Ask America’s Ultimate Experts
“Help! I’m drowning in clutter!” Our organizing pros share how to get out from under clutter and get organized the fast and feel-good way!
1Dream Get started fast! up a theme!
2 Cure closet
Take a minute to envision your “dream space,” advises organizer Dorothy Breininger. “If, for example, you decide you want your bedroom to be more Zen, zero in on extra-stressful clutter, say, work-related papers or bills. If you decide creativity is the theme for your room, begin with clutter that’s blocking inspiration, say, the ironing board and kids’ toys. Once you pick a theme, you’ll instantly feel in control because you won’t have to tackle everything at once—just the items that don’t align with your vision.”
Make a “somewhere else” bin!
You’ve heard of dividing your stuff into keep, sell and giveaway bins, but Breininger favors a simpler approach with just one master box: the somewhere else bin. “Start with one spot, say, the dining room table and put stuff that doesn’t belong there in your bin. It’s a great way to begin and you can return to the box later when you have more time to decide what should go where.”
Use the two-rule!
To rein in paper clutter, just use the two-rule, suggests Breininger. “If it’s a newspaper more than two days old or a magazine more than two months old, cut out the articles you’re interested in, but haven’t had time to read and put them in a folder.” Organizer Regina Leeds agrees: “I keep a pair of scissors in every room!”
Designate “drop zones”!
clutter!
Use the rainbow method!
First get rid of the plastic dry cleaning bags. “That’s a quickie,” says Leeds. “It creates so much room in your closet, I’ve had clients think I’ve thrown out some of their clothes when the only thing I’ve tossed is old packaging.” Next: Arrange your clothes according to color. “White/ off-white; beige/ brown; blue/purple; green/yellow; pink/ red and gray/black. It’s fast and fun— and when everything is arranged by color, it makes it easier to spot Got a what you’ll never wear again so junk drawer? you can declutter fast.” “Use an egg carton
to corral small Stick to the feel-good rule! trinkets,” suggests “I hate the old rule that if you haven’t Breininger.
worn something in six months, you should get rid of it,” says Leeds. “You have an emotional connection to your things—and if you bought something, you bought it for a reason.” So before culling your clothes, ask yourself why you’re hanging on to certain outfits. “I had a client who was keeping maternity outfits— and her son was now college-age,” says Leeds. “I suggested she cut a swatch of fabric from her favorite maternity dress and put it in a photo album next to a photo of her wearing the dress. That way she could let go of the outfits she’s outgrown without letting go of the memories.”
Create a hook hierarchy!
“Pick ‘drop zones’ for each family member,” says Breininger, “Say your kids’ bookshelf is theirs— they’ll know to go directly there to drop off their stuff after school. Drop zones keep clutter from migrating all over the house.” And to keep drop zones from growing? “I have ‘supersonic Sundays’,” smiles Breininger. “Kids love them because they treat them like a race: Set the timer for 17 minutes, hit your drop zone and quickly sort it out.”
A simple swap that’ll create lots of room in your closet? “Replace hangers with hooks,” says Breininger. “Put the stuff you wear less often, like hats, on hooks higher up in your closet and everyday items like bras lower down.” Also smart? “Place hooks on one side of your closet and hang your ‘on-and-off-clothes’ there—stuff that’s always going on and off like running pants and pajamas,” suggests Breininger. “If it’s easy to put away, it won’t find its way to the floor.”
Our expert panel Dorothy Breininger—an expert organizer for the A&E show Hoarders—has appeared on such programs as Today, Dr. Phil and The View. Her latest book Stuff Your Face or Face Your Stuff hits bookshelves in May. 22
Regina Leeds, a professional organizer for more than 20 years, is the author of several books, including The 8-Minute Organizer and The New York Times bestseller One Year to an Organized Life.
3 Organize your
kitchen in minutes!
Group like with like!
“Think about your possessions keeping company with each other,” suggests organizing pro Betsy Talbot. “In your kitchen, divide items into three categories: baking tools, like cookie sheets, prep tools, like your blender and food processor, and special tools, like your panini maker or pizza maker,” says Leeds. “Clustering items into little families not only cuts down on clutter, it saves you time because you’ll know where everything is.”
Speed-clean your pantry!
To declutter your pantry fast, “get rid of anything with an expired date,” Leeds says. “You’ll be surprised how much stuff you can clear out. Then group food into categories: soups with soups, carbs, like pasta and rice, with carbs, and snacks with snacks.” —Kristina Mastrocola Betsy Talbot and her husband, Warren Talbot, coauthored Getting Rid of It: The Step-by-step Guide to Eliminate the Clutter in Your Life. Visit them at MarriedWithLuggage.com.
Photos: Images by Prasad Photography; courtesy of subject; Warren Talbot; Aurora Photos/Masterfile; Media Bakery; iStockphoto; RCWW, Inc./Corbis.
WOMAN’S WORLD 4/15/13
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