5 Professional Organizers Share Their Best Tips for Messy People
Getting your sh*t together is one thing. And then staying organized is another — especially when you’re a self-proclaimed “messy” person. Luckily, we know some amazing professional organizers to call upon for help. We hit up five of our favorite pro-organizers for the number-one piece of advice they’d give “messy people” looking to get their homes — and lives — in order, and here’s what they had to share.
1. Lisa Ruff, The Neat Method
“Being organized is a habit, not a one-time event. So don’t get discouraged if you have to periodically touch-up areas. If your system is done well in the first place, it should only take a few minutes to get things back into shape or incorporate new items.”
2. Samantha Pregenzer, Simply Organized
Her tip: Start slow and celebrate often.
“Start small, slow, and smart. Whether you start with a single junk drawer or work surface: start small, take it to completion, and then celebrate your success! Even the most disorganized clients I work with get highly motivated as they see those first few spaces get organized.”
His tip: Give everything a home.
“Assign every important item in your life a ‘home’ and then put everything back in its home by the end of the day. Get out of your head and into action and you’ll find that getting and staying organized is simple and surprisingly easy.”
4. Ashley Izsak, Calmly and Chaotic
Her tip: Think ahead to what’s next.
“Always be thinking ahead and picking up. Think about your evening ahead: Netflix, sofa, a glass of wine, and most importantly, no toys, laundry, unopened mail to worry about. If you pick up after yourself as you go, there won’t be a mountain of work left at the end of the day.”
5. Sharon Lowenheim, The Organizing Goddess
Her tip: Take a few minutes each day to tidy.
“Take 10 minutes at the end of each day to restore order by putting away anything you have taken out during the day. Return clean clothes to the closet and put dirty clothes in the hamper. Wash any dishes you have used, or put them in the dishwasher. Recycle or file any papers that have come in. Throw away or recycle receipts, empty packages, and shopping bags. By taking the time to do this every evening, you will prevent things from getting messier in the long run!”
This story originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: 5 Professional Organizers Share Their #1 Tip for Messy People