Has your home become an overpriced storage unit? Do you feel overwhelmed with the number of items in each room, the piles of papers on every surface and the boxes stacked in the garage? Are you drowning in making decisions on what to keep, what to donate or what to rehome? Perhaps bills aren’t getting paid, library books are past due and prescriptions and food items are long expired.
It’s never too late to make a fresh start. You can start now, today, this very moment. Decide to tackle one small space completely, then another, then another, and so on. I always tell my clients that even baby steps are still steps. You are only competing with yourself. Don’t compare your home to what you see on organizing shows – they’re staged for the cameras.
There are several small things you can start today that will have a big impact.
Time your chores
One trick I employed with my daughter when she was little was setting my alarm on my phone for 10 minutes. We would quickly tackle our separate projects in the house until the alarm went off. I would then hit “snooze” and we would both tackle two more projects. There were “rules” we’d follow: Every 10 minutes we had to pick a different project in a different room, we had to race to finish each task before the alarm went off and we had to work for at least half an hour.
In one hour with this method, two people can accomplish 12 different tasks. Just imagine how much can be done if you have a larger family. We call these “time(d) chores.” Your family may come up with a different name. All that matters is that it’s a collaborative effort. Make sure to do something fun together when the hour is up.
Set up a mail station
Many of my clients are overwhelmed with paper piles because it’s so easy to use every flat surface as a “catch-all.” The problem with that is that bills get lost (and accrue late fees), invitations are buried (and you miss out on having fun with loved ones) and checks are never seen (and have to get reissued).
The solution is prevention, which is why I always advise my clients to set up a mail station. It doesn’t have to be fancy, expensive or even its own piece of furniture. It just has to make sense for you and your family. This is where you open mail daily and sort it by “needs to be taken care of quickly,” shred or recycle. You can work on the current piles while you have dinner in the oven or microwave, are
waiting for your kettle to boil, or the length of a song on
YouTube. Before long, the
piles are gone.
Discard old linens
Linen closets are a common problem area. It’s so easy to “lose” things in there. Many people will hold on to sheets or towels if they have even a tiny bit of use still in them, “just in case.” Please stop doing that! You deserve to own and use items that are in great condition, without stains or tears, or even items that you enjoy using. Each bed should have two sets of sheets and no more than two blankets. Each of your bathrooms should have two sets of towels, plus a couple of sets for guests.
Your extra linens that are in less-than-perfect condition can be donated to your local animal rescue or sanctuary. Towels and blankets in near-new or good condition can be donated to your local homeless shelter. Other linens are appreciated by families on Buy Nothing, Trash Nothing or free Craigslist sites. Theater and art groups may also be happy to take your sheets for props or artistic purposes. You can often get a tax receipt, which makes this a win-win situation.
Tackle your kitchen cabinets
I often find when I go into a client’s kitchen that they own more pots and pans than they have burners. If you have four burners but own seven frying pans, plan to keep the best four and let go of the rest. Now, take all of your utensils out of their drawers. Count how many you have of each item. You should own no more than two of each item, except knives and silverware. Ask yourself, “Do I use each item regularly?” If not (or if it’s an unneeded gift), it’s time to give it away.
How many glasses, mugs and water bottles do you own? Do you frequently have parties? You should have twice as many glasses and mugs as there are people in the home, plus a few for guests. Any more than that is taking up valuable real estate. You should have one water bottle for each person in your home. You don’t need to hold on to the freebies you get from conventions or community events. Many of those leak BPA, don’t keep your drinks cold or are just plain junk. Feel free to give them away or recycle them.
Pantries are often filled with expired foods. This is mainly due to shelves being so crowded that you can’t see that you already have 12 cans of that rarely used food item that only gets eaten at holiday time, so you buy more. Sometimes we are given an item that our family is allergic to, but we are wracked with guilt over giving it away. It’s much better to take unwanted foods that aren’t expired to your local food bank or pantry. Do the same thing with your fridge and freezer. Don’t hold on to an item because it was a gift. If you won’t eat it, give it to someone who will.
Your feelings of being overwhelmed, loss of where to start or mental fatigue are very common and shared by many. You have nothing to apologize for, and you don’t need to feel any shame. Hiring a professional organizer is the first step to changing your chaos to calm. It’s a “no-judgment zone,” your confidentiality is secure and you have an expert who will help you every step of the way.
Los Altos Hills resident Lyn Rogers, a professional organizer, is owner and CEO of Lyn At Your Service. For more information, visit LynAtYourService.com.
