Organizing Strategies: Basic Housekeeping - Organizing Tips from a Master Organizer

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Need help getting organized? Barry J. Izsak - the Immediate Past President of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) - shares some of his best area-by-area organizing tips below.

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Closet

Install a double rod to accommodate two rows of shorter garments as opposed to one long rod.
Consider hanging clothes which you have traditionally folded or start folding clothes which you have traditionally hung.
Consider storing out of season clothing (e.g., sweaters, ski clothes, etc.) in storage boxes on the highest shelves or under your bed.
Don’t accumulate too many empty hangers which take up valuable clothing space. Isolate empty hangers in one section of the closet and keep the overflow in a guest room closet.
Use stackable see-through storage containers to maximize space between fixed shelves that are spaced too far apart.

Garage

Break your garage organizing job into small, manageable pieces. It’s not realistic to think you can tackle 20 years of clutter in a day.
Make the easy decisions first and begin discarding the obvious items you want to get rid of.
Divide your garage into zones to store your tools, sporting goods and lawn and garden supplies.
Store things off the floor to keep them dry and make it easier to keep your garage clean.
If you haven’t used most items in 2 years, sell, donate or give them away.

Garage Safety

Store paints, toxic chemicals and pesticides in their original containers in a locked cabinet.
Keep flammable items away from heat sources and work areas.
Do not use power tools with frayed or tattered cords and unplug them when not in use.
Never exceed the specified weight recommendations for shelving units and cabinetry.
Never leave children unattended in a garage.

Kitchen

Keep countertops as clear as possible.
Use a portable island, hinged counter on the wall or a large cutting board across the sink to create more space.
Consider hanging pots and pans from grids on walls or from the ceiling.
Divide items in bulk packaging for easier storage.
Think of putting things in drawers that you have traditionally put on shelves and vice versa (e.g., spices, plastic food storage containers, etc.)

Office

Mount hanging shelves and sorters on the wall.
Put fax machines, printers and copiers on tops of filing cabinets and credenzas.
Store "action files" within easy reach and "reference files" in filing cabinets.
Use nearby bookshelves for books, notebooks and items used less frequently.
Use a rolling cart to hold office supplies and action files that you have no room for in your desk.

Purse

Your purse is not a piece of luggage. Carry only the daily essentials.
Group like items and containerize these items (e.g., coins, make-up, pills, etc.) in zippered pockets, pouches or small containers with lids.
Keep items in your purse in the same location at all times, so it’s easier to find them when you need them.
Keep items such as your keys, business cards, work ID in an easily accessible front pocket.
Maintain your system and get your purse back in order on a weekly business.

Refrigerator/Freezer

Keep frequently used items within easy reach.
Store like products together if possible - dairy foods, salad dressings, produce - on shelves, on the door or in bins.
Store items in the same place all the time, so you can easily tell when you run out of that item.
Write a date on the label of jars and bottles when you open them.
Be sure to label all food stored in the freezer and write on the label the date you froze it.

De-cluttering

Choose one area that really bothers you and start organizing it first.
Select a home for every item you want to store. If you can’t find a home for it, then consider letting go of it.
Store the things you use the most often in the most easily accessible places.
Put things back where they belong right away. Don’t just “put it here for now.”
If you haven’t used something in years, you probably won’t, so get rid of it!

E-mail

Schedule specific times during the day to check and process your E-mail.
Set aside 90 minutes to two-hours of non-E-mail time in your work day.
File the E-mail that you need to keep in folders. Do not leave it in your inbox once you have answered it.
Use a subject line which truly indicates what the E-mail is about. It makes it easier to file.
Avoid printing E-mail unless you absolutely must.

Filing

Keep business and personal files separate.
Hanging files are the skeleton and workhorse of your filing system.
Use interior folders to further subdivide information in a hanging file.
Line up your hanging file tabs in a straight row rather than spread across.
Purge your files on an ongoing basis. Every time you have the file in your hands, look through it and toss what you can.

Paper

Don’t just lay paper down without making a decision about if you need to keep it first.
If something requires action, then do it.
If you need to keep something, file it where you would logically go look for it.
Be sure to create two categories of filing systems: Action and Reference.
Handle mail on a daily basis and toss what you can immediately.

Planning

Tackle your hardest tasks when you get the least interruptions.
Have a written agenda for meetings and teleconferences.
Have reading material readily available when waiting in lines.
Make checklists for recurring activities.
Spend a few minutes at the end of each day planning for the next.

Time Management

Focus on your priorities and let the little things slide.
Stop being reactive with your time—be proactive.
Set goals for your time and schedule activities in your planner.
Don’t be a perfectionist and spend too much time on activities that don’t require it.
Don’t procrastinate. Break your tasks into smaller, doable pieces so they will be easier to accomplish.

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Basic Housekeeping - Organizing Tips from a Master Organizer: Created on March 19th, 2008. Last Modified on January 21st, 2014