This is it—2015 is going to be the year you get organized.
We consulted some local professionals for advice on where to start when it comes to cleaning out your closet, bathroom, kitchen, playroom—basically, the whole house. And then we asked the more important question: How do you maintain order?
1. Assess the Situation
“It’s hard to decide what to get rid of until you know what you have,” says Lorraine Brock, founder of Get Organized!. This means clearing out every cabinet, drawer, and counter so you can come to grips with the fact that you have 14 pairs of scissors.
2. Purge
Melinda Massie, owner of Organizing with a Side of Fabulous, says you should use three criteria when it comes to purging: Only keep an item if you really need it, use it, or love it. Start sorting with four different piles—one for keeping, one for throwing away, one for donating, and one for things that belong in different rooms.
3. Accessorize
Organization doesn’t have to be boring. Use pretty bowls, boxes, or cubes inside a drawer or on shelves to tame clutter. Knickknacks atop your counter or bureau look more orderly when placed on a decorative tray. “Nothing makes random items look more like a cohesive collection than by putting them on a tray,” Massie says. The organizers we spoke to cited Target, Ikea, Lowe’s (which carries ClosetMaid products), and The Container Store as places to shop for functional and attractive tools.
4. Put Everything in its Proper Place
“Instead of putting things where they fit, put them where they belong,” Brock says. A rule of thumb to go by: Things you use frequently should be in easy-to-reach spaces. Things you rarely use can go in high cabinets or at the back of drawers.
5. Keep it Clean.
The key to maintaining order is to take time at the end of every day to tidy up. “What may only take you 10 minutes a day turns into a chunk of two to three hours of cleaning on the weekend,” Massie says.
