Home Organization Tips From A Professional Organizer

We all want to live a simpler, clutter-free life, and deep down we know it would make us happier—or, in the vernacular of Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo, it would “spark joy.”

Trimming down items in your clothes closet, cleaning out the kitchen catchall drawer, tackling everything that has accumulated in the garage—it’s all on the perpetual “honey-do” list. The hardest part is getting started.

Juliana Daurio, owner of Orlando Home Organizer, has been motivating and guiding her clients to declutter and simplify their lives for more than eight years. When Daurio first started her business, few people understood the concept of professional organization.

Over the years, “professional organizing has become very popular thanks to the Marie Kondo Method and the interest in Swedish Death Cleaning,” Daurio says. “These methods are excellent starting points; however some projects require more emotional support or physical help.” This is when it’s time to call a professional organizer.

“The most important tip I give my clients is to start with a small area,” Daurio says. “Do it little by little” so you can have a sense of accomplishment and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

You’ll want to have several boxes or bins handy to store the items you want to keep but don’t use every day, as well as black trash bags for things to donate and white ones for garbage. Daurio advises against buying new containers and organizational items until after you declutter. “Most of the time, clients already have them around the house, but they aren’t using them correctly,” she says.

A good place to begin is the bedroom closet. As you take out each piece of clothing, ask yourself, “Do I really like this? When was the last time I wore it? Why am I still holding on to it?” Daurio says, “These questions will help you make the decision to keep it or let it go.”

The same concept applies to other areas of your home. If you find items that don’t belong in a certain area—such as a child’s toy in the kitchen—set it aside and deal with it later. “Most people have a tendency to go to another room, get distracted and start another organizing project when they should focus on one project in one room at a time,” Daurio says.

Longwood resident and owner of a digital marketing agency, Christy Roman needed help organizing her home and her life. She hired Daurio, who put Roman’s entire house in order. “It relieved my stress,” Roman says. “Now I have her come once a quarter and do a spring cleaning.”

There are benefits to working with a professional organizer, says Daurio, rather than taking the DIY approach. “The decluttering process is much faster. We take out items and display everything in front of you. Once you make decisions on what to keep, we organize it and create a system that helps keep you organized.”

Once Daurio has done her job, she asks her clients see if they can maintain things in an orderly fashion. If not, “make changes that adjust to your daily life routines. Everything should have a designated place. Being an organized person means creating habits that are easy to follow.”