Professional Organizer Organizing Tips Online Organizer Organize Your Life Clutter Control Office Organizing Organizing Clutter Unclutter

You know those closets and drawers and cupboards that are so full, they won’t quite close?  It turns out they could be bad for your health:  Every time you look around and feel anxious that the mess is getting out of hand, your body releases cortisol, one of the classic stress hormones, says Steven Maier, PhD, a neuroscience professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The Kitchen
Purging:  Even Emeril doesn’t need six spatulas and four whisks; two of each will do, so start by tossing extras.  While you’re at it, check expiration dates on foodstuffs and pitch anything that’s past its prime.  Next, tackle seldom-used appliances like cappuccino and bread makers.  “Those things don’t need to live in the kitchen,” says Ellen Kosloff, senior professional organizer at TaskMasters New York. 
Prevention:  The number one rule:  Keep the counters clear.  “Counter space is only for items you use daily,” says Barry Izsak, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers.  “Everything else can be stored in a cabinet or pantry.”

The Clothes Closet
Purging:  “Remember that 80 percent of the time, we wear only 20 percent of our clothes,” says Chris Mckenry of Get It Together LA.  So go through your wardrobe and jettison anything that’s one of the four S’s:  stretched, small, smelly (ew!), or stained (sure you could clean the stained and smelly pieces, but the idea is to let things go).  Another great tip:  Turn all your hangers in one direction, and for the next six months, flip the hanger (and leave it flipped) when you wear something.  Donate the untouched clothes.
Prevention:  “The rule of thumb, says Iszak, “is that when something new comes in, at least one thing---preferable two---must go.  And be realistic.  If you’re a size 10, hold on to the 8s but not the 6s.”

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