Organized Thoughts

By Barb Eimer

Last week we shared a couple insights into the mind of a professional organizer. Below we continue the series…

3. Implement

Like with Like:  Things are put together in groups based on their purpose.  i.e. pants with pants, baking supplies together, files in one spot, etc.  

Eliminate:  We ask a lot of questions in this stage too. When is the last time you used this item? What is a scenario in which you might use it and how likely is that to happen? What does it cost (in both time and money) to replace this item?  How hard would it be to find and purchase this item again? What is the worst-case scenario if you did get rid of this item?

After asking these questions, we can then get rid of broken, unused, ugly, and outdated items.  Having boxes labeled and ready makes this part much easier.  You will need separate containers for donations, trash, items that go elsewhere in the house, things that can be sold, and things you need to return to other people. 

4. Assign a Home

This is probably the most crucial step of all, and the answers aren’t always as obvious as you would think.  We want to know where that item truly belongs. With very few exceptions, our mantra is Store it where you use it!  Don’t be afraid to store things vertically.  Think outside of the box.  Sometimes the best organizational system in a pantry or a closet is an over the door hanging rack. Set up zones for different activities. This is especially important in a kitchen.  We also watch to make sure that flat surfaces don’t become dumping grounds.

In the next installment, we will learn about shopping, equalizing, and evaluating.