My recent blog post on exactly how to sort & purge got some interest, and the question I was asked most was, “So now that I know how to purge, how do I know what to purge?”

Here are my tips for prioritizing what to keep:

1. If you LOVE it, USE it, or NEED it, then KEEP it.
   The key here is to be real about those feelings. “Love it” means it’s one of your very favorite top 10 things and if your house caught on fire you’d grab it. “Use it” means it’s served it’s purpose in the last 6 months. “Need it” means it helps you with a routine action, or you can think of at least 3 things you’re realistically going to do with it in the next 6 months. Let go of things that don’t meet these criteria. Period.
2. Be careful not to cling to the idea that more storage is the only solution to clutter. Clutter happens for several reasons including holding on to things you don’t use/need, or buying new things that you don’t use/want/need. Read this list of questions to help you decide what to keep.
3. Identify your top 3 priorities for a space and eliminate anything that doesn’t meet those goals.
4. Remember that the people using a space are more important than the things cluttering it. If the clutter is negatively affecting how you or others feel on a daily basis, or if you realize you’re treating your things better than you treat the people around you, it’s time to do a “gut check” on your priorities and get rid of some stuff.
5. Set up boundaries for the space. The room you’re in should only contain items used for that room’s purpose, otherwise it will end up stuffed to the gills, will lose its focus, and you’ll have to start the organizing process all over again.
6. Part of the organizing process is the “shuffle” of stuff from one space to another temporarily, so designate a staging area that can be used to store items for the short term until they have a home in the room where they really belong.
7. Enlist help. If you get stuck, call in a neutral party to help. A friend, a neighbor, or your friendly neighborhood professional organizer (*wink*) can provide a fresh set of eyes on your things, and they can be very effective in keeping you focused and motivated.

Truth is, organizing is all about prioritizing and setting boundaries. This should get you started on identifying yours.

Organizing is a process. This article will touch on the 4 steps, but I really want to focus on Step 2, the “Sort & Purge.” Not only is it a great way to clean up a space, but by doing the labor yourself as “homework,” it’s a great way to stretch your budget if you decide to hire an organizer to consult with you on more heavy hitting topics.

1. Identify your goals. Do you need more storage space? Does a room need to serve multiple purposes? Do you want to get rid of stuff?
2. “Sort & Purge.” This is the process where you’ll make decisions on items in a space as to whether they support your goals or detract from them.
3. Organize. Organizing requires some soul searching to realistically identify which systems work for you and which ones don’t, then putting in place the most effective ones.
4. Adapt, Evolve, & Maintain. Practice makes perfect in this phase. Staying organized means adapting to your new systems, evolving them as needed, and maintaining them on a regularly scheduled basis.

So here’s a list of supplies you’ll need to accomplish the Sort & Purge, and exactly how to get it done:

1. Set up your supplies before you get started. You’ll need:
   • Boxes: pick up 10-20 empty boxes from the liquor store to contain the items you’re sorting. (They’re free, already put together, and a perfect size to fill up and still be light enough to carry and small enough to store!)
   • Packing tape: to seal the donation boxes
   • Sharpie: to label the boxes. (TIP: The boxes can sometimes have a slick coating on them which makes it hard to write on, so if you have mailing labels or painter’s tape to write on first then stick on the boxes, it’s easier.)
   • Trash bags: to use for real trash, for clothing to giveaway.
2. Create “zones” with the following categories, either in the room in which you’re working, or an adjacent room or hallway. Then label several empty boxes and place in each zone to contain your items as your sort. This will keep the piles organized and the room decluttered while you work. Start with these categories:
   • DONATE
   • SELL
   • OTHER ROOM (for things that you’re keeping but don’t belong in this room)
   • FAMILY MEMBERS (create a box for each person in your family for their things)
   • MEMORIBILIA
   • PAPERS
   • SHRED
   • Then create boxes specific to what the room will be used for, like CRAFTS, BABY STUFF, OFFICE SUPPLIES, ELECTRONICS, UTENSILS, TOILETRIES, etc.
3. Start in the corner closest to the door and work your way clockwise around the room putting items in their appropriate zone/box, or in the trash. If you’re not sure what to keep or get rid of, refer to this list of questions. This process will take a few hours, and if you get tired or overwhelmed, allow yourself to take breaks and come back to it later.

4. Clean up when you’re done sorting and purging and take action on your piles.
   • Tape “DONATE” boxes closed and move them out of the room and place near an entry/exit door or into your car to be dropped off to charity.
   • Move “SELL” boxes out to your car if you have to drop them off somewhere, or leave set them near your computer if you need to take pictures and sell them online.
   • Put trash in outside garbage cans.
   • Carry “OTHER ROOM” boxes around the house and put the items in the rooms where they belong.
   • Shred the papers in the shred box.

The goal is to have the floor and all surfaces clear, and only leave the “keep” items that will stay in that room and suit your goals for that room.

Follow these steps, and you’ll have a cleared out space that’s on its way to being organized (and probably a tax deduction for charitable donations!)

The quickest way to prevent clutter is to stop it at the door. Junk mail services like DMAchoice.org can help, and stopping at the recycling bin on your way in to toss any unwanted mail are a good start.

But once you step foot in the door, here are a few tips to create a “Drop Zone” to help keep items corralled so they don’t get strewn throughout your home as you walk in:

Before:

After:

1. Put a table, rolling cart, shelf or bench near the main door with baskets for: “Incoming” and “Outgoing.”
2. Create “Action Files” with an attractive file box and folders to pre-sort incoming mail into categories: Bills to Pay, To Do, To File, To Read, Contacts, and Coupons.
3. Look for multitaskers like a mirror with hooks on it to “check your look” and hang your keys and sunglasses.
4. Hang large hooks for purses, jackets, umbrellas, book bags, and dog leashes.
5. Shoes can get stored in large baskets, under a bench, or on stackable shoe shelves or cubbies.
6. Add a corkboard, whiteboard, calendar, or notepad by the door so family members can leave messages for each other. Have limited space for hanging? Try Idea Paint — it turns any surface into a whiteboard.
7. Install a purse rack or cap rack for multiple items.

Want help setting up your own “Drop Zone?” Contact us to set one up for you.

We all have our own ways to track our passwords, whether it’s by memory, on post-its, in a password book, or electronic password file. For some, it’s not to track them at all.

Well what happens to all those passwords when you or someone you love dies? All those email, bank, insurance & billpay accounts become inaccessible and companies won’t unlock those online accounts for anyone, even if you can prove you’re a relative.

One man was so frustrated after his Grandmother’s passing that he created Legacy Locker. It’s a website where people can securely store their usernames & passwords for a $300 one-time fee or small annual fee of $30/yr, then identify beneficiaries to essentially “will” the info to someone else in the event of their death. Users can also write letters they want passed on, and they describe their service as an “online safety deposit box”. Brilliant!

This would be great for estate planning, married couples, aging parents, and really anyone who wants to make sure their assests are taken care of.

Here’s a video clip from a news station in Boston if you’d like to learn more.

I had to write a blog about this product because my mind is absolutely REELING with possibilities for it, but Idea Paint is a great new product that turns any surface into a whiteboard! Think chalkboard paint, only better.

For about $99, you can cover a 25 sq ft area and the possibilities are endless – office & home office environments, restaurants, old chalkboards, storage containers, kid’s playroom walls, kindergartens, day care facilities, public libraries, hospitals, use it on doors, family “communication stations” and drop zones, furniture, dorm rooms, retail stores, artist studios, conference rooms, lobbies, artist studios, signage…..the list goes on. Apply some wall decals or stencils and get a funky and more decorative look like in this photo. Their new water-based product comes in 10 colors so you’re not tied to only white.

Just think of all the paper piles, scraps, post-it notes and backs of napkins that can be eliminated to keep spaces clear. Got a camera phone? Take a photo of your whiteboard notes so you can take the ideas with you.

Let me know if you try it out!

Great article on MSN about recycling batteries.

And here’s a quick summary from the Environmental Health & Safety Online about how to dispose of specific batteries:

Scummy showers are no fun for anyone — not to bathe in and certainly not to clean. And if you have tile, glass, or fiberglass, you can spend hours cleaning grout or getting the grime out of those tiny crannies in the shower or tub floor. It’s not only time-consuming, but the harsh chemicals on the market to clean tubs and showers can cause you more harm than good.

So try my 2 favorite products — I cleaned my shower ONE TIME and it’s still sparkling one month later! What a time-saver!

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: For just over $1 a sponge (and they're reusable), you can use one to scrub the shower one time. It pills the scum away -- just wipe the surface until it feels smooth to the touch. Depending on how bad your shower is, this might take 5-15 minutes. If you have a stand up shower stall, it's easier to do if you scrub the shower while you're in it with the water running so all the grime goes right now the drain. I used to wipe mine clean after each shower in about 30 seconds, but I don't even have to do that anymore thanks to the next product....

Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner: Purchase the starter kit, insert the batteries, drop in the cleaning solution, and hang from your showerhead or a suction hook mounted on your shower wall. After you shower, press the button and it'll give you 15 seconds before it sprays, so you have time to quickly towel off and step out. The spray head pivots 360 degrees AND up and down, so it gets high, medium, and low areas of the shower. If you opt not to clean your shower first, this product will melt goo build up in about 2 weeks on its own. Either way, you'll have a sparkling shower with absolutely no effort. (Walmart is the cheapest price I've seen for $12.95)

And in the {edited} words of Scarlett O’Hara, “With God as my witness, I shall never {clean showers} again!”

Which way should my fan rotate to cool me in the summer and warm me in the winter? Sounds like a black and white question, but apparantly there’s some debate about this. So I ran my own tests and here’s the verdict (which matches Bob Vila’s by the way):

Summer: Counter-Clockwise.
Winter: Clockwise.

The counter-clockwise (summer) motion pushes air down on you and makes you feel cooler. The clockwise (winter) setting pulls cool air upwards and circulates warm air down on the room’s periphery.

So how do you change your setting? Most fans have a small square nub switch on the hub that holds the lights below the blades. It can either switch left to right or up and down depending on your manufacturer. Be sure the fan is off and the blades have stopped rotating before you change its direction, and it’s advisable to clean your fan blades while you’re up there. If they’re dirty, be prepared for dust bunnies to be blown down on you and then you’ll have a big mess to clean up. A quick wipe with a damp cloth on the top and sides of the blades should do it.

Switch settings twice a year, and according to Bob Vila, you can expect a 10-15% savings on your heating bill, and save up to 40% off your cooling bill in the summer.

Heard about this cool little gadget? The Eye-Fi Wireless memory card for digital cameras eliminates the need for cables to download images to your computer! Retails between $60-80. No more cables to lose or clutter your desk! Pass it on!

I often hear from my clients that they’re severly overwhelmed and feel like they’re doing everything themselves with no help from other family members. Personally, I believe that if people are old enough to help make a mess, they’re old enough to clean it up, and running a household requires “all hands on deck.” In most cases, I don’t think that the household chores are maliciously neglected, but that the family doesn’t fully understand how not doing the chores are making my clients feel, don’t realize that they need help, or don’t specifically know to help.

So what’s needed here is a little communication, with an emphasis on how things are communicated being of utmost importance.

Step 1: Warm up. Everyone’s busy, so set the scene by letting your family know you have something important you’d like to discuss and schedule a time.

Step 2: During the discussion, calmly explain what isn’t working, how it makes you feel, and if/how it affects others and why this is important. Pinpoint the areas you feel need the most attention.

Step 3: Ask for help. They may not know that you even need it.

Step 4: Be specific. Instead of saying, “clean the kitchen,” say “Sweep the floor, bleach the counters, and load and run the dishwasher each night after dinner.”

Step 5: Create task lists. Create a list with each of your familiy members with tasks they prefer doing. For tasks that no one likes, rotate them between family members to keep it fair.

Step 6: Define what the end result will look like. If there’s a certain way you like things done, show them. The goal here is to be on the same page about what the end result will look like so you’re not disappointed and they’re not criticized when helping.

Step 7: Schedule it. Ask your family to schedule times they feel they can get things done to prevent nagging. Then ask them how they’d like you to handle it if they don’t carry through, like identifying special phrases you can say that will spur them to action without causing anger or resentment on either side.

Step 8: Offer praise and show appreciation. When the task is finished, always say thank you and let the other person know why their help was important to you and the impact is has on the whole family. Make a family fun list to reward yourselves for jobs well done.