Spring Cleaning For the Office

For most of us, Spring Cleaning has come and gone and now that the house is in tip top condition for weekend BBQs and summer holiday parties. But what about the office? Whether it be at home or at work, our desks could probably use some Spring Cleaning of their own. Today, Lisa Zaslow, Founder and CEO of www.GothamOrganizers.com, gives the scoop on super easy tips that will help to save time, space, effort and even money when it comes to getting the office clean and organized.

Spring Cleaning for the Office
By Lisa Zaslow

You wouldn’t leave the house with a big blob of ketchup on your blouse, yet you probably spend hours each day in a workspace that has the equivalent of that ketchup stain somewhere. Working in a clean, neat office will make a very real difference in how you feel about your space and how others view it. It will inspire you to be more productive and get more done.

In the home, spring cleaning usually refers to heavy-duty chores like washing windows, cleaning carpets and serious dusting. What I have in mind for your office is a lot less labor-intensive, but the results can be just as dramatic.

Before you start, make sure you have a good cleaning product to work with. All my clients are familiar with one of my favorite things – a microfiber cleaning cloth. You can use them dry to dust, or dampen them to clean just about anything else. You can also use paper towels or rags and a spray cleaner like Fantastik. Or, biodegradable surface cleaning wipes.

Here are a few areas that are typically neglected, and where dirt, dust and crumbs tend to lurk.

Your computer. The keyboard is a great place to start. Look down – see the grime on the keys and the schmutz underneath? Yuck – your fingers touch that stuff every day. Unplug the keyboard and shake it over a trash can. Wipe down the keys with a cloth dampened with your preferred cleaning product. If you received one of those mini keyboard vacuums as a gift, this is the time to finally take it out of the box and put it to use. Now clean off your mouse. Turn it over – if it has a track ball, unscrew the back, take the ball out and clean it with a dry cloth. Use that can of compressed air that’s in the bottom of your supply drawer to get the dust out of the place that houses the trackball, or just blow on it. Next, clean off the monitor. You can usually see the dirt better when the monitor is off. If it’s glass, use your damp microfiber cloth or paper towel, wiping in one direction from the top of the screen to the bottom. For flat screens, follow the manufacturer’s instructions or just use a dry, soft, cotton cloth. Use a dry cloth to dust off the CPU, particularly around the drives and in the back. Dust the printer too.

The phone. Attack the handset and mouthpiece and clean off the base and keypad. Make sure you don’t dial China by mistake. If the cord is one big knot, stand up and hold the cord your hand and let the handset dangle and twirl around until it untangles itself.

Your desk. First take everything off. If you have an elaborate pile system going on, you can just recreate it on the floor, keeping everything in the same position. Now clean the surface, scraping off anything that’s become petrified. Put everything back. Of course if you now get the urge to organize, file and toss the old stuff, go for it! Do the same thing with the drawers. If you’ve got a drawer filled with old rubber bands, bent paperclips and more staples than you will use for the remainder of your working life, this is the time to toss! Gather up all the loose business cards and put them together in one place for now. Dealing with them is a project unto itself. Dust out all the pencil shavings and eraser remains.

Bookshelves. Dust. Need I say more? It only takes a minute or two. Do it. The Caldrea book brush has soft and stiff bristles for the hard-to-reach dust and also the nooks and crannies.

Piles of periodicals. If they are yellowed and dusty they are probably out of date. And you’re clearly not reading them. Go ahead and toss them. I give you permission!

Random things lurking in corners and under the desk– ancient rolls of wrapping paper, shopping bags, shoes that you forgot you had, mugs and caps that you hate … why not get rid of them? Spring is here – out with the old and in with the new. If you can’t bear the thought of throwing stuff away, stick it in a bag and mark it “Help Yourself” – put it in the cafeteria, the hallway or on the curb and someone will be happy to take it.

For extra credit you can vacuum the carpet and wipe down the window sills. And water that poor plant.

Start small: spend 15 minutes spiffing up the area that bugs you the most. Or that people make jokes about. Consider taking on a task a day until you’ve got a space you’d be proud to show to visitors. Enjoy working in a space that reflects your professionalism.

To get Lisa’s super-easy tips to save time, money, space and effort, visit www.GothamOrganizers.com.

Happy Organizing!

- Mrs. O

Follow me on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/mrsorganized

2 Comments April 28, 2009 on 12:07 am | In Uncategorized

What Should You Do With Your Stuff?

What do you do when you want to dispose of unwanted stuff, but can’t seem to part with it. Take the lead from my special guest, Lorie Marrero, and she will get you set up on a disposal plan that will get you organized in no time.
Create Your Own Disposal Plan

By Lorie Marrero

It’s springtime! You’ve opened up the windows and started getting into that spring cleaning mode. You’re all motivated to tackle the cluttered closets and other spaces that have nagged at you through the long winter. Great! However, one of the big mistakes that people make is jumping into an organizing project without first thinking through their strategy.

First, ask yourself some questions about who is using the space and what functions you’re trying to perform there. Have a strong understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish beyond just “cleaning up.”

Make sure you think through what you’re going to do with the items you don’t want. We have often seen people do a great organizing project yet have ugly piles still sitting around afterward for months because they didn’t make decisions about disposal.

Disposal doesn’t necessarily mean “trash.”  It includes donations, items to give to friends, recycling, and just plain trash. It’s a good idea to make a Disposal Plan as a future reference for you to follow as you tackle your organizing projects. When you’re finished organizing, you want to be free and clear of the debris as soon as possible so you can enjoy the results, and your Disposal Plan can make that happen.

Here are some guidelines for creating your own Disposal Plan:

Trash:
•    When are your normal curbside trash pickup days? Depending upon your needs, it may be beneficial to schedule your organizing projects around your pickup days.
•    What is the name and phone number of your waste disposal company?
•    When does your trash service pick up large items like mattresses?
•    Where in your community is the correct drop off location for hazardous waste such as paint and household chemicals?

Recycling:
•    What are my recycling service’s guidelines for accepting paper, plastics, steel cans, aluminum cans, and glass? Find out the specific types allowed.
•    What are the local recycling drop off locations and phone numbers?
•    What unusual things do you have to recycle?

Giving to Friends/Family:
•    List friends and family members to whom you might want to give some of your belongings, noting what kinds of things they might like to have.
•    Key question:  ARE YOU SURE they want these items?

Donations:
•    Note names, phone numbers, acceptable items, and pickup guidelines for at least two charitable organizations in your area.
•    When doing an organizing project, schedule a charity pickup in advance to help keep you accountable to getting your project finished!

Don’t know some of this information? Use friends, Google or the phone book to help you find out. Make sure you take action to get the information you need. Having these decisions made and this information handy can bring your organizing goals into reach much faster.

So as spring brings fresh colors and new styles, I hope Lorie’s expertise organization let’s bloom.

Happy Organizing!

-Mrs. O

Follow me on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/mrsorganized

No Comments April 22, 2009 on 11:52 pm | In Uncategorized

A Solution to the Dysfunction

If you have younger children with active imaginations and a playroom that is their own special place to explore and dream up wild adventures, you also have the mess and clean up that comes after wards. And while the playroom is meant to be a place where creativity can run free, it is also a place where the clutter can become overwhelming. Today our Mommy Expert, Stacey Crew, give you some great advice on how to “fun” into dysfunction…

Therapy for Your Child’s Playroom

by Stacey Crew

How many of us have a dysfunctional playroom? Raise your hand. For many of us, this is the messiest, most disorganized room in the house. Little ones take things out, don’t put them back where they belong, or worse, there’s no defined place to put the toys and little Lego® pieces that ultimately wind up underfoot and have you screaming for your Mommy when you accidentally step on them!

As a mommy organizing expert, I sometimes feel a bit like a therapist. I’m not one, but much of what I do is coach and lead women in the direction that is right for them. Creating the GOPACK® Method has certainly helped me in my efforts to teach people to simplify and organize, which is what I’ll introduce today as a solution to the dysfunction.

Step One: Zone Space
The first step in creating the ultimate functional playroom for your child is to zone the space. It’s as simple as how a kindergarten room is organized. Designate certain areas for specific types of play. For example, an Art Zone would contain perhaps an easel, chairs/table to fit your child, a small bookshelf or container that would fit the supplies. Place the art zone near a window for added light while your little one is creating a masterpiece. Another zone would be a reading nook where all books are stored for easy access. Place a couple of pillows on the floor so your child can get comfy and read.
Creating zones helps a child understand what belongs in a specific area and helps drastically when it comes to clean up. Containing small pieces in labeled containers (for younger children, attach pictures, as well as the written word) cuts the clutter and overwhelming task of deciding where to put something when you’re done.

Step Two: GOPACK®
The GOPACK® Method is a simplified, proven way to get organized and stay organized. It’s an acronym for: Group Objects, Purge, Assign, Contain and Keep it up. I’ll walk you through the process, briefly, and you can get more information on my web site, which includes tips that will save you time in each category.

Group Objects—the key here is to put like items together to gain a true perspective on how many baby dolls, toy cars, and Happy Meal toys you possess. Once you’ve put like items together, move on to the Purge.

Purge—determine what you will keep, what gets donated, what gets stored for rotation (explained below) and what gets trashed. Easy tosses include broken pieces, games without all the pieces, toys your child has aged out of, and items your child is no longer interested in playing with. This step can be challenging because it requires making decisions. Once you do, you’ll feel great! So start deciding.

Assign—now determine where you will put the items. We’re not containing just yet. This is where you put the items in the zoned areas. Move all books to the Reading Zone, paints/crayons/markers to the Art Zone, etc.

Contain—now it’s time to put items in containers. Choose containers that fit the type of toy. For example, Legos work best is small, clear, shoe-box like containers where your child can easily see what’s contained and not become overwhelmed by so many pieces at one time. For books, a bookshelf of course. Organize doll clothing separate from the dolls, which can go in a large bin with the stuffed animals.

Keep it up—Teach your child to choose a toy, play with it and put it back. It may take repeated reminders and guidance, but well worth the effort. Of course there are times when kids may want to play with ALL their toys at once. However, if you’re organized, clean up can be a breeze if everything has a home. To get assistance from your reluctant child, set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and have your kids count how many toys they pick up. This will get the playroom cleaned up and reinforce their math skills.

For more detailed information on the GOPACK Method, visit http://www.staceycrew.com.

Toy rotation works well if you have an excess of toys in your child’s playroom or bedroom. Pack up 50% and store for later retrieval. This accomplishes two goals: Eliminates clutter and gives your children a new interest in old toys when you take them out after a period of time. Be sure to put toys away when you take out the toys that have been in hiding.

Happy Organizing!

- Mrs. O

Follow me on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/mrsorganized

No Comments April 16, 2009 on 7:14 pm | In Uncategorized

Take Contol and Lose the Clutter…For Good

It’s almost half way through the year and there’s a good chance some of us need a pep talk to get back on track with our resolution of getting organized. Well don’t fret! There is hope. One of my favorite organizers and founder of the ClutterDiet.com, Lorie Marrero, is here to give us real-life tips and advice that are easy to implement and will help shed the clutter for good. Read below to get the full interview and the skinny on how to take control of your home and life…

The Mrs. Organized Interview with Lorie Marrero

1.    Tell us about yourself and how The Clutter Diet began.
My story starts like so many others in my industry—I saved up my allowance to buy a label maker when I was ten years old, and I have always enjoyed figuring out ways to save time and energy for myself and other people. I started my business locally in Austin in 2000, and grew with a team of employees and expanded to San Antonio. In early 2006 I realized that I wanted to reach the millions of people who need our services in person but either cannot afford it or want to do much of the work themselves. I went to an internet marketing seminar and got lots of information, and on the way home I was staring out the window of the plane trying to clear my head when the lightning bolt hit. We could be like “Weight Watchers” for your house! I pulled out my notebook and wrote about 20 pages of notes of how the program would work, and about a year later we launched the website. We are the world’s first “virtual team” of Professional Organizers, giving people expert help for the price of a pizza.

2.    Tell us your definition of what it means to be organized.
Some people confuse being organized with being perfect.  Some people confuse being organized with being neat.  Neat people can be disorganized, believe me! What we teach people is that you should strive to be N.E.A.T.E.R.:

Not perfect, but…
Effective- doing what works best
Always improving
True to your style
Efficient- not wasting time and energy
Ready for anything- being prepared for life

3.    Organization is not just an idea or a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. Tell us how someone can begin to implement this concept in their everyday life.
Definitely one of the mistakes we see people make is that they treat being organized as some kind of destination, instead of the continuous journey that it is. There is no perfect place somewhere over the rainbow where things will just stay organized by themselves. Just like dieters know, there is no such thing as successful “crash diet”– you have to make permanent changes in your eating habits to keep the weight off. So you want to start by adding new habits a little at a time and building on them. The absolute best thing to help someone get started is objectivity. If you can get a friend or a professional to take a look at what is going on, you’ll be miles ahead having their fresh perspective on things. People have been looking at their rooms and their stuff for too long and have lost their objectivity.

4.    I’ve heard a lot of people say that once they feel organized, it doesn’t last. They find it difficult to stay organized. What are some ideas, systems or habits to recommend to the readers on how to eliminate the clutter for good?
Think about what is continuously flowing into your life—things like groceries, mail, paper from work or school. Make sure everything that flows in has a good system to also flow through and out! For example, we teach people to think of their mail baskets the same way they think of their kitchen sink. Most people have a tolerance for how long they leave their dishes to collect in the sink. Some people can leave them for a couple of days, and some people can’t stand to go to sleep at night with anything left there. Have this same kind of tolerance threshold for your mail. You must deal with it, the same way you must deal with your dirty dishes. Process the mail regularly and be very decisive about what to do with it next.

5.    What are some resources that lend aid to getting started and breaking though the clutter barriers?
For many people getting started is in itself the hardest thing to do—breaking out of the inertia but being paralyzed. We recommend using a timer and trying a time increment that sounds reasonable to you, maybe 15 minutes or maybe 30 or 45. Give yourself permission to stop when it rings. What you’ll probably find is that momentum takes over and you want to keep going!

6.    It is that time of year again when people start the Spring Cleaning process. What are some tips and pointers to help get the readers geared up and ready to tackle the dirt, dust and clutter?
We always say that having a party is one of the very best ways to get yourself in gear. Spring weather is great for something casual and fun—invite people over and see how motivated you get when you realize there will be people roaming around your house! This is how I get my patio furniture cleaned every year. 

7.    In your new book, The Clutter Diet, you talk about different ways to prevent clutter, including the way we spend money. This is very important considering the current economic crisis. What are some ways we can change our spending habits to cut the clutter in our homes?
Awareness is the first step in making any kind of change. Be very aware that any clutter currently in your home is the result of your purchasing, acquiring, or allowing that clutter in the door. As your awareness grows, you will be more careful about what you bring into your home, and that makes you more careful about what you spend. And getting organized is in itself a money-saving activity, since you gain visibility to what you own and are unlikely to buy duplicate items thinking they are lost or forgetting that you have them. On our site we offer a bonus item when you sign up for our free newsletter, which are these printable wallet reminder sleeves that you can use to store your credit or debit cards. Printed on them are the five important questions you should ask before purchasing anything—and they’re right there to look at before you use your cards to spend. www.clutterdiet.com/freetips

8.    What helps guide your creativity and inspiration when helping a client get organized?
I try to listen very carefully to clients to understand their goals, their personal styles, and how their brains work. I am probably not going to push a very “left-brained” solution on someone who is creative and artistic, for example. I consider each project a problem-solving endeavor and a puzzle. I find I have to “wade into” the project before I have all of the answers. Having objectivity is very important to that process, because I can see things that the client “can’t see” any longer.

9.    With all your experience and knowledge gained over the years, are there any specific products you would recommend that would be helpful with getting organized?
One of my favorite things is something you carry here at Organize.com—a very simple little undersink shelving unit that you hand-assemble right inside the cabinet. I have made use of lots of wasted space with that product in many people’s bathrooms. I also love a good old fashioned set of overdoor shoe pockets-the clear kind. There are so many uses for that versatile product, beyond shoes and into Barbie dolls, Beanie Babies, and even jewelry or other accessories. And of course, I can’t resist recommending our own Simple Division® Garment Organizers to help you organize your hanging clothing!

10.    Can you give us the scoop on what it takes to be a professional organizer and how someone can go about becoming a certified professional organizer?
Being a Professional Organizer is about much more than just knowing how to organize things. You must be good at organizing other people’s things, not just your own, and that means being able to communicate effectively and gather information that is important to making the project successful in the long term. It’s about consulting, not just sorting stuff. I also tell people all the time that you must be a good business person and realize that you wear a lot of different hats to be able to have a successful organizing business. You can learn about becoming certified at www.certifiedprofessionalorganizer.com. Certification requires a large number of work hours in the field along with educational requirements and passing an examination.

11.     Do you have a favorite organizing story to share?
Yes! We once worked for a famous entertainer in Las Vegas for almost a week, working at all hours backstage while shows were going on and everything. We were doing things like designing tour cases that would hold a filing cabinet and talking about how to locate and catalog stage props and collections of all kinds of unusual items. It was truly the Mount Everest of organizing projects and we loved it!

I would like to give a very BIG thank you to Lorie for lending her expert advice to the readers and for taking the time to be our special guest for the month. Check in frequently for more from Lorie over the next few weeks

Happy Organizing!

- Mrs. O

Follow me on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/mrsorganized

No Comments April 7, 2009 on 4:11 pm | In Uncategorized

Jessica Seinfeld is….Deceptively Delicious!

It is my pleasure and with great excitement that I introduce our featured chef this month and just in time for Mother’s Day, Jessica Seinfeld. If you haven’t already picked up a copy, her book Deceptively Delicious is as cute, fresh and delightful as she is. It is easy to read and follow and a must have for any mom who wants to bring sanity to the family table and get her kids to eat good food.

My own children are now grown, but I LOVED this book, how it is written and how easy it is to use. I love to make life easy for my readers, so featuring Jessica and her book for Mother’s Day made so much sense to me. Now the good news…enter your mom or any GREAT mom you know to our Most Organized Mom Giveaway and she can win over $300 worth of mom friendly prizes. And don’t forget to enter the Deceptively Delicious Giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Jessica’s book!

Happy Organizing!

- Mrs. O

http://twitter.com/mrsorganized

No Comments April 2, 2009 on 5:25 pm | In Uncategorized