Casey Hooper, Owner of local, professional organizing company, The Art of Neat, explains the difference between decluttering and organizing – and shares how her team can help you get started!
There is a fine line between decluttering and organizing. Both are equally important and contrary to popular opinion, at The Art of Neat, we don’t believe one necessarily comes before the other.
To declutter is to get rid of stuff. It’s fast, easy, and produces immediate results. Organizing is typically what comes after decluttering. It’s taking what’s left and making it work for the phase of life you are in right now. But sometimes, in order to streamline your decluttering process, it might be best to organize similar items together first. Let me explain.
If your goal is to get a room in order that you feel is in chaos (ie: stuff is everywhere and you can no longer see the floor) it’s going to be best to declutter first. Start by identifying items that no longer serve you or your family, items that are broken or cause you stress. Remove them from the space. Donate or trash – either way get them out of the house. Once that is done, you are able to streamline taking inventory of your things. Then you can start to organize them by arranging and confining them into categories so you can easily see and access all items when needed.
Decluttering can take as little as five minutes! Set a timer, and see what you can get done! You can also declutter as you’re putting dishes away, unpacking from a trip or putting clothes away. I have bins in my closet, my kid’s closet and the garage for a quick discard when I come across something that I no longer need or use.
If your goal is to simply decrease the clutter of the playroom or your closet, it might be best to organize items into their respective categories first and then declutter from there. For example, fifteen toy cars can be minimized, but if the toy cars are spread across the playroom, bedroom and den then you likely didn’t know the cars had gotten so out of hand. Items should be placed within their category and then can be decluttered creating three piles – keep, donate, trash.
It can be daunting to know which to do first. I, personally, prefer to organize and then declutter. Seeing how much I have of a specific category (ie: entertaining dishes), helps me to prioritize the items I love and use most often. I then feel more comfortable letting go of pieces I haven’t used in a while. 
There is no right or wrong way – the most important thing is to take back control of your life and space. At The Art of Neat, we believe starting anywhere is better than never starting at all.
Looking to follow The Art of Neat method? We recommend an easy 1, 2, 3:
- Organize: Take everything out. Sort by like product and category.
- Minimize: Get rid of unused or excess items.
- Systemize: Create sustainable systems that can be easily adjusted to your family needs.
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start? We’d love to help! The Art of Neat would love to help you make sense of the space or area in your life where you feel stuck. If you’re interested in a complimentary consultation, simply fill out our online form to get started. It only takes a few minutes! We can’t wait to be friends.
