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

Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, and being surrounded by clutter can make your early morning ritual or relaxing after a long days work difficult.

Most experts agree that having a peaceful surrounding affects the way we sleep, which is why it’s necessary to keep our bedrooms organized so we can rest soundly… But where should you start?

If you’re seeking guidance on how to declutter and organize your bedroom, then we suggest you keep reading as we are going to share more about this in today’s entry.

Declutter Is A Step-By-Step Process, But It’s Best To Start Now

Clutter can oftentimes feel overwhelming. Most of my clients tell me they just “don’t know where to start”

We suggest that you concentrate on one area first and then move on to the next.

We also recommend you prepare these things first: a hamper, a donation bin and a trash bag.

1. Start with the night tables – Remove all things that are not supposed to be there and put them in the right place. Then, discard items that should be thrown away or recycle them if necessary. Do this same process with your dresser tops and other surfaces. Make sure to put the items back in their designated “homes” — this is the main reason people are disorganized or cluttered.
2. Place dirty clothes in the hamper (do the same for linens) and return clean clothes to your closet and dresser drawers.
3. Organize all the things that are left on your night table. I would suggest using a fun decorative tray to keep all your daily and nightly use items within reach, but looking nice.
4. Go through your bedroom drawers and perform a clutter sweep by keeping or donating items. Make sure to ask yourself: have I worn this in the last year? (And if no, why not?).
5. Go through all the things in the hamper, do your laundry and put them away right away! **

**Pssst! That’s the secret!

The next thing you have to do is to organize your closet:

1. Hang your clothes up right away!
2. Fold garments that need to be folded and placed back in your dresser.
3. I often suggest color-coordinating and categorizing your clothes in your closet. This makes it much easier to put together an outfit in the morning!

Bonus!

1. Use trays, bowls, and trinket dishes for your spare change, rings, earrings, and other knickknacks.** Creating habits will help keep the clutter to the minimum.
2. Hang your glasses and necklaces using a jewelry rack.
3. Make your bed every morning!
4. Arrange your books and decor on a bookshelf so it’s pleasing to the eye and easy to find.
5. Use plastic storage boxes and bins for maximizing small closet space.

**However, you should create these dishes in order to bring more order to your space. A common problem is that these baskets can become clutter dumping grounds. The best way to keep your bedroom clutter-free is to always put things back where they’re supposed to go.

Talk soon!

Clutterless Home Solutions

1. There’s a real difference between a “house” & a “home”

When you hear the words house and home, some people think that they’re interchangeable, but to me they cannot be more different.

The house seems more to me like a building structure, that has heat, air conditioning, and the basic amenities that humans need.

But a home, is where we have our friends and family over, it’s where we share amazing experiences, and it is a tranquil and relaxing sanctuary that we are excited to return to every day.

Unfortunately, not everybody feels this way and their houses do not feel like homes. It is my vision to help 100,000 people convert their houses into homes and to be excited to have friends and family over and share their spaces.

In order for a house to become a home it must transform into a stress-free and tranquil environment that has systems to stay that way!

2. Everyone has a different vision for their home

One thing that I’ve learned with working with many clients is that everybody has a different vision for their home.

There’s no one-size-fits-all in design, structure, or systems of a home. It can be difficult at times to see other clients visions for their homes, while I have a vision in my head, but it is easier with great communication.

I like that each home and each client is different because it makes the job more exciting, and makes it like a new day every time I start another project.

No vision is right or wrong, it is just my duty to turn your house into you’re version of your home.

3. Creating systems & having a support system is the way to upkeep your dream home

It is necessary for you to start creating systems in your home to keep your Home a home and not converted back into a house.

The common problem that my clients have, is that six months to a year after we completed a project together, everything goes back to what it was before.

That’s why I’ve created what I call rejuvenation package subscription where I go back to these clients that are struggling and do quick four hour sessions every month, kind of like a cleaning service to help you stay organized!

For my more proactive clients I set up systems that they follow along with consistently so that their homes stay in good shape and they’re excited to continue hosting events, and having people over.

4. Moving is the best time to analyze your items and get rid of “fluff”

When you’re moving homes, and essentially starting over it is a critical time to analyze all the items you had in your home.

As stated in other articles, the average American has over 300,000 items in their home, most of which we don’t use.

When packing up & moving items to another home ask yourself these questions. Do I really need this item? Also ask yourself have you used this item in the last six months?

Treat moving as a chance to start over, and being able to have a clean slate.

Pro tip: check Pinterest for organizational ideas/tools, and tips for organizing your new home.

5. Most people are overwhelmed because “they don’t know where to start” or “they are too stressed to start”

When finding an underlying reason to why people don’t organize their homes, two reasons usually come up.

They don’t know where to start in their home or they’re too stressed out and overwhelmed to start the project.

If you live in a house for 20 years and you keep putting items into it, after the 20 years it will seem impossible to organize your House and make it your dream home.

The best tip I have for this it’s too break up the sections of your house and do one task at a time.

For example, your first task could be organizing your bedroom closet, donating unwanted items, and getting rid of trash.

Focus on the end result and how excited you’ll be once the project is finished, rather than seeing the stress and difficulty along the way.

6. About 50-80% of your wardrobe is being unused

I’ve noticed through working with lots of clients, that many of the clothes and items in the closet are going unused, and are wasting space and causing stress.

One thing that I like to suggest to my clients is that every spring and fall they go through their closet and ask themselves did I wear these clothes this season? If you did not wear them, it is likely that you should donate them and clear up some space in your closet.

This can help you feel less stressed when you going to your closet and make it easier to organize that closet.

Pro tip: Color code your clothes in order to make faster outfit decisions, and be able to see which colors you prefer in your wardrobe!

7. Most clients think their homes are a lot worse than they are

Most clients think that their houses are way worse than they are, and that their house is going to be the worst one that I’ve ever seen.

I have seen lots of houses, and I can almost guarantee that yours is not the worst one.

Organizing is not something that you should judge yourself about or feel bad about anyway.

Just like you need a plumber to fix a leak, and an electrician to fix a light, you should feel totally safe asking a professional organizer for help.

We are here to help, and it is our passion to help you create the home of your dreams!

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

Clutter brings out the worst in us.

And even if we don’t really notice it, the presence of clutter not only causes stress, but it also affects creativity, productivity, and even your spending habits!

So if you want to know more, then keep reading! We are going to tackle the negative effects of clutter to your life together.

I hope this motivates you to make the decision to eliminate the mess once and for all!

1. Stress, Stress, Stress

A research by the Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin found that clutter can be a source of physical, mental, and emotional stress as people who have clutter in their homes are more likely to feel tired, fatigued, and depressed.

We already talked about this a bit in a past article (that’s how passionate we are about this, folks!!)

And what’s even worse is that it can also lead to heightened levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which can keep you feeling lousy!

2. It Affects Your Self-Esteem

Your home is a representation of yourself.

Living in clutter can sometimes affect your self-esteem in a bad way because you may feel your friends and neighbors would associate untidiness with your personality.

And as a result, you will feel ashamed every time you’re dealing with other people, constantly thinking they’re judging you for your cluttered home.

3. It Affects The Way You Treat Your Living Space

My mom always taught me that it’s important to take pride in your home.

You should enjoy “retiring to your abode” at the end of the day, not feel stressed and overwhelmed after taking a step in the door.

Clutter has a way of making your home seem like a low-quality living space. This will in turn make you feel like you have to turn down visitors, fearing that they will judge you after seeing the chaos.

4. Less Efficient Thinking

Clutter can also affect the way you think.

In fact, it affects your decision-making abilities, your short-term memory, as well as your long-term capacity to retain information because you are so distracted with all the disorganized stuff that you have inside your home.

The to-do list feels never-ending and organizing isn’t something easy you do at the end of the day — it takes hard work and dedication.

5. Influences The Way You Spend Your Money

Clutter can also upset your spending habits.

You are likely to spend on things that you think you need only to find out that you already have them.

And you were not able to figure this out just because this thing that you need is covered with a pile of mess!

Everyone has the tendency to buy things they don’t really need. There are so many occasions for it.

Stocking stuffers, birthday gifts, and a holiday once a week encourages a lot of accumulation. These items are often not practical either — which is where the clutter thrives.

Moreover, disorganization can also affect the way you pay your monthly bills.

Things are seeming to become automatic these days and easier to handle online, but if you aren’t keeping up with your mail or monthly billing statements, you could miss payments, incur additional late fees, have services cancelled or lose something sentimentally important!

So deal with the mess today and not only will you get rid of clutter, you will also take a weight off your mind — that way, you can focus on the truly important things in life, like cookies ;)!

Talk soon,

Clutterless Home Solutions

The question I ask all my clients before we start an organizing project is “what is your number one goal for this project?”

The responses range from wanting more efficiency in their space to needing to majorly declutter.

When you’re interested in getting organized, it’s important to remember the 5 S’s or organization.

Staging

Begin by starting with a specific space — you’ll want a good amount of room to select and sort your items before they’re put in their permanent home.

The thing to remember is that organizing is going to make the space look much worse before it get’s better — items all over the floor and you need to have everything out and easy to see!

Selecting

As you’re going through your items, it’s important to decide what to keep and what to get rid of.

The concept itself is simple. The actual process can be difficult.

This can be because of emotional ties to memorabilia or because the volume of things to go through can feel overwhelming!

The best thing to do when you’re trying to tackle some decluttering is to think simply.

Hiring a professional organizer can be helpful because they are unbiased and can help you figure out what really matters enough to keep!

Sorting

The next step is categorization.

After you’ve gone through the “keep – throw away – donate” selection process, you will need to categorize your items.

This is an important step because organization is about making things more efficient — and this means easier to find.

Storing

Everything should have a home.

After everything has been categorized, everything needs to go back on the shelves to be easily found when you need it!

If everything has a home, you’ll never waste time looking for it.

A study conducted by Pixie found the average American loses 2.5 days each year looking for misplaced items in their home.

Another study reported by Newsweek found that each American loses 12 days looking for things!

That’s a lot of time wasted!

Simplifying

Mindset is really important when it comes to organizing AND staying organized. Keep it simple.

Each person is different, so I always think it’s important to keep it simple when it comes to organizing.

If someone was disorganized before, it’s highly likely they will fall back into those same patterns.

We’re just human.

The habits we develop are what we will revert back to.

This is something I’ll dive into more in another blog post — why people are disorganized.

But there’s always hope!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try to tackle a small space every day.

Remember to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for tips and tricks to getting and staying organized!!

Until next time,

Happy Organizing!

It’s time to get your DIY on!

As DIY, home improvement and home organization are becoming more popular, some of the more creative people of the world are showcasing their talents with some amazing new feats of ingenuity!

Here are my top 10 favorite bathroom DIY organization hacks you’ll absolutely love — they’ll have you running to the hardware store as soon as you’re done reading!

1. Be creative with your over-the-toilet storage

The bathroom is one place in the house that never seems to have enough room.

Most of my clients have a lot of products that they use in the bathroom, and they can’t figure out how to store it all to look nice and keep everything else looking clean as well.

Something that really spruces up the bathroom are baskets or fun shelving above the toilet.

This offers more places to store items if you have a small bathroom.

One example that I absolutely love comes from Seas the Moment, in their blog post about a spa-inspired bathroom renovation.

The reason I love this is because the white baskets are being repurposed as shelving, it opens up the room and gives you a fun way to store toilet paper and towels.

Another is this rustic farmhouse themed project from House of Hawthornes. Here is the link to learn how to do this one!

The reason I love this one is because it’s simple. A couple of shelves, a few items to complete the project, and voilà!

You have extra storage and some new and beautiful in the bathroom.

2. Use unconventional storage space

What I mean by this is, you want to use up all the available space you have to store things in your home.

If you’ve pared down everything and you’re just trying to organize into a small space, it’s imperative you use what I call “air space”.

This is one great use of air space:

Using the space over the door can maximize your storage space for overflow items like towels or toilet paper.

Not only does it give you extra room, it can also look great!

3. Use the walls!

A big problem for many of my clients when it comes to bathroom organization is the lack of counter space.

There isn’t always room for everything (especially if you’re sharing with someone else), nor does it look good to have 37 different products cluttering the countertop.

A few of my favorite DIY hacks to keep your bathroom products organized are below:

Everyone loves Mason jars. This is a handy trick for storing your daily use items like cotton balls, make-up brushes, combs, bobby pins or hair accessories!

Using this IKEA Bekvam Spice Rack will keep all your products on the shelf.

This is a great start to clearing the clutter off your counters

4. Corral your daily use items

When you’re using something every day, it’s smart to have it handy.

I suggest using a decorative tray with you daily essentials to keep them organized but also keep them looking put-together.

5. Use drawer dividers

This is something I suggest for every drawer in the home — use drawer dividers!!

This allows you to keep your bathroom drawers in order and clean.

I would suggest getting divider inserts vs. buying drawer dividers that push against your drawers.

This is because those kinds of drawer dividers can damage your cabinets and the inserts are a lot easier to rearrange and clean.

You can click here to buy this on amazon.

6. Upcycle things from around the house

The best thing to do when organizing is keep it simple.

You don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of specialized organization units in order to stay organized.

Organization is very personal, and should always be personalized to each individual.

One example of upcycling is to use curtain tie backs as towel hooks in your bathroom!

What I love about this is that you can repurpose the tie backs and create a beautiful piece of functional decor!

Here is the link to how she did it.

I also find that using hooks in the bathroom saves a lot of space and doesn’t “clutter” up the walls!

7. Hidden Hair Tools

What are we supposed to do with all of our hair dryers, straighteners, curling irons, wands and the millions of other tools to make our hair look fabulous?!

Some of the best hacks I’ve seen include magazine holders.

Attach the magazine holders or pencil cups to the inside of your cabinet door, and it easily stores your hair beautification tools out of sight.

You can also put them inside your cabinet if you have the space or if your doors don’t work with this method!

There are so many different styles of these nifty holders. I would suggest using the ones made of metal to keep them in good shape against the heat of your styling tools.

8. Make the most of your under-cabinet space

There are SO many ways to use the space under your sink — you just have to get creative with it!

Use stackable storage to use the space under the sink.

Most cabinets won’t have shelving, so you want to use up the space as much as you can!

It will also be a challenge to work around all the pipes so make sure the items you’re buying will fit the space.

You can also use different kinds of stacking storage like these:

Stackable Bin

MadeSmart 2-Tier Organizer

Another classic way to stay organized in the bathroom is to separate your accessories and products in drawers. I do this all the time for my clients!

In the photo above, I categorized all of my clients’ products and used the drawer organizers for extra storage.

You can get these almost anywhere. These are from Walmart!

9. Decorations Matter

One of the simplest ways to create a feeling of space in your bathroom is to keep the decorations to a minimum and keep the colors light!

Many bathrooms I’ve worked in have the same wood-colored cabinets from the 70s!

Modern bathrooms however, are very minimalistic.

When you’re working with a small space, a fresh coat of white or light-colored paint can really make your space feel cleaner and larger.

This amazing example from Seas the Moment blog shows just how some minor modifications to the cabinetry, color and mirror can create a beautiful space!

This is the before photo of the space:

And this is the after!

10. Make this your mantra: declutter, put away, repeat.

When it comes to organization, I can’t stress enough that the habits you build working with an organizer are crucial.

The truth is, we all have those days where the counters get cluttered, and putting away the laundry does not sound like fun.

However, a cluttered space can cause a cluttered mind!

Like we talked about last week with Clutter is a Trigger of Stress & Anxiety — why & how to fix it and The Duty to Declutter: Why Clutter is Effectively Ruining your Life, clutter can bring stress and anxiety (and you may not even know it!)

Take a breath, take a minute and take the time for YOU!

You deserve it!

Until next time, happy organizing!