SUFFOLK, Va. – Especially for New Year 2021, many people are sure to have organizing at the top of their resolution list. With many spending quarantine inside, they may find their home needs some redecorating or decluttering.
Professional organizers can help. Maura Zimmerman, owner of Home Sweet Home Organizer, says she normally works at a client’s home; however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s added virtual sessions where she can see the person’s room and talk them through the sorting process. She stressed that she always keeps the client involved.
“I do not make decisions for anyone as to what they keep or how they keep it,” said Zimmerman.
She calls clutter “visual pollution” and described the feeling when she organizes.
“When I can make order out of a disordered scenario, that just feels good, feels comforting,” Zimmerman explained.
Sometimes new clients are a bit nervous or embarrassed at first, but she says she makes no judgment, and they quickly relax.
Here are a few tips she offered for various parts of the home:
Kitchen: Store everything you need for one task, together. For example, have all coffee supplies right above the coffee maker.
Bedroom closet: Keep like items together. Have a section for long-sleeved shirts and another for short sleeved shirts. The same goes for pants and shorts. Also, keep empty hangers in one spot.
Foyer: Always set keys or purse in the same area. This will help save time from searching for these items which is a major problem for many of her clients.
As the owner of Home Sweet Home Organizer, she also suggests working together if more than one person is in the household.
“If you don’t live alone, you must get buy-in from your partner. Trust me. I’ve seen it happen. You don’t want to go there.”
Before rushing out to buy organizing tools, Zimmerman said it’s important to sort and purge first.
Home Sweet Home Organizer says it works with a lot of clients who have experienced a loss of some type, and that could be hindering them from taking the next steps. The loss may be a death of a family member or that of a pet, a job loss, or a divorce. "Empty Nesters" also find themselves struggling, according to Zimmerman.
“It’s either been something that happened 15 years ago or something that happened six months ago. It doesn’t matter, because we all deal with loss differently,” Zimmerman explained.
She added that having help from someone who's objective can be easier.
"Because of the lack of intimate knowledge between myself and my client, there’s no baggage.”
For more information on Home Sweet Home Organizer or the support group, Organizing Through Loss, click here.
