized and just need more efficiency and those who are level 4,5,6 and above hoarders.

These strategies must include ongoing support as part of their hoarding treatment so they won’t succumb to the urge of hoarding as much as possible.

If you need help getting started, don’t hesitate to contact us! We provide organization and purging for the initial clean-out as well as our Rejuvenation Subscription (our month-to-month organizing keep up service!)

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

1. Take everything out of your area

When organizing, the best place to start is with a blank slate.

It’s one of the most important things to do when you are organizing. Clearing the space will make it easier to categorize and visualize how to use and organize the space once you’ve purged the items you don’t need anymore.

Oftentimes, my clients come to me and say that they are overwhelmed. So we always start with taking everything out of the space.

When you see a clear space it changes the psychology of your mind. In order to create a new functioning space, it’s best to categorize all the items you’re pulling out as you take them off the shelves/racks/floor (I will talk a little bit more about that later).

Having a space that is filled with a ton of different small items, like a linen closet that has a lot of toiletries or different utility items for your home can make it feel really cluttered.

By creating an organizational system, you will be much more able to maintain the organization and give you time to do the things that you love, like spending time with family, your hobbies or your career.

When you try to organize within the space, it can become overwhelming, leading you to stop before you can finish!

2. Categorize all of your items and get rid of trash

Just like we were talking about before, it’s important to categorize your items when you are pulling them out of the space.

Psst! This is the secret of how all organizers stay organized.

When you are looking for a specific item, it is easier to find when you it has a designated home.

For example, if you are looking for a new toothbrush or some extra floss, you can find it in a basket labeled “teeth”.

This cuts down on the time you used to take searching for items and it allows you to more easily put things away, which decreases the clutter (AND your stress!).

For example, when I am organizing a kitchen for a client, I not only thinking about the way things will fit into the cabinets, but also the functionality and efficiency.

To illustrate, I put spices to the right of the stove either in a drawer (this is my preferred method because you can more easily see all of the spices and easily keep them alphabetized) or in the cabinet.

It’s also smart to keep the plates nearby the stove, because you’ll be grabbing the plate to dish up your food.

It’s best to put lesser use items like Thanksgiving China or special party or event serving dishes in a space that is not as frequently used (either up high or in a cabinet that isn’t in the main cooking station.

3. Purge Items

I find that purging after categorization makes it easier to make decisions.

When you see how much you have of a certain item, you can make better decisions about how many you should keep.

I agree that it is good to hold onto items that you will use, but you need to be real with yourself when you are purging the space whether it be your closet, kitchen or pantry you’re organizing.

Ask yourself questions like, “When was the last time I used this?”, “Do I have something else that is similar that I preferred?”, “Why?”, “Do I need this item, or have I needed this item within the last six months to a year.”

It’s important to lead yourself through this process with questions because basing organizing solely on a feeling is not a logical enough reason to keep or get rid of something.

Memorabilia aside, we are talking about specifically functional items in the home.

It can be easy to just keep things, but it is important to challenge yourself when purging, or during this purging stage, because if you are serious about being organized and decluttering, this is the most important step.

Purging can be a very cleansing experience, you can literally feel the weight of the clutter lifting off of you.

For example, I recently organized my own closet. It’s funny how organizing for other people makes me want to purge my own stuff!

When I was going through my closet, I had done the same things over and over, I asked myself the same questions that I ask my clients.

This time, however, I was able to get rid of two full bags of clothes that I had been holding onto for a “specific occasion.” You know what I’m talking about — when you keep something in the closet just in case you ever need it for that “specific time it would be perfect for.”

Well, this item had spent a few years in my closet being underused and that special situation never came up, so out it went!

I know that this is one of the hardest things to let go of, because everyone does it. Even organizers talk about keeping items because they may use it in a specific scenario or situation, but if you are truthful with yourself…

If those scenarios have not happened yet, you can probably purge that item!

4. Get containers for your “groups” of items

The next step in getting organized is using bins or baskets to contain your like items.

Congratulations! You are almost done with the project at this point.

The longest part of any organizing project is the first three steps.

Many Pinterest-perfect photos of organization show matching baskets.

It is important to remember that matching containers aren’t just aesthetically-pleasing and are a better utilization of the space, but the uniformity changes your mindset.

It’s like when you have a really nice brand-new wood floor; you are more inclined to keep it clean then if you had ratty old carpet.

I tell my clients that it is really important to the maintenance of the organization because that mindset is the main thing holding them back.

My favorite places to shop for organizational supplies and plastic bins are Target, Walmart, The Dollar Store, and The Container Store, but I often shop the most at Target.

The reason for this is because they have a large variety of bins in different textures, tapes, colors, and sizes. I also think that they look really presentable and clean for their price.

I specifically buy the Y-Bins at Target. They come in gray, white, opaque, teal, pink, black, and a brownish gray. They also come in a large variety of sizes.

They are perfect for pretty much any area of the home. I have used these bins in my client’s closets, their pantries, make-up counters, bathrooms, kitchens, basements, garages, and storage areas.

If you like colorful bins, the best place to find these are The Dollar Store. They have a pretty good selection of baskets, depending on what size you’re looking for.

If you want to categorize in your pantry, these little bins work well.

I like Walmart for their fabric bins. These containers are notoriously expensive, but they fit perfectly into cube organizers, which I also use a ton. You can also purchase these at IKEA and online, if you have a preference of style.

5. Put items into your containers and label them

You’ll want to make sure to correspond the amount of each category to the size of the bin.

Depending on the look you are going for, as well as the texture of the containers you chose, your labels will have to function well with them.

I like to use the rectangular labels from Target, with a piece of clear tape to secure them to the container. This ensures that the label will stay on the container, but it will also look very nice and uniform.

We talked before about how uniformity is important in maintaining organization.

Yes, all of these Pinterest-perfect pictures of organization make people excited, and there is a reason for that! If you want to maintain organization and make it easier on yourself, this uniformity is essential.

6. Store like-items together in your space i.e. First aid kits with Band-Aids, and hair supplies with other hair supplies

When you are putting your baskets back into the space, it is important to put specific “genres” or like items together.

What I mean when I say this is that when I am putting a utility closet or linen closet back together, I put all of the first aid baskets together, like bandages in one basket, cold remedies in the basket next to it, and pain medication in the basket next to that.

This system applies to all of the items you just categorized.

The aesthetic of having all of your towels folded the same way on the same shelf will encourage you to maintain the organization, plus it’s pretty!

7. Make adjustments that work for you

The most important thing to remember when you are organizing, is the system has to work for you.

Yes, there are plenty of ideas and hacks about getting organized online, but not every system will work for every person.

This is something that I try to keep in mind when I am organizing for my clients, because something that works for me would not necessarily work well for someone I’m working for.

For example, when I organize a closet, I generally hang certain items, and fold certain items. For some of my clients, this system works. For others, they prefer to hang all of their clothes, or vice versa.

Don’t forget that organizing should be simple, because if it gets too complicated that’s when people get overwhelmed.

8. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Looking to get organized? Reach out for help if you think you need it.

Just like if you had a leaky faucet in your home, you would call a plumber or an expert to fix it instead of just doing it on your own.

I consistently hear from my clients that they’re overwhelmed, don’t know where to start, don’t have time, or don’t know how to organize.

The reality of it is that all of those are good (and common!) answers have an expert come help you.

When working with an organizing professional, you can have package tailored to you to figure exact needs. What I mean by this is that if you only want five hours of organizing, and you want to get some help from an expert and an extra set of eyes you can do that.

Clutterless Home Solutions offers full-service organizing for somebody that would like to be completely hands off in the process.

This means that we do everything for you including having a video consultation with you, shopping before we arrive at the project, organizing all your items and taking away the trash, donating unwanted items, selling unwanted items that have a lot of value, and really just going the extra mile.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions where you just need a little extra support.

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

Contrary to popular belief, Marie Kondo is not truly a professional organizer. I would actually label her as an organizing consultant or someone that just tells you what to do in order to organize your home.

However, if it were that easy, everybody would just google what to do, look at the hundreds of pinterest articles for advice and it would be done.

A professional organizer is an individual who is skilled in the task of organizing physical and even digital spaces to provide comfort, convenience, and to encourage efficiency. A professional organizer works through a space.

While the KonMari Method does hold some truth in the beginning stages of every organizing project, it doesn’t fit American culture.

A commonly held belief celebrated in Japan, called Shinto animism, is centered around the belief that each object has a “kami” or spirit. This is what the entire foundation of the KonMarie Method is based upon. That’s why she starts the project by thanking the home and thanking each item as it is discarded.

The question “does this object bring you joy” is a good place to start when you’re organizing, but there is so much more to consider!

Many of my clients don’t understand how to organize — that’s why they hire us!

Clients also don’t want to do it on their own. Organizing can be extremely overwhelming.

We organize in a ton of homes like this that are piled high with items that are no longer wanted, been missing for months or even have some value!

The thing about organizing is that it’s never going to stay perfect (even in an organizers home), but it’s important to build the right habits and use the best systems to set yourself up for success.

And the thing about Marie Kondo, is that yes, you can teach someone how to be more organized, but if you teach an unorganized person a method that works for an organized person, it will never stick.

1. The first thing that Marie talks about in the book is taking every item from a specifc category (clothes are the most common example), and pile them all in one area.

This doesn’t work on a few levels. My clients are reaching out to me because they’re already overwhelmed. Making the space even more of a mess isn’t going to make them feel at ease.

Yes, I do agree that it’s important to categorize things in order to see how many of those things you have, purge the items you don’t need and put them back in the space needed for each category, however, it’s best to go room by room.

If you don’t have an organizer helping you, this kind of tactic can create more clutter, cause more panic and the mess will continue to grow!

2. Not so much “spark joy” as much as “Do I use this item? Is it practical? Has it gone unused for X amount of time?”

I get this question all the time: “Do you know that famous organizer — the one who talks about how your items should spark joy?”

Yes! I do! Her method is a great foundation to start on, but there are so many more questions you need to ask yourself about an item than if it makes makes you joyful.

There are plenty of things in life that don’t bring joy that are necessary (Example: the DMV).

3. She talks about the clothes and item clutter, but she doesn’t really talk about paperwork management

That’s because paperwork is one of the hardest things to organize. Not because it’s complicated, but because it’s hard for someone to give up information they think they may need to reference someday for something.

I don’t even stick to the 3 file system that she talks about.

When it comes to paperwork, my system is make a hanging folder for a category (medical, taxes, insurance information), and then making folders inside each category to make it easier to file things away and reference them!

If we all stuck with the 3 file rule, our “needs attention” box would start to become a room, the “most used” papers would be a hot mess (how would you find anything with everything in ONE file??) and the “saved” file would also probably turn into a room. it’s just not a viable option.

I am PRO getting rid of paper, but it has to at least be in some sort of system or else why did you purge and organize in the first place?

4. Marie suggests that folding is the best way to store clothes

A lot of my clients would disagree. For most of my male clients, I find that they keep up the organization if they hang everything they can, and fold only the “essential” folding items (underwear, socks, swim trunks and shorts and maybe jeans).

For my female clients I usually use the same system, but cater it to each person:

– All tops and dresses are hung. Depending on the sweater (and closet design), I hang lighter ones and fold thicker ones.

– All leggings, t-shirts, long sleeve T’s, and athletic wear are folded in a drawer

**I fold things similarly to Marie, but in a way that’s easy to do and quick. Her folding style is too perfect for a disorganized person to keep up!

Watch this video for a quick and easy tutorial for how to fold your clothes!

Your systems should be practical.

– All lingerie, underwear, bras and socks are in drawers (I like to line up the bras like I’m shopping at Victorias’ Secret – getting dressed should be a fun experience!)

There will always be different opinions about which is better, but leave it up to the individual!

5. Marie talks about the perfect system being attainable.

As much of a perfectionist I am, and as much as it pleases me to make a space look “perfect”, it will never stay that way. It’s impossible with everything there is to do in life!

Sometimes you’re too busy, sometimes you’re not in the mood, and sometimes there are far more important things on your mind.

Organizing IS important, but it’s something that you can build and maintain so that there is time for the really important things in life: family, friends, petting cute dogs…

I’m far from perfect, like everyone else.

My clients tell me all the time they wish they had the natural inclination to be organized, but we all have different talents, mine just happens to be organizing.

This seems a little more American.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, embarrassed, tired of living with clutter — reach out to someone who can help you!

Organizing should bring relief and joy! It helps relationships, it helps you financially, it helps your sanity!

If you don’t know where to start, reach out, and we will help you take the first steps to creating your dream home and taking some of the burden off YOU.

You deserve it.

Talk soon!

Clutterless Home Solutions

Bathrooms are usually considered one of the smallest rooms in the house, and more often than not, it is also the messiest.

And though you’re not in the habit of hoarding things, the task of keeping this area neat and organized seems like a huge challenge.

So if you’re tired of dealing with sticky soap dishes, stray toothpaste caps, and an overall grungy and messy feeling in your bathroom, then don’t lose hope!

We are going to share some practical tips in removing bathroom clutter and conquer the “water closet” chaos once and for all.

Start Off By Removing All The Stuff From Your Bathroom Shelves

Go through your bathroom and remove all the stuff — that way you can clean off all the cabinets (this is good because it’s good to get in a deep clean once in a while!).

Then categorize all the different toiletries. I like to categorize in groups like “FACE” “TEETH” “HAIR”, etc.

Make sure to be honest with yourself (gurl). It’s important that you know what products you do and don’t use. If you aren’t using them, you can remember that the next time you’re being enticed with the newest beauty product, to think twice before taking it to the register.

In short, keep what you need and toss out or give away things that you don’t really need.

It’s also important for your skin and eye health to keep your makeup up-to-date (ladies!). Old mascara can cause an eye infection and old foundation can result in a breakout!

Once you’re done with the categorization process, place back all the toiletries back into the bathroom shelves. I like to use different baskets with labels to keep everything organized. It’s much easier to put away!

If you’re unsure about where to start or what supplies you may need, reach out!

Throwing away beauty products can be a lesson in what you really use. It’s important to know so you don’t overspend — organizing really does save you money!

Clear The Meds

Most of us are in the habit of placing drugs and medicines in the bathroom, but they are not supposed to be there in the first place as the humidity of the room will compromise the quality of the medications.

So we recommend that you remove all the medicines out and place them in a childproof storage bin (or a separate medicine cabinet outside your toilet) near your first aid kit so you can easily locate the meds the moment you need them.

One good place is in the linen closet or in the laundry room.

Don’t Over-Decorate

Space is essential in small bathrooms. So as much as possible, don’t over decorate.

Just like in organizing, decorating with simplicity is key.

Instead, try to find balance between beauty and functionality by making use of decorative items that are both attractive and functional at the same time. In addition, roll towels and stack them nicely so you can display them nicely.

Clever Re-Packaging

It would also be helpful to invest in fine-looking bathroom accessories like jars, lotion dispensers, and soap dispensers so you can place all your bathroom essentials in these containers and add to the aesthetic appeal.

Creative Storage Ideas

And finally, another clever way of removing bathroom clutter is by being creative with the way you store things in your bathroom.

If your bathroom doesn’t have a closet, a huge vanity area, or an étagère, then we suggest that you invest in wall-mounted cabinets to maximize floor space. Aside from that, you can also make use of bins or baskets for storing unsightly products. (Baskets are the answer to everything!)

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

Did you know that mess can cause stress?

For those of you who don’t know this yet, a simple mess can actually lead to stress and anxiety. And based on recent studies, the threat of being stressed out can result in complications to our physical and mental well-being.

Read more as we are going to discuss how clutter and stress are connected and take the necessary action to remove the mess out of your life once and for all in today’s entry.

Get To Know The Facts

In a research study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 32 families were tested to determine the relationship of each family member between the objects in their houses. It was found out that clutter in rarely touched areas like the closet has a significant effect on a person’s mood and self-esteem. To be specific:

– The more stuff inside the closet, the more stress a woman feels.

– The more unwashed dishes in the sink, the more a woman feels anxious.

– The more a person will feel “emotionally paralyzed” when trying to clear the clutter as they believe that a certain object either holds a sentimental or hidden monetary value.

So based on this study, closet clutter and messy homes, in general, can cause us to feel anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, and helpless. But the sad truth is that clutter is not recognized as a primary stressor in our lives.

And this is just one of the many studies that prove the connection between clutter and stress.

Get Rid Of Stress By Cleaning Up The Mess

Fortunately, the stress caused by clutter can be easily addressed – declutter your house one area at a time. Start by organizing your bedroom closet first and then your entire bedroom.

We recommend you do this as waking up to a clean bedroom will make you feel good.

Then start clearing the clutter in your kitchen – this is another big clutter dump zone. So go through each of your cabinets and separate the must-haves from the not, and then arrange all the things in the surrounding area afterward.

Keep all the counters and islands free of too many items. This will make you feel less cluttered — if everything has a home, it will be easier to stay organized.

Once you’re done, you can remove the clutter from your living room, bathroom, and even your garage. Just remember to clean one area at a time and not do deal with them altogether.

But wait! Another mistake a lot of my clients make is to start with organizing one space, then stopping. It is crucial to organize the entire home (in as many steps as it takes), so everything has a place. This will make it easier to stay organized and will save you money!

As for the things that you think might hold some value, you can still keep these things, but it’s better to keep them in one box — that way it will help you parcel down the amount of sentimental items you keep, and it can still look tidy.

Overall, clutter and stress are connected in more ways than you can imagine. And there are scientific studies to prove this idea. So if you want to remove the stress at home today, then it’s time to make your move and start decluttering.

If you’re feeling stressed out about organizing, FIRST, watch this.

Hopefully that made you feel better. We are here to help you get organized — if it’s feeling too overwhelming, reach out to us today!

5 Organizing Tips From The Only Full-Service Organizer In Denver

1. FOCUS on getting rid of trash first.

When you are looking at your home and feeling overwhelmed, it can be difficult to know where to start.

I like to give my clients small tasks such as getting rid of trash first, so that they can start getting things done.

By starting with throwing away trash you will feel a sense of accomplishment about getting one step closer to your dream home.

Getting rid of trash can sometimes take hours, & can start making your home feel bigger and less stressful. Start with getting rid of trash and then move on to decluttering and donating unwanted items.

2. Set reasonable goals for creating your DREAM home.

When you look at your home, and search every nook and cranny, it can seem like A LOT.

The average American home has over 300,000 items in it, and we rarely use most of them!

This is why it’s important to give yourself small goals to work on from the highest priority to the lowest priority.

For example, the highest priority task could be for you to clean & organize your entire storage room, then clean out and donate items in the garage, and lastly making the pantry more practical and organized.

Start with the highest priority item and work your way down the list. Don’t try and do all of the projects at once!

Pssst! Don’t let this be you!!

3. Start with ONE area of your home first.

Like I said before, it’s important to not overwhelm yourself when trying to organize your home.

If you try and do too many projects at once you will stress yourself out and likely shut down.

Often people look at their entire home and think it’s impossible to create their dream home, this is not true. It just needs to be broken down into smaller chunks.

Pro tip: When organizing an area of your home, break that project into sub-tasks.

For example, when organizing your garage, first start with putting everything on the ground, then throw away trash, start sorting through items, donate unwanted items, figure out how you want to design your garage, get necessary organizational tools (shelving, totes, labels, etc.), then organize the remaining items.

4. Create SYSTEMS that work for you & your family.

A one size system does not fit all.

When I make a system for one family it’s not likely it will work for my next client.

What I mean by this is that systems need to match how the family operates. For instance, some families shop at Costco regularly and need lots of space to store their items.

In this case I would buy the necessary storage tools for these trips and teach the family how to organize after a Costco run!

Building systems that work for your family & seem effortless it very important to your organizational success!

5. It’s OKAY to hire a professional to help you. You deserve it.

All of us need help at some point.

There is nothing wrong with getting help organizing your house and making it your dream home.

When you have a leak under your sink you call a plumber, when you have a problem with your electricity you call an electrician, and when your house is stressing you out you should call a professional organizer.

End your stress today, and get the help you deserve!

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions