Blaire Davidson has made a career out of turning chaos into order. As owner of Jupiter-based professional organizing service The Neat Method, it’s her job (and her passion) to help families convert clutter-covered homes into carefully categorized systems. Kitchens, closets, garages, you name it; Davidson has a plan to help you tackle and tame it. “We identify what the pain points are,” she says. “Then we categorize, sort, and edit, and create systems when we put things back.”
Davidson admits that she encounters some repeat pitfalls that customers make. Luckily, she also has sage advice for folks trying to get organized and avoid those pitfalls. First, she says: think small. “Start with one drawer,” Davidson advises. “Maybe just go through your sock drawer and make sure you have all matching socks.” Then, create categories and focus on one at a time. “Rather than tackle your whole closet, start with your jeans,” she says. “Do they still fit? Are they still in style?” If the answer is “no,” Davidson advises to donate or consign them to make room for the jeans that are still the right size and look.
In the kitchen, she says redundancy is a common issue. “You would be surprised how many people have three can openers or seven lemon squeezers,” she says. “Get rid of duplicates that are clogging up your kitchen.” In the garage, Davidson suggests purging rusty tools, batteries gone bad, and dried out paint, caulk, and other materials. “I ask people, ‘When was the last time a contractor showed up to fix your bathroom without caulk?’”
If this all sounds great—but in reality you’re the type of person who pines over parting with things—Davidson has a strategy for you. “If people are not ready to let go of things, we bin those things and hold them somewhere,” she says. “My rule is this: if you haven’t touched it in six months, it’s probably time to let it go.”
Once your home is clutter-free and organized, Davidson says that staying organized won’t just come naturally. Instead, it requires the right systems to be put in place. “You have to have categories and labels. That is the key to any sustainable system,” says Davidson, adding that categorizing by color can be a strong strategy. She encourages people to invest in a label maker and put labels on drawers, cupboards, and shelves to identify what goes where. “It just helps everyone in the home to know where things go.”
That kind of everything-in-its-place system can lead to real peace of mind, Davidson notes. “People are constantly writing me and saying that clearing the clutter has done so much for their mental health. In a small way—by not having so much mess around and giving people systems to keep them more efficient—we help people with issues like stress and anxiety.”
Clutter Busters
Check out Davidson’s favorite organizing products for getting messy homes into marching order.
Risers: Put spices and canned goods on tiered levels. “I call these stadium seating for cans,” says Davidson. “They keep things in eyesight.”
Turntables/Lazy Susans: Maximize cabinet spaces with these rotating platforms and get easy access to food, supplies, and personal products.
Drawer Inserts: Corral loose items in junk drawers and other cluttered drawers. “This is the best facelift for any drawer,” says Davidson.
Drawer Dividers: Create boundaries in any drawer to keep food, utensils, clothing, and more in their place.
Labels: Ensure things go back where they belong. “If you can read, you can put it away,” Davidson counsels.
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