Clearing house of all that clutter

Wanda Yeatman, a Rockville mother of four children ages 1 to 14, made a commitment exactly a year ago to get rid of clutter. “I just had to get my house back in order,” Mrs. Yeatman says. Although she has kept the resolution and is pleased with the results so far, she says she’s not done, yet. “I have a system that works now,” Mrs. Yeatman says. “Everything has a home, and everyone [in the family] knows what that home is, which makes things so much easier.”

Yes, ’tis that time of year when many Americans make resolutions to shed excess stuff and get organized, but how is it done?

Helen Montfort, a professional organizer who has worked with Mrs. Yeatman, says it’s a combination of getting rid of things, making sure that all items have a home, and storing like items with like items.

“It just makes sense to keep all your exercise equipment in one place, or all your CDs together. That way you won’t go looking for things,” Ms. Montfort says.

Another organizing principle: When storing items, use your “prime real estate” efficiently, she says.

“The things you need to get to often need to be conveniently located,” Ms. Montfort says. “In a bookcase, the prime real estate is the top three shelves.”

For example, old financial records don’t need to be in a prime real estate location. They can be put in a box or bag, labeled and stored away in an attic or basement.

On a recent afternoon, Ms. Montfort worked with Mrs. Yeatman’s son Chase, 14, on converting what used to be an office space into a bedroom. She made Chase go through papers and books to decide what was to be placed in prime real estate locations, what could be thrown out and what could be stored.

“If you can’t decide on the spot, then we’ll just put it in a bag and you can go through it later,” Ms. Montfort says.

She calls this the brown paper bag method. Gather up all miscellaneous things that clutter the floor and other spaces in bags and then make the commitment to go through a bag or two a day.

It’s important to declutter gradually — do a little bit every day — so it doesn’t become overwhelming, Ms. Montfort says.

Marla Cilley, author of “Sink Reflections: Flylady’s Babystep Guide to Overcoming Chaos,” agrees.

“We think it’s going to take all day to clean the house, but once you have a routine in place, 15 minutes might be enough,” says Mrs. Cilley of Brevard, N.C. “It’s better to do a little bit here and there than nothing at all. But we tend to be perfectionists, which causes us to procrastinate. We need to let go of that perfectionism, of the ’If I can’t do it right, I won’t do it at all,’ attitude.”

Setting a good example

It’s particularly important not to overdo it time-wise with children, Ms. Montfort says.

“I’ll usually just work for 15 to 30 minutes with small children, while I’ll go for an hour or two with adults,” she says.

When organizing children’s spaces, Ms. Montfort recommends using shelves on walls and in closets, like in a kindergarten, as opposed to putting toys and other items in chests of drawers or toy boxes.

“Toy boxes are a problem because everything gets thrown in there, and you may not see what’s at the bottom of the toy box for months,” she says.

See-through and open containers are preferable, Ms. Montfort says. If these containers are placed on horizontal, open shelves, then children can find things easily.

Esther Berg, also a local professional organizer, says getting youngsters involved in cleaning their rooms and taking care of their clothes not only gives parents more breathing room, but it establishes good habits.

“But you have to be very literal with children,” Mrs. Berg says. “Don’t just ask them to put away their toys. Show them how to do it. Don’t just ask them to fold their clothes. Show them how it’s done.”

Mrs. Cilley agrees that parents have to set a good example when it comes to housework. If parents always whine about housework, then children aren’t likely to enjoy it, either, she says.

“They’re going to hate housework unless you show them that it can be a fun activity,” Mrs. Cilley says. “Using feather dusters is fun, and making it fun will get the job done.”

Another struggle for parents when it comes to children’s stuff is what to do with all the old school work that so easily piles up.

Margaret Philleo of Bethesda,who is also a client of Ms. Montfort, says she and her two children, ages 7 and 10, sit down every few months to go through old schoolwork.

“I tell them, ’Let’s pick out 30 sheets — memories from school. We don’t need to save every single spelling test, do we?’”

Give it away

Getting rid of things can be difficult, but it’s a large and important part of being organized, Mrs. Cilley says.

“The good news is once you get into the habit of getting rid of things it gets easier and easier,” she says. “My simple rule is: If you don’t love it, it doesn’t make you smile, you have no place for it, or you have two of them, it has to go.”

One category of items that people seem to have a particularly hard time parting with is clothes that don’t fit anymore.

“Just get rid of them. If you lose weight, you’re going to want new clothes, anyway,” Ms. Montfort says. Mrs. Yeatman nods and smiles in agreement.

Holding on to old magazines and newspapers is also common, Mrs. Berg says.

“If your magazines are piling up and you can’t find time to read them, maybe you should donate that subscription to someone else,” she says.

Another type of paper clutter that tends to build up quickly is junk mail.

“That’s why I recommend to my clients that they open their mail next to a waste basket,” she says. “You avoid piles that way.”

It is particularly important to get rid of things before birthdays and big gift-giving holidays, Ms. Montfort says.

“Generally, October, before the holiday season begins, is a good time to get rid of things to make room for new things,” she says.

Mrs. Yeatman has a getting-rid-of corner in her basement. That’s where she puts boxes of things that she no longer needs.

However, getting rid of things, in her mind, doesn’t mean feeding the trash receptacle. It means that if the item is in good shape, then give it away to a new home.

“I really believe that one person’s junk can be another person’s treasure,” Mrs. Yeatman says. “We really suffer from affluenza.”

Children have to be taught how to give, she says, because “I think it teaches them not to be possessed by their possessions.”

MORE INFO:

BOOKS —

• “LET GO OF CLUTTER,” BY HARRIET SCHECHTER, MCGRAW-HILL COS., 2000. THIS BOOK PROVIDES INSIGHTS AND STRATEGIES ON HOW TO DECLUTTER THE HOME, INCLUDING WAYS TO SHED SENTIMENTAL STUFF WITHOUT FEAR OR REGRET. IT ALSO PROVIDES FORMS AND CHECKLISTS THAT HELP READERS DECIDE WHAT TO GET RID OF AND WHAT TO KEEP.

• “NEAT MOM, MESSIE KIDS: A SURVIVAL GUIDE,” BY SANDRA FELTON, FLEMING H. REVELL CO., 2002. THIS BOOK OFFERS ADVICE ON HOW A MOM CAN BECOME THE COACH OF A FAMILY ORGANIZING TEAM AND TRANSFORM THE HOUSE INTO A HOME OF ORDER AND DIGNITY. THIS BOOK ALSO CONTAINS LETTERS FROM OTHER MOMS, LISTS OF RELATED BOOKS AND WEB SITES, CHORE CHARTS, AND OTHER PRACTICAL TOOLS THAT KEEP THE HOUSE ORGANIZED, NEAT AND VISITOR-READY.

• “ORGANIZING FROM THE INSIDE OUT FOR TEENS: THE FOOLPROOF SYSTEM FOR ORGANIZING YOUR ROOM, YOUR TIME, AND YOUR LIFE,” BY JULIE MORGENSTERN AND JESSI MORGENSTERN-COLON, HENRY HOLT & CO., 2002. THIS BOOK ADDRESSES THE SUBJECT OF ORGANIZATION AS IT RELATES TO YOUNG PEOPLE. THE BOOK OPENS BY ASSESSING THE SYMPTOMS OF DISORGANIZATION, PROVIDING A DIAGNOSIS AND OFFERING A PRESCRIPTION FOR CHANGE. SUBSEQUENT CHAPTERS PUT READERS IN “ANALYZE-STRATEGIZE-ATTACK” MODE AS THEY TAKE ON MESSY BEDROOMS, BACKPACKS AND CLUTTERED SOCIAL CALENDARS. APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN AGES 12 AND OLDER.

• “CUT THE CLUTTER AND STOW THE STUFF: THE Q.U.I.C.K. WAY TO BRING LASTING ORDER TO HOUSEHOLD CHAOS,” BY LORI BAIRD (EDITOR), RODALE PRESS, 2002. THIS BOOK CONTAINS 1,237 CLUTTER-CUTTING TIPS, PLUS HUNDREDS OF INSIDER SECRETS FROM AMERICA’S CLUTTER-CONTROL EXPERTS. IT GIVES TIPS ON HOW FIND STORAGE SPACE YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD, CLEAR OUT THE CHILDREN’S ROOMS WITHOUT STARTING A WAR AND MAKE ALL THOSE PILES OF PAPER DISAPPEAR LIKE MAGIC.

• “SINK REFLECTIONS: FLYLADY’S BABYSTEP GUIDE TO OVERCOMING CHAOS,” BY MARLA CILLEY, FLYLADY PRESS, 2002. THIS BOOK OFFERS ADVICE ON HOUSECLEANING AND ORGANIZING TIPS LACED WITH HOMESPUN HUMOR AND DAILY MUSINGS ABOUT LIFE AND LOVE. IT SHOWS HOW TO CREATE DOABLE HOUSEKEEPING ROUTINES AND BREAK DOWN OVERWHELMING CHORES INTO MANAGEABLE MISSIONS THAT WILL RESTORE PEACE IN THE HOME AND THE PSYCHE.

ASSOCIATIONS —

• NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZERS, 35 TECHNOLOGY PARKWAY SOUTH, SUITE 150, NORCROSS, GA 30092. PHONE: 770/325-3440. WEB SITE: WWW.NAPO.NET. THIS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION GIVES REFERRALS TO CLIENTS INTERESTED IN THE SERVICES OF A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER.

ONLINE —

• AUTHOR AND CLUTTER EXPERT MARLA CILLEY GIVES ORGANIZING ADVICE FOR THE HOME ON HER WEB SITE (WWW.FLYLADY.NET). ONE SECTION, CALLED CRISIS CLEANING 101, PROVIDES TIPS ON HOW TO CLEAN QUICKLY IN ANTICIPATION OF HOUSEGUESTS.

• THE CLEAN TEAM (WWW.THECLEANTEAM.COM), A SAN FRANCISCO-BASED CLEANING SERVICE THAT’S BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 25 YEARS, OFFERS MORE THAN A DOZEN CLUTTER-CONTROL TIPS, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF LABELING THINGS AND THE “WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT” STRATEGY ON ITS WEB SITE. THE COMPANY’S FOUNDER, JEFF CAMPBELL, ALSO HAS WRITTEN BOOKS ON THE TOPIC.