Get Organized – Tips from a Professional Organizer

The following is a reprint of a previously published post – but it’s as pertinent today as it was a year ago.

 GET ORGANIZED WITH THESE TIPS FROM CRYSTAL SABALASKE, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER

I don’t know about you but I am an extremely organized person. I hate clutter. I clean up  the dinner dishes before my family is even finished eating from them; I sort, fold and put away my freshly laundered socks the moment the dryer finishes its cycle and twice a year I go through my medicine chest and discard expired OTC and prescription medications. My drawers are neat; my clothing, always seasonally appropriate, hangs on matching hangers that are grouped by type first and then by color. To have something out of place makes me the tiniest bit insane, although I succumb to the need for a kitchen junk drawer. Or two.

But while my home itself is the picture of organized perfection, the places you don’t see – the attic, basement storage and parts of my garage need serious attention. I consider these parts of the house to be my husband’s – and I refuse to go near them. No matter how much I nag – and I hate to nag – my husband always has a reason not to attend to the cans of half empty paint that haven’t been used to color our walls in a dozen years or the collection of lawn tools we haven’t used since moving to this house. It’ll get done, I think. When we downsize and move. In the meantime, I shut doors, close my eyes and wait. What else can I do?

And then I think about hiring a professional organizer …

Haven’t you always wondered just what it is they do or who could benefit from using a professional organizer? I know I have. So I contacted Crystal Sabalaske, owner of Cluttershrink, a professional organizing service, in Bucks County, PA and I asked her. Crystal has been a professional organizer for eleven years. She’s been featured in numerous regional publications, has appeared on local television shows and was spotlighted on the now defunct HGTV show, Mission: Organization. (They should bring it back, imo. Write letters, if you agree with me.)

Here’s my interview with Crystal Sabalaske:

EverBeautiful: Why or when should someone hire a professional organizer?

Crystal Sabalaske: When they get to the point where they’re feeling overwhelmed. When they get to the point where they don’t know where to start. Or if there’s a life event, like a move, a new baby. People call me when there’s something like that going on or when they’re at their wits’ end. Some people just get to the point where there’s so much clutter they can’t function. They’ve bought every organizing product under the sun and they don’t know what to do with it. They get overwhelmed by either a life event or it builds up and they say, ‘I’m buried.’

EB: What should someone look for when hiring a professional organizer?

CS: They should definitely look for somebody who has a personality that meshes with theirs. They should not just pick a name or location. They should talk to the organizer and make sure they get a good feeling. Price is always a factor. Another thing to consider is that some organizers are very hands on while others just walk in and tell you what to do but they don’t actually do it. And there are those who are in between. I’m very hands on. I come home with dust on my hands.

EB: How did you get into the business?

CS: I was working at a consulting firm in Philadelphia and I read an article in Philadelphia Magazine about a professional organizer. This was about eleven years ago. That kind of organizing sounded more fun than organizing data and events. I thought I could try it so I started volunteering organizing services after work hours. I’m not exactly sure how it happened but HGTV called me, asked me to submit proposals and I became one of their featured organizers on a show called Mission Organization. And then, once that happened, I got busy enough where I was able to quit my corporate job and here I am.

EB: What special skills are required to be a professional organizer?

CS: You have to have patience, the ability to make decisions. One of my main jobs is to help people make decisions – where to put things, whether or not to get rid of something, where to store it. You have to be logical. You need to be organized; you need to be able to multitask and think about the future. ‘If I convert this closet now will it serve my purpose when my child is two feet taller?’  You have to think about the future, not predict. it.

EB: I love the name of your company, Cluttershrink. Do you sometimes feel as if you have to be a psychologist?

CS: I feel that with some people there is a definite psychological aspect to having clutter. While I’m not trained to deal with that, I’m often faced with it. The name is a play on words.

EB: Do you do homes or offices?

CS: We do homes, offices, relocations. I’ve done mostly local moves, downsizing. I come in, help the client pack up and then I go to the new location and unpack and organize.

EB: What is the first thing you do when you meet a new client?

CS: My first contact is usually over the phone. I stopped going to people’s homes to scout out jobs in advance. My first session is typically three hours. I ask for a tour of the entire home even if they say they have a problem only with their basement. I identify how they live, what kind of disorganization they have. People can either be there or not when I organize. I never throw anything away without permission. I will go through items that I think should be thrown away and put them in a box. I can make suggestions; I don’t force people to do anything. I come across resistance all the time. If they’re insistent on keeping something, it’s my goal to help them figure out where to store it. Whether they need me after the first session depends on how much hands-on assistance they need after developing a plan of action.

EB: Did you ever encounter a job you didn’t think you could tackle?

CS: I don’t think I’ve ever said no to a job, but I am very realistic about what I can do. I am honest with the client.  I had a potential client call me and say I need this done in two weeks and, at the time, with my schedule, it was impossible so I referred them to another organizer. I deal with the situation up front. I would sooner refer a job out than not be able to do it.

EB: What about hoarders?

CS: I have worked with a few hoarders. One of them was overwhelmed by the whole process. She realized she needed help, but when it came time to actually deal with it, she clearly wasn’t ready. And then there are other people who have made progress.

EB: What happens after you leave? Can clients call you for touchups?

CS: That largely depends on who it is. I have people I’ve been working with for ten years. We worked on one of my clients’ closets and then she moved. I helped her move. Now I do seasonal organizing for her. I have regulars like that and then I have regulars I see every week. Sometimes my job isn’t always about organizing. I’ve run errands. I’ve packed suitcases for trips. I’ve inventoried people’s jewelry. It depends on the family and their needs. I have some clients I see once and then don’t hear from again for years. People have a way of popping back up, but perhaps not for the reason I met with them initially.

EB: What does a professional organizer charge?

CS: In general, organizers charge between $50 to $150 an hour. Some organizers will charge by the project and some will charge by the hour. I offer it both ways.

EB: Is there a minimum number of hours that you charge for?

CS: Three hours. I’ve found that three hours is the perfect time to assess what’s needed and to do some serious work.

EB:  Can you offer any tips to EverBeautiful.com readers, say to organize a cosmetics drawer?

CS: First of all, know the shelf life for a particular product. Mascara, for example, should be discarded after four months. You can keep lipstick for up to two years or longer. Smell it. If it smells rancid, discard it. A lot of the problem is that people keep stuff. People should realize that product shelf lives are there for a purpose. Consider those and that will help you clear out your makeup drawer real quick. I don’t keep anything I don’t use regularly in my makeup bag. It’s stored somewhere else. If you need to have every product laid out for you, maybe you need a countertop organizer. It can be acrylic or a basket. People will buy organizing systems and try to fit their stuff into it without thinking about the system first. People waste a lot of money to make their stuff look pretty. Before figuring out what you need for your cosmetics, decide if you have counter space. Perhaps you just have a rod in a closet from which to hang an organizer with pockets. The point is to figure out how you’re going to use the organizing product before you decide to buy it.

EB: Any other tips?

CS: I customize what I do with my clients based on their needs. When it comes to organizing you have to see if it works for you. Everybody’s different. I have to be creative with my clients and figure out what will work for them. I’ll show up at someone’s house and they’ll have every organizer and it’s still not working. Organizing is a habit. It’s a skill but once you learn what you’re doing it becomes a habit.

EB: How do you organize kids?

CS: It’s a habit just like coming home from school and doing their homework before going out to play. When the wash is done, they have to put away their clothes. Children get used to seeing something a certain way. It’s reinforcement with kids. It’s show and tell and reinforcement.

EB: Any final words?

CS: Organizing is an ongoing process. It’s like laundry. You can’t expect to do it once and then everything will be fine. Staying organized requires constant updating.

For more information on professional organizing and for additional hints and tips, visit Crystal Sabalaske’s website at:  http://www.Cluttershrink.com. Or call her at 215.431.0590.