Monday, July 9, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Myths About Professional Organizers
By
Julie Riber
There are many myths surrounding what professional organizers
actually do when they are working with a client. Some people think we go
in and tell clients they must get rid of all their items and keep only
the bare minimum. Some think that organizers are just expensive cleaning
people. Others think we do it all while the client is gone and then the
client is required to keep it up with no instruction.
The most important item to remember about professional organizers is that they are not there to judge you or your clutter. They are there to help you in any possible way they can. We are there to transfer our skill of organizing onto you.
Starting with the first myth. Professional organizers never tell a client they must throw out anything. We are there to ask the right questions, find out the story on the items, and discuss the purpose of keeping certain belongings. We are sympathetic to the fact that going through so many belongings can be stressful, energy draining, and most of the time, hard. Since we are not emotional attached to all the items, we come in with a more objective view. We help our clients realize what is important to keep and why some belongings might not be. Once a client has gone through many of their personal items, they begin to see a pattern. For example, they realize they have 3 of the same peeler or 16 pairs of scissors in the house. Some have even said they did not like the item to begin with and cannot figure out why they bought more. To some they find humor in how much they have kept and realize they do not want all these items taking up valuable space. To others it is a long process of letting go of personal items they have kept for many years. They tell us the story as to why they kept it and discover it is really not that great of a story or sometimes they cannot remember the story. The longer we work with our clients, the more comfortable they become donating or tossing items. Organizers give that comfort and reassurance as the client lets go of the clutter that is restricting them from living stress free.
The next myth is just that, a myth. Professional organizers are not expensive cleaning people. Professional organizers do not carry around vacuum cleaners and cleaning supplies. Most have power tools if they install closet systems and all professional organizers have a labeler. We are there to clear the clutter and find systems that will assist you in keeping it organized. Professional organizers do not provide a consistent cleaning service. We do provide follow up visits for clients.
Lastly, professional organizers work directly with their clients when clearing clutter. It is rare that someone would want to keep all the clutter and just get it organized. Most clients know before they even call an organizer that they will be donating and throwing out much of their clutter. Professional organizers help individuals find systems that will assist them in keeping their spaces organized. We teach our clients to see the root of their clutter problem, how to get the clutter out, and how to stay that way. If I came in and organized your space and left, how would you know where anything was and how to keep it that way so you were not back in the same situation in a few months?
The most important item to remember about professional organizers is that they are not there to judge you or your clutter. They are there to help you in any possible way they can. We are there to transfer our skill of organizing onto you.
Starting with the first myth. Professional organizers never tell a client they must throw out anything. We are there to ask the right questions, find out the story on the items, and discuss the purpose of keeping certain belongings. We are sympathetic to the fact that going through so many belongings can be stressful, energy draining, and most of the time, hard. Since we are not emotional attached to all the items, we come in with a more objective view. We help our clients realize what is important to keep and why some belongings might not be. Once a client has gone through many of their personal items, they begin to see a pattern. For example, they realize they have 3 of the same peeler or 16 pairs of scissors in the house. Some have even said they did not like the item to begin with and cannot figure out why they bought more. To some they find humor in how much they have kept and realize they do not want all these items taking up valuable space. To others it is a long process of letting go of personal items they have kept for many years. They tell us the story as to why they kept it and discover it is really not that great of a story or sometimes they cannot remember the story. The longer we work with our clients, the more comfortable they become donating or tossing items. Organizers give that comfort and reassurance as the client lets go of the clutter that is restricting them from living stress free.
The next myth is just that, a myth. Professional organizers are not expensive cleaning people. Professional organizers do not carry around vacuum cleaners and cleaning supplies. Most have power tools if they install closet systems and all professional organizers have a labeler. We are there to clear the clutter and find systems that will assist you in keeping it organized. Professional organizers do not provide a consistent cleaning service. We do provide follow up visits for clients.
Lastly, professional organizers work directly with their clients when clearing clutter. It is rare that someone would want to keep all the clutter and just get it organized. Most clients know before they even call an organizer that they will be donating and throwing out much of their clutter. Professional organizers help individuals find systems that will assist them in keeping their spaces organized. We teach our clients to see the root of their clutter problem, how to get the clutter out, and how to stay that way. If I came in and organized your space and left, how would you know where anything was and how to keep it that way so you were not back in the same situation in a few months?
Julie Riber is a professional organizer in the central Ohio area.
She has been organizing homes and businesses for over 4 years. She is a
member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and
President of the Ohio Chapter of NAPO. http://www.transformare.net
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Riber
Spring Clutter Removal
By
Julie Riber
Every spring you plan on cleaning out all the closets, deep
cleaning the cupboards and maybe even having a garage sale to remove all
the clutter in the basement or garage. It seems like you never have the
time or the weather is so nice you would rather be outside. The kids
have started their spring sport programs with practices and games. Your
time is limited.
Spring cleaning can be accomplished if you follow a few tips and have it planned on your calendar. Try to schedule 2 hours or more on the weekends or during the week if time permits. Choose the area to clean based on the weather. When it is 70 degrees or above and sunny out, clean out the garage. You will want to take most items out to spray out the salt and chemicals that have accumulated on your garage floor over the winter. Tracking those in the house is bad on any type of flooring you have. Install some shelving units to get items off the floor. Thinking vertically will allow you to remove more items off the floor. The wall space in the garage is the most under utilized. Make use of it and remove the clutter.
Spring cleaning also includes the yard, such as the leaves that you missed on the last rake. Many leaves end up under the bushes, get those out on the nice spring days. Review your perennial plants to see if they survived the winter. Give them until the first of June to bloom in case they are late bloomers.
Save the rainy April days for the closets and the basement. If you have children, choose a rainy April day to go through their wardrobe. Do not try to do it all in one sitting. Try on short sleeved shirts one day and shorts the next. The warm weather happens gradually, so you have time as long as you do not have to donate all their clothes from last year. Make a list of items they will need and then on sale days, go out a buy them.
Your wardrobe should also be examined. Decide what you wore last year and what you did not. Styles change for the stores as well as for you. Most people do not wear in their forties what they wore in their twenties. Decide on what you like and keep items you will really wear. Maybe you changed careers and your current job is more casual. Keep only the dress items that are classic, not trends. Some colors are trendy too. Keep the basics such as black, brown, and navy.
Shoes change too, so donate those clumpy shoes. Look at the top of your closet. Is there space that is not being utilized above the top shelf? If so, consider storing sweaters in cloth containers over the winter. Individual stacking shelves can be purchased to extend this area and to store those winter clothes on. If you have an older closet with just one rod, consider buying an attachable rod to separate shirts and pants. This will double your space and leave your clothes looking nicer than when they are all jammed in a small space. Get shoe racks that can be stacked but that are also sturdy. This will remove more items off the floor.
Look through the coat closet and decide what coats are no longer needed. Maybe your child barely fit into it at the end of the season. Put it in a bag or container to sell in the autumn along with the clothes they grew out of. Throw out any gloves that no longer have matches and hats that no longer fit.
If you tackle a space at a time, it will get done and seem less daunting then tackling the entire project over one weekend.
Spring cleaning can be accomplished if you follow a few tips and have it planned on your calendar. Try to schedule 2 hours or more on the weekends or during the week if time permits. Choose the area to clean based on the weather. When it is 70 degrees or above and sunny out, clean out the garage. You will want to take most items out to spray out the salt and chemicals that have accumulated on your garage floor over the winter. Tracking those in the house is bad on any type of flooring you have. Install some shelving units to get items off the floor. Thinking vertically will allow you to remove more items off the floor. The wall space in the garage is the most under utilized. Make use of it and remove the clutter.
Spring cleaning also includes the yard, such as the leaves that you missed on the last rake. Many leaves end up under the bushes, get those out on the nice spring days. Review your perennial plants to see if they survived the winter. Give them until the first of June to bloom in case they are late bloomers.
Save the rainy April days for the closets and the basement. If you have children, choose a rainy April day to go through their wardrobe. Do not try to do it all in one sitting. Try on short sleeved shirts one day and shorts the next. The warm weather happens gradually, so you have time as long as you do not have to donate all their clothes from last year. Make a list of items they will need and then on sale days, go out a buy them.
Your wardrobe should also be examined. Decide what you wore last year and what you did not. Styles change for the stores as well as for you. Most people do not wear in their forties what they wore in their twenties. Decide on what you like and keep items you will really wear. Maybe you changed careers and your current job is more casual. Keep only the dress items that are classic, not trends. Some colors are trendy too. Keep the basics such as black, brown, and navy.
Shoes change too, so donate those clumpy shoes. Look at the top of your closet. Is there space that is not being utilized above the top shelf? If so, consider storing sweaters in cloth containers over the winter. Individual stacking shelves can be purchased to extend this area and to store those winter clothes on. If you have an older closet with just one rod, consider buying an attachable rod to separate shirts and pants. This will double your space and leave your clothes looking nicer than when they are all jammed in a small space. Get shoe racks that can be stacked but that are also sturdy. This will remove more items off the floor.
Look through the coat closet and decide what coats are no longer needed. Maybe your child barely fit into it at the end of the season. Put it in a bag or container to sell in the autumn along with the clothes they grew out of. Throw out any gloves that no longer have matches and hats that no longer fit.
If you tackle a space at a time, it will get done and seem less daunting then tackling the entire project over one weekend.
Julie Riber is a professional organizer in the central Ohio area.
She has been organizing homes and businesses for over 4 years. She is a
member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and
President of the Ohio Chapter of NAPO. http://www.transformare.net
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Riber
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