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Declutter the Halls

Published: December 6, 2021

I recently helped clients to prepare for visitors during the Thanksgiving holiday. We further organized areas like kitchens, dining rooms and guest rooms, but one space that needed major decluttering in many homes was the hallway. The downstairs hallways, upstairs hallways and stairways were all areas of concern. While decluttering helps the spaces look more tidy and inviting, the benefit of having a clear hallway and stairs in case of emergency is invaluable.

As you deck the halls this season, also think about decluttering the halls. Halls and stairways usually become cluttered because other rooms and closets are already full, so you will also want to work on those spaces. However, to make it easier to access all rooms, and prevent tripping hazards, declutter the hallways and stairways first.

Downstairs Hallways

In the downstairs hallway, I often see overflow from a coat closet or front closet, or items like vacuum cleaners, that just won’t fit elsewhere, blocking the way. Shoes, tote bags, book bags and incoming mail packages can often fill this space as well. Work on making a place for these belongings. You may want to declutter the downstairs closet, hang up extra hooks on the wall or back of a door, set up a bigger shoe rack, or move some shoes to bedroom closets to better clear the space. Designate a new home for things like the vacuum cleaner, perhaps in an guest room closet or even in the garage, anywhere where it will not block the flow of your hallway. Create a routine for opening boxes that come in the mail, and swiftly moving the empty boxes to recycling.

Upstairs Hallways

In the upstairs hallway, I often find that things “going to the attic”, framed photos and artwork to be hung up, overflow from a linen closet, and laundry (both clean and dirty) can block the halls. Work on dispersing these things more frequently. If the attic is frequently used, schedule a time, perhaps every weekend or immediately after holidays, where you can bring things up there. Schedule a time to hang up the framed items, or hire someone to do it for you. Declutter the linen closet to prevent closet overflow from falling into the hall. If laundry is a common issue in your home, work on setting up a laundry routine, or perhaps keep laundry baskets inside each bedroom or in the laundry room, rather than in a hallway. Work on creating a flow of objects so that the hallway can remain clear.

Stairways

To keep stairways clear, use boxes or bags to carry items to the rooms where those things should reside. To prevent further stairway clutter from piling up, place a decorative basket or bin near the stairs, and move things up and down on a regular basis. Once the basket is full, use that as your visual clue to disperse things to the right rooms.

Once you’ve cleared the corridors of your home, it will be much easier to move around your house, access rooms, and invite visitors over. Remember, you can always close a door to a room that you don’t want visitors to see, but the hallways and stairways are more visible. Work on creating systems and routines to help keep those spaces decluttered, so you can safely move from one room to another.

How to Store Go Bags

Published: September 29, 2021

September is National Preparedness Month, an annual observance to remind all Americans how important it is to be prepared for disasters and emergencies that can happen at any time. With so many unpredictable and unprecedented events, such as floods, wild fires, hurricanes and other natural disasters, it is wise to be prepared in case of an emergency.

One way individuals can be ready for an emergency is by creating a portable emergency kit, also known as go bags, emergency bags, bail out bags or bug out bags. This is one place to hold food, water, clothing, emergency supplies and documents to take with you, if you ever have to evacuate due to an emergency. It is recommended that you have at least 3 days worth of supplies ready to go for each person in your household. You’ll need to assemble the bag, determine a storage location, and have a plan to assess and restock the contents regularly.

Assembling a Go Bag:

There are many helpful resources for making a go bag, and numerous retailers where you can purchase the needed supplies, here are just a few:

Tips on how to build an emergency kit from ready.gov This site includes a detailed checklist of what to pack inside the bag.

The wiki How on How to Make a Go Bag

The American Red Cross sells a pre-assembled Deluxe 3-Day Emergency Preparedness Kit

Determining a Storage Location:

Since the pandemic and recent natural disasters, many more of my home organizing clients have these go bags assembled, but no set place to store them. Determining how to store, organize, and maintain an up-to-date stock of items can be a challenge. It is essential that food and medication in the bags have not expired, clothing fits, flashlights work, etc.

You’ll want to have easy access to your bag when you need it in an emergency, so packing it, and storing it in an organized manner is important! These bags should be stored in a cool and dry place. Since they contain food and medication, you’ll want to keep pests out, and keep the bags out of reach from children and pets. Do not store these in areas that are not climate controlled, such as most basements, attics or garages.

The bag doesn’t need to be in a high traffic area, just a place where you can easily grab it. Look around your home and create a designated storage space for your go bag (or bags, depending on the size of your household). Perhaps these can be stored on the upper shelf of a closet in a hallway, bedroom, bonus room, home office, or spare room. Maybe you can store these in a laundry room cabinet or shelf. The storage location depends on the layout of your home, but once you’ve decided on a space, let everyone in the home know that this is where to go for the bags if there’s an evacuation.

Planning to Regularly Restock the Contents:

To prevent food and medications from going bad, and to make sure clothing fits and everything inside the go bag is in working order when you need it, schedule a regular time to check the contents of the bag, and restock as needed. Put a reminder on your calendar, such as once every 4 to 6 months, to make sure the clothing inside is for the correct season, and it is the right size, and to verify that all supplies inside are up to date.

Having a well organized and easy to access go bag is one of the most important things you can organize in your home. Knowing that these bags are ready will give you peace of mind, and you’ll be well-prepared in the event of an emergency.

How to Prepare for a COVID-19 Case in Your Home

Published: September 22, 2021

Since late April 2021, my entire household has been fully-vaccinated for COVID-19. We’ve been following local mask mandates, and wearing masks indoors. Unfortunately, in early September, my fully-vaccinated healthy 18-year-old daughter tested positive for COVID-19. 70% of her college campus was vaccinated, and they required masks indoors, except when eating and drinking. She came home for 10 days of isolation, as required by the campus. For 5 of those days she had a fever and flu-like symptoms. I know every household’s situation is different, but being prepared and ready for a COVID-19 positive diagnosis can help lower stress if it happens.

My tips on how to prepare for a COVID-19 case in your home:

Have 10 days worth of meals stored in your kitchen (if possible). These can be canned meals, soups, pastas, frozen dinners, etc. Just be ready in case you can’t go to the grocery store. Although, remember you can arrange for grocery delivery, if necessary.
If you have pets, have 10 days worth of pet food stored in your home.
Have extra orange juice stored in the freezer. If someone has COVID-19, they will need a lot of fluids such as orange juice.
Stock up on tissues and on medications commonly used for fevers and flu symptoms like Tylenol and Dayquil. Make sure you have enough of these to last a couple of weeks (or for multiple people, if more are infected).
Stock up on soap, hand-sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes.
Set aside one bedroom and one bathroom for the infected person’s private use (if this is possible in your household).
Have a tray available to bring meals to and from the infected person.
Have at-home COVID-19 test kits, or information and access to regular COVID-19 testing for all other household members. My household went to drive-through testing sites provided by my county every 3 days to make sure we weren’t asymptomatic carriers.
Have enough face masks for all, and make sure you and the infected person wear those when in the same room.
Keep an updated calendar. Whether on paper or digitally, during this pandemic time, keep an updated calendar of where you’ve been. This will make it easier to notify people you saw in the days prior to testing COVID-19 positive, so they know to be tested as well.
Follow your CDC and local health department guidelines as to how long the infected person should isolate and close contacts should quarantine. At the time of my daughter’s diagnosis, it was 10 days. My family cancelled every in-person activity for 10 days, including in-person work, and moved all that we could online.

My daughter fully recovered, and no one else in the household was infected during the 10 days of isolation and quarantine. Being well prepared made it easier for us to quickly quarantine and stay as safe and as healthy as possible when we received the news of a positive COVID diagnosis in our household.

How to Organize Stuffed Animals

Published: August 4, 2021

Stuffed animal collections in a playroom or child’s bedroom can easily become overwhelming. Often, children have accumulated a large number of stuffed animals, and do not have enough storage space. Here are some of my tips for decluttering, organizing and storing stuffed animals.

Declutter Regularly

Children usually receive stuffed animals as gifts for birthdays or holidays. Prior to a gift-receiving event, declutter the child’s stuffed animal collection to make room for new ones.

Gather all stuffed animals in one place, and with your child’s input, help them choose their most favorites to keep. Set a limit on the amount kept, such as only what will fit in the stuffed animal storage container, or a certain number to keep.

Give Away or Sell Stuffed Animals Your Child No Longer Wants

Most charities do not accept used stuffed animals due health safety concerns such as bed bugs. However, you could give away stuffed animals to friends or family members, or post online to places such as Freecycle, Nextdoor, Craigslist or Facebook marketplace.

Determine the Size of Storage Needed

Once the stuffed animal collection has been narrowed down, determine the size of container you need to best hold them. It is helpful to separate by size into a couple of containers, so the smaller ones don’t get lost.

Choose a Storage Product That Works Best for Your Home

The choice of storage products depends on your decorative style, your child’s age, and how large of a stuffed animal collection they have. Here are some options:

A Wooden Toy Box/Bench

A Fabric Toy Chest

A Stuffed Animal Zoo

A Toy Storage Hammock

A Stuffed Animal Storage Bean Bag Chair

A Large Rope Basket

A Canvas or Mesh Laundry Hamper

A Large Canvas Storage Basket

Floating Wall Shelves

Choose the storage piece that works best for your home and your child. Remember that regular decluttering, and having a routine of putting away toys after they’ve been played with is the best way to keep a playroom or bedroom neat and organized.

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20 Tips on Cleaning a Depression Nest

Published: July 15, 2021

The term “depression nest” has become more popular since the pandemic began. This is a messy and disorganized room or home as a result of experiencing depression. It is an outward display of a depressed mental state. This is a type of situational disorganization, where a life situation, in this case depression, has caused someone to put off the regular maintenance of cleaning and organizing their environment.

If someone is depressed, cleaning and organizing won’t solve that depression. I recommend reaching out to friends, family or mental health professionals to help. However, cleaning, decluttering and organizing can help you take control of your environment and improve your surroundings, which may lower feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.

Sometimes, my work as a professional organizer has me cleaning up a “depression nest” with a motivated client who’s working to overcome paralyzing and overwhelming feelings to improve their space and quality of life. This person may feel guilty or embarrassed about letting the room or home get to this messy state, but there is no need to feel that way. Depression can bring on fatigue, lethargy, and difficulty focusing, and it is tough to stay organized in that situation. I’m there to help my clients in a nonjudgmental way to turn their space into something they can be proud of and enjoy.

Here are some of my top tips when tackling a “depression nest”:

Do not have a judgmental family member or friend help you. This person may be well-meaning, but if they can’t accept the current state of your space and assist you without judging, then it is best to tackle this on your own, or with help of a professional organizer.

Schedule a time when you have the most energy to take on this task. For example, if you’re an early bird, plan a time to focus on this in the mornings, when you have the most energy.

Eat beforehand, and stay well-hydrated. It is difficult to focus when you’re hungry or thirsty.

Play music in the background. Do this only if music helps to motivate you, and doesn’t distract you.

Let light into the room. Open the blinds and turn on overhead lights before starting.

Take a before photo or video. This is so you can see the transformation you’ve made once done, and feel good about what you’ve accomplished.

Gather the basic sorting and cleaning tools before you start. Have the following tools nearby: empty boxes for items to sell, donate or to move to other rooms, trash bags, recycling bins, laundry baskets, and cleaning supplies like a broom, vacuum, disinfectant wipes and gloves. If your space is too cramped at the start, set up a folding table in a hallway or other room for a sorting area.

Start with the space that is most important to you. The space that usually makes the most difference in the quality of your life is where you sleep. If your bedroom is the first thing you see when you wake up, and the last thing you see at the end of your day, focus on your bedroom first, before going to other rooms.

Begin with clearing the floor space. Creating a safe space to walk around the furniture should be your first goal.

Next, focus on picking up obvious trash. Clear out any definite trash with your first sweep of the room, gathering, empty bags, wrappers, bottles, etc.

Separate items by type. In bedrooms, you may have categories such as paper, books, electronics, clothing, shoes, jewelry, make-up, keepsakes, luggage, etc. Clothing is usually the largest category, so pile all clothes in one area, and go through those after the floor-space has cleared.

Plan to do laundry. Load up all dirty laundry in baskets, hampers or bags and move them out of the room. Be prepared to wash clothing after this clean-out, so schedule a time to go to a laundromat to do it all at once, or plan to do many loads of laundry in your home.

Focus on organizing after you’ve removed excess items. Once you’ve removed trash, recycling, dirty laundry, and items that need to go to other rooms (for example, dishes to go to the kitchen), or things you want to donate, you can then focus on how to organize what remains.

Sort through the visible surfaces. Focus on clearing the tops of dressers, tables and other furniture.

Sort through closed storage areas. Next, sort through each drawer, cabinet, box, etc.

Focus on closets last. Eventually, move into organizing the closet, once the main bedroom has some space.

Tackle this in small increments of time. I suggest anywhere from 1 to 3 hours at a time, and understand that it may take more than one day.

Rest in between, and take breaks as needed. You’re doing a lot of emotional and physical work, so remember to take breaks!

Take an after photo or video. If you feel like it, share your accomplishment with others as inspiration. Be proud of this transformation of your environment!

Make a plan for maintenance. Once you’ve decluttered and cleaned up your “depression nest,” make a list of the daily and weekly tasks you need to do to keep it that way. For example, putting dirty laundry in a hamper, washing clothes, putting away clean laundry, taking out trash, bringing dirty dishes to kitchen, filing, recycling, or shredding of mail and papers, sweeping or vacuuming, etc. Schedule a time to do these tasks regularly. Even 10 minutes a day can help maintain a clean room.

Once your bedroom “depression nest” is taken care of, you can focus on other parts of your home, one space at a time. Make a goal going forward to always keep your bedroom as your sanctuary, an environment that you want to wake up to every day.

7 Tips for Organizing a Senior Parent’s Paperwork

Published: June 10, 2021

I sometimes work with adults who are managing their senior parent’s paperwork. Due to physical or cognitive decline, the person has been put in charge of their parent’s financial and other important documents. Sometimes the parent has moved to assisted living, or a rehabilitation or a nursing care facility, or they may have moved into their child’s home.

7 Tips for Organizing a Senior Parent’s Paperwork:

1. Gather all documents together

Begin by gathering all papers from their previous home into one area. Important documents may have been scattered all over their living space, so first gather those into one room, closet, or file cabinet, whatever space you have available.

2. Sort through to determine what to keep or shred

A large portion of this paperwork may be junk mail or outdated information or statements. Do a quick sort first to remove anything that should be recycled or shredded.

3. Set aside keepsake papers

Sometimes old photographs, awards, wedding invitations, birth announcements, etc. may be mixed in with this paperwork. Set aside a minimal number of these keepsakes, and store these in a labeled box, album, shelf or drawer, or perhaps share these with other family members).

4. Organize the important paperwork that remains

Sort important paperwork into labeled folders or drawers (or scan papers, if these are things you can store digitally, storing them in labeled folders, and backing up the hard drive). Store all paperwork in one area, such as a file box or file cabinet. Set aside one safe place to protect irreplaceable papers, such as in a locked fireproof and waterproof safe.

Examples of important paperwork to retain:

Tax documents
Passport
Social Security Card
Birth Certificate
Marriage Certificate
Medical Records
Health, Dental and Vision Insurance information
Life Insurance Policies
Disability Insurance Policies
Stock Information
Automobile Insurance, or loan or sale information if they have or recently sold a vehicle.
Records of the Sale of their Residence (if sold).
Estate Planning Documents
Checking Account Statements
Credit Card Statements
Any current bills that you are responsible for paying on their behalf.

5. Store labeled folders by category

When organizing these papers, store categories near one another, such as all insurances together, all healthcare and medical information together, all financial statements together, all estate planning documents together, and information related to their current home or retirement community in one place.

6. Keep track of all regularly occurring bills

If there are bills you pay on your parent’s behalf, set up online bill pay, or a spreadsheet to help you track these. You may want to set up a small inbox in your home to hold your parent’s incoming mail until you can process it. Schedule a time to process their mail, pay bills, and verify that all of their accounts are balanced.

7. Leave room to grow

Make sure the file cabinet or file box has space for new files to be added, such as the current year’s tax documents, medical records, and health insurance statements.