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Got clutter?: Fun with dumping
By Patty McPherson
Fri Mar 28, 2008, 11:47 AM EDT
Isn’t it fun to pull everything out of a closet or cabinet and reorganize? OK,, maybe it is just me, but I think it is an enjoyable task (which is good since I’m a professional organizer and clients hire me to enjoy things like that).
I like pulling everything out, making the closet, shelves or other space completely empty, and admiring the view. When is the last time you saw that space empty and cleared out – maybe when you moved in? I like to take a moment and appreciate empty. Forget the pile and mess you created – just admire the clean blank slate. By doing so, you’ll be more tempted to put things away sparsely, in an orderly fashion, and keep it clean. This is also a great opportunity to vacuum, wipe or dust the surfaces or re-line a drawer.
Another good thing about starting from scratch is you see all your things, on the floor, including some stuff you thought you’d lost or misplaced and things that ought to be tossed. You can sort through and purge more easily because it is all in your face. Clients hate it when I dump out a drawer or empty a shelf and put the contents in a big pile. It’s shocking and a bit off-putting for them. But I tell them this is the best way to deal with it, physically touching all the items, and then move on.
So you’ve covered the floor with a pile of stuff. Now what? First, toss the trash or odds ’n’ ends that no longer matter. When you get to that random doo-dad you have no idea what to do with (a screw or button), you have only two options. Toss it or keep to use or put away that day. Generally, if you’ve done without something that long, it is a safe bet to toss it. Also, get rid of or donate anything you can no longer use, want or need.
Then begin evaluating what’s left, presumably just the “keep” items. Now, decide whether you want to keep the item(s) there, in the space you emptied (in that room or on that shelf) or if it should go elsewhere. Separate the items according to that decision. Do NOT get up and take those objects into another room – just set them aside. Otherwise, you’ll be darting in and out, and could become distracted.
You should now have the “keep for that space” pile left. For example, you dumped out the utensil drawer from the kitchen, weeded out old and broken items, and plan to donate duplicates. You now have just the utensils you want, the number you want, and can see that you need a new can opener and would like to buy a garlic press. Consider now how you’d like the items to be contained. Did having them all in a flat pile in the drawer work for you? If so, consider drawer dividers especially made for kitchen utensils.
After the sorting process, you can return things in an organized way. You may decide to add more containers, do some labeling, add some type of product or system, or do nothing but replace some contents. But either way, what goes back in is only what you want to be there.
Finally, it will give you a great sense of accomplishment. Trust me, I do it a lot! And remember, there’s still progress to be made even if you only do one drawer, one shelf or one bin. So start dumping!
Patty McPherson is the owner of Orderly Manor in Plymouth, and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. She can be reached at 774-269-6519 orby e-mail at patty@OrderlyManor.com.
