Tara and I met at a women’s business owners gathering. Introducing myself to the group as a professional organizer, she seemed interested, though was a bit tentative. Her pantry could use some help, but would be a challenge. The microwave and toaster oven were in it, since she prefers to keep the kitchen counters clear.
She works full-time, Monday through Friday. Would I be available on weekends? Sure! We scheduled a Saturday morning session. Her husband and daughter were both gone, so we could concentrate without interruptions; that is, except from the family dog, who wanted occasional attention.
What first? She wanted to clear and organize a storage unit hung on the pantry door. It had become an easy “dumping ground” for a wide variety of items. I suggested that we work top-to-bottom, reserving the “most valuable real estate” – the area at eye level and most easily reached – for the items used most.
At the top, we grouped together shoe polishes, glue, batteries and chargers. On the shelves below, small tools, sewing supplies, dog treats, tape and lint remover, cleaning supplies. We started a box for the basement. To use our time together well, later on she would go through three containers with pencils and pens, keeping those still useful and tossing the others.
Inside the pantry, we pulled out reusable bags, including those that she and her husband keep in their cars for grocery shopping. We hung mops and brooms from hooks that were already installed. (Yay!) We grouped drinks, cleaning supplies, dog food and treats next to bird seed. We hung fly swatters and a dog “rake,” for smoothing fur.
The pantry transformed, with “chaos to calm,” Tara showed me the basement and garage, which will be future projects, when the weather will be warmer.
About De-clutter Me!
De-clutter Me! offers non-judgmental, competitively-priced and confidential assistance to help clear clutter in your home and/or business. We’ve been changing chaos to calm since 2013.