Real Simple - Real Simple Clutter-Free Home

CLUTTER-FREE HOME

ONE MORE THING

KEEP IT NEAT

The golden rule of a tidy house is to put your things away when you are done with them. If you create a place for everything to live in your house, and you put it all away when youre done, you will have significantly decluttered your space.

MICHELE VIG, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTY BALDWIN

Real Simple Clutter-Free Home (ISSN 1528-1701), 2021. Real Simple Clutter-Free Home is published once a year in June by Meredith Corp., 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. Meredith Corp. 2021. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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YOUR CLUTTER, YOUR SELF

WHATS YOUR ORGANIZING PERSONALITY?

Get to know your habits and discover surefire strategies to eliminate clutter once and for all.

BY BRIAN KRAMER & DEBORAH CABRAL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAY WILDE

Dont worry if two organizing personalities resonate while youre trying to find your match. Many people are a mix of two and benefit from twice as many solutions.

CLUTTER IS PERSONAL. Those pesky piles that linger around your home are piles that you (or someone in your family) created as you went about the business of working, cooking, playing, and living. And the way you feel when you stumble over shoes dumped by the back door or attempt to work at your messy deskarghis just as personal.

Although your messes may be personal, theyre not unique. In fact, your habits would likely categorize you as one of four distinct organizing personalities: Tidy, Social, Multitasking, or Visual, says Deborah Cabral, a professional organizer and founder of The DeClutter Coach. When we first visit new clients homes, were paying attention to their personalities and preferences as much as their clutter, Cabral says. She and her team have a wealth of clutter-busting strategies they can share with clients, but some great techniques simply dont work for some people.

Success looks a little different for each organizing type. But the big goal is always to have a home where you can find what you need with minimal effort, Cabral says.

A professional organizer can help you pinpoint your personality, or you can start the process yourself by reading through the four profiles beginning . When you find one that resonates, dig deeper to learn techniques to overcome your most common obstacles and stay motivated. Dont be surprised if you find yourself connecting with more than one type. Most people are a combo of two types or have a primary and secondary type. Youre a mix of characteristics, and youll be most successful with a mix of solutions, Cabral says.

Remember to consider the other personalities that share your home. Spouses and partners are often different types. Children are not only frequently different from their parents, but also still developing psychologically, which means that for a month a kid might be one type, then suddenly transition to another.

Whatever the types in your life, Cabral cautions about labeling family members. No one type is messier than another; theyre just different, she says. The key is to recognize your types, acknowledge your differences, and circle back to that big goal. A home where you can find what you need with minimal effort is one where no one has to change personalities and everyone takes a step to the middle.

TIDY TRISH

Relationship to clutter

Your clutter is often situational. A specific unexpected event, such as a promotion or a personal trauma, results in too much on your plate.

Characteristics

Need to have a place for everything and everything in its place.

Supermomor at least other parents think so.

Often have an immaculate home, along with a few dirty little secrets.

Thrive on structure, order, details, and efficiency.

Manage multiple projects and deadlines well.

Roadblock

Perfectionism. Aim for a home thats good, comfortable, and efficient. Getting everything in its place is achievable, but allow yourself a little dust.

Ideal organizing plan

Listen to others ideas and draft your own best plan. Include bullets or check boxes so you can mark off completed items.

Fast first projects

GO THROUGH FILES; make them effective and efficient by carefully sorting papers and labeling folders.

SORT all pantry goods, placing oldest items in front. Establish a weekly plan for shopping and meal prep.

ROTATE seasonal clothing in one persons closet, assessing whether items need to be donated, repaired, or replaced.

How to stay motivated

WRITE DOWN SPECIFIC GOALS. To help them succeed, tidy people have to know exactly what they want to do with a space.

BREAK BIG PROJECTS into bits. Identify what you want to do with a closet, then each shelf, and finally every bin.

ASSIGN target due dates. You can always revise them, but you must have a goal to work toward.

Optimal organizing tools

Daily planner and official to-do list (either handwritten or digital)

Dry-erase memo board and family calendar

Targeted digital apps

Drawer and shelf dividers and sorters

Shopping tip

Tidy people can go overboard when acquiring new tools. Before you shop, stop to evaluate your needs and available supplies. You probably have perfectly fine items on hand that you can reuse.

SOCIAL SALLY

Relationship to clutter

You see clutter as your best friend. Your many personal items have special stories and meanings that make you feel safe and comfortable.

Characteristics

Passionate about heirlooms, collections, and mementos.

Happiest when surrounded by personal items.

Sentimental and personable.

Feel emotionally connected to items.

Even if youve never used it, you truly believe youll need the item someday.

Roadblock

Indecision. Gently force yourself to make choices by classifying items as friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Give prime storage to friends and let go of strangers.