A disorganized and cluttered household can make you feel like things are out of control. You can’t find the remote, important paperwork keeps getting lost, and your closet has more hangers than fit the racks. But how do you manage all that clutter? Here are some tips and tricks from a professional home organizer, Bridges.

Organized office drawer
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Stow as You Go

Stow as you go is the idea that, when everything has a place, it should always be put back in that place. So as soon as you use it, put it back in its home, and you’ll always be able to find it.

If you use a pair of scissors, put it back afterward.

If you put your makeup on, don’t leave it on the countertop; put it away.

Many people have a build-up of delayed decisions in their life that leads to them feeling stuck now. Those delayed decisions are what create the clutter in your life. So if you can stow as you go, and if everything has a place where you can find it when you need it, then you just have to make sure it gets back to its place when you’re done using it.

One In, One Out

One In, One Out is the principle that if you’re buying or adding an item to your household, then something else needs to go out. For example, if your closet is full of shoes, when purchasing a new pair, you’ll need to throw out or donate and old pair. So that way, you can stay within your boundaries, so your space doesn’t get overcrowded and stays organized.

Closet Tricks

Coat hangers in closet
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

Typically we only wear 20% of our stuff 80% of the time. So if your closet is overflowing with clothes, an easy way to see what you wear within six months to a year is to turn your hangers backward. When you wear an item and are ready to put it back, turn the hanger the right way. At the end of six months or a year, the hangers that are still backward are the items you aren’t using and should be purged or donated.

For more free tips, check out our 10 Golden Rules of Organizing e-book, or schedule a free consultation with Bridges here or call (480) 297-7355 to assess your downsizing needs.