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Sunday, April 14, 2002

Tips compiled by Post-Gazette Staff Writer Bob Batz Jr.

Here are a few spring cleaning tips from members of the Pittsburgh Professional Organizers, most of whom offer free half- or one-hour first consultations.

We get 80 percent use out of 20 percent of our belongings. My advice is, if you haven't used it, worn it or enjoyed it in the past year ... get rid of it.

-- Jodi Eisner, Method to the Madness, McCandless

Now is a good time to schedule a family wardrobe check. If you have the time, let each person choose his or her favorite color -- anything that makes them happy -- and paint the inside of each closet. This forces you to empty out the closet and give it a fresh start. Even if you don't have time to paint, remove everything, scrub the closet and sort through everything. (The hardest part is getting the kids to try on clothes.) Donate or dump any clothes that are outdated, unflattering or worn out.

-- Donna Rossa, Space Solutions, Brookline

Clean each room clockwise. 1. You know where to start. 2. It's easy to see your accomplishments. 3. It's easy to start up again. 4. You know when the room is complete.

-- Dennis Snedden, Time Management Services, Carnegie

Keep a donation box going at all times. This is for more than Goodwill items. This is a place for hand-me-downs and consignable items as well. You can keep the box out of sight -- in the laundry room, the garage -- but make sure the whole family is aware of it and contributes to it consistently. Sometimes it is easier for kids to think of it as the "present box."

Make a rule in your house: When something comes in, a similar item goes out. It is important to keep thing moving through your life so that you don't get stuck.

-- Leslie McKee, Organize ME, Mt. Lebanon

For organizing a clothes closet: Separate clothes worn as "grubbies" from the nicer clothes. Most people discover that they have more grubbies than they can ever wear. Choose a few items for around-the-house jobs and pitch the rest to make room in the closet. Store grubbies in a separate section, drawer or shelf.

-- Donna Hrezo, I Love 2 Organize, Steubenville, Ohio

One of the biggest drawbacks of making a new file is gathering the supplies. They disappear, they never seem to be within reach, or they are never in the same place twice. Here's a great idea:

1. If you are using hanging file folders, take one or two boxes of them -- or if you are using multiple colors, take five to 10 folders of each color -- and hang them in a drawer that is empty or has enough space to house 25 to 50 hanging folders.

2. Place a manila (insert) folder inside each hanging folder.

3. Drop a plastic tab inside of each manila folder. This will ultimately be placed on the hanging folder.

4. Drop a white paper tab into the manila folder as well. This is the little perforated tab that comes with the box of hanging folders that you write on or place your label on.

Ta-da! You now have 25 to 50 packages of filing supplies. If you need to make a new file (something that is easy to avoid if you don't have the tools handy), just grab a hanging folder and you have the whole kit and caboodle there in your hand!

-- Patty Kreamer, Kreamer Connect, Scott

If you really feel overwhelmed, just start in one room, or one closet or even one drawer. Make decisions one item at a time: If you pick it up, do something with it. Don't put it down unless you've decided it's going to be trashed, filed or put somewhere else.

-- Mary Jane Call, M.J. Call Professional Organizer, Ross, who also suggests being prepared: She wears a carpenter's apron with useful organizing tools including rubber bands, a rag, a marker, etc.

*Gather one item from each room of your house for donation to a shelter.

-- Madeleine Hershey, the Space Queen, Swissvale

*Decide on the specific job or task you want to tackle. Divide it into 10 steps that it would take to accomplish the job. Begin with tasks that would require 10 to 15 minutes and work your way up. The job is done before you know it.

-- Doria Savisky, Organize Your World, Squirrel Hill, who adds this idea: Set up a "grab box" of things (such as books or exercise weights) you don't want anymore by the entry. Ask guests to help themselves.

Once you eliminate the unnecessary items from your life, the next step is to contain what you have:

1. Everything you own has a place or a "home" (think forks in a silverware drawer).

2. Contain similar categories to one home. (Think of it this way: "If I were a blank, where would I be and whom would I be hanging out with?")

3. Too many containers actually defeats the purpose -- they become clutter.

-- Deirdra Makowiecki, MAKK Strategies, Brookline