Professional Organizer Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland Scott Roewer’s organizing blog DeClutterYou

The National Association of Professional Organizers for years has celebrated January as Get Organized Month, and this year is no different!  You likely  know someone who’s proclaimed that in 2010, they would finally get organized.  Or is this your year to banish the clutter for good?  Either way, free tips and suggestions for get organized and staying organized are always desired.  So, together with Rubbermaid I’m here to help.  Rubbermaid is hosting a Get Organized Month – 5 Day Twitter Chat.  I’ll be guest tweeting for Rubbermaid on the topic of “Too Much Stuff”.

Join me on Tuesday, January 12th from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST time. I’ll be tweeting about your organizing problems and offering solutions.  Also, the nice people at Rubbermaid will be giving away products each day to help you get organized!  How cool is that?  In order to win you simply need to participate in the discussion on Twitter.  They’ll randomly choose four people  to receive prizes.

To join the Chat and win:

1. Create a Twitter account (if you do not already have one). Go to www.twitter.com to sign up for a free account.
2. Follow myself and the two Rubbermaid hosts
   You can find me on Twitter – Scott Roewer @Declutteryou
   The Two official Rubbermaid hosts are:
3. Jim Deitzel: @Rubbermaid & Erin Gentry: @RubbermaidErin
4. Remember when you are referring to us or asking us a question on Twitter to either reply or use our entire Twitter handle (i.e. @DeClutteryou)
5. Use the hashtag #Rubbermaid for the contest. You must use the #rubbermaid hashtag in your tweets to qualify for prizes. Also, search for the #rubbermaid hashtag to follow along with the conversation.The chat continues on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Check out the schedule and the hosts below.

• Day Three – January 13th – Kitchen Organization: Guest Host  – Julie Verleger (@organizedhome) – organizedhomeinc.com
• Day Four – January 14th – I Can’t Find Anything to Wear!  Closet Organizing: Guest Host  – Krista Colvin (@kristacolvin) – organizeinstyleblog.com
• Day Five – January 15th – Fitting the Car in the Garage Host Jim Dietzel (@Rubbermaid) & Erin Gentry (@RubbermaidErin) – Rubbermaid Blog

Perhaps it has happened to you.  After waiting in the long line to check your bag, you finally reach the airline ticket counter. It’s 10 AM and you’re already tired from getting up early to pack since you waited till the last minute.  The not-so-chipper ticket agent tells you to place your suitcase on the scale.  You begin to sweat, because you dread this moment each time your travel.  Will your bag be too heavy?  You struggle to place your overfull suitcase on the scale and cringe as the digital numbers read, 57 lbs.  At 7 pounds overweight, that’s a $50 one-way service charge.  In the old days, you might occasionally meet a nice airline ticket agent who would have let it slide.  But in the days of restrictive policies and baggage fees, this is not likely to happen!  Don’t let the airlines rip you off.  I use a digital scale to weight my suitcase at home if I plan to check my bags.

With the onset of baggage fees, more people attempt to carry on their bags.  If you’re traveling this holiday season, that means there will be a lack of overhead storage space.  Carrying on is great, but you don’t want to fight with a bulky bag.  Be sure to start with a light suitcase.  My favorite suitcase is the 22″ Hover Craft by Eagle Creek – it’s light, compact and easy to maneuver through crowds.  The matching Travel Tote has a sleeve that slides over the handle of a rolling bag making it the perfect, personal carry on bag.  Be smart by packing light, packing efficiently, and by planning ahead when you travel.

Packing Tips

1. Limit the amount of clothing you take.  Lay out what you think you’ll need and then put half of it back! Pick colors that you can mix and match to maximize your wardrobe.
2. When selecting clothes for your travel, know that cotton, wool, and knits wrinkle less when transported.  Also think about all purpose shoes that you can wear for multiple outfits.  Shoes should be placed in bags so they don’t get your clothes dirty. I love the ‘Shoe-Ins‘ shoe bags from The Container Store.
3. Roll you clothes and place items that won’t wrinkle on the bottom.  Next, drape long items on top.  Smaller items like belts and accessories should line the side of the suitcase.
4. Carry or wear your fine jewelry.  I recommend a film canister with tissue for earrings, rings or other small delicate items.
5. If traveling with small family members, make a checklist so you can use it to remind yourself of what you need.
6. Be aware that flying with a car seat or stroller may cost you more.  Most airlines still allow parents to check car seats and strollers with no additional fees.  Double check with your airline to make sure they don’t count a car seat as a second piece of luggage.
7. Pack early!  Whenever you think of something to take – put it in the bag.  Keep a running list so you don’t have to unpack to see if you’ve already tossed it in the suitcase.

Bonus tip – Never carry full bottles of product with you.  Create your own travel size bottles of lotions and makeup.  Checkout these 2 oz. clear jars, or these 3 oz. flip top bottles to make your own travel size products.  Drop them in the clear zippered cube (size B) and you’re set to fly the friendly skies.

There are many benefits to traveling light and carrying on your bags.  Your bags will likely will not get lost or damaged because they’re being handled by you.  When you arrive at your destination, you won’t have to fight the crowds at baggage claim.  That alone is a great incentive to carry your bags!  If you live in a city with mass transit at the airport, you’ll beat the crowd to the Metro or be in the front of the taxi line which can be very long during the holiday rush. And, if you have someone picking you up, you won’t have to worry if their trunk is full of clutter.  You’ll easily be able to place your bag in the back seat.

Wishing you a safe holiday travel season,

One of my favorite modern furniture stores in DC, Vastu has a great design blog.  Recently they had a great post on home office design.  I wanted to share with you their words of wisdom.

Home Sweet Home (Office)
Designing your home office can be challenging.  It needs to complement the design aesthetic of the rest of the house, but be different enough that it promotes productivity while in the space.  Your home office may not even be a room of it’s own, but need to exist in a space that has other functions like a guest room, bedroom or living room.  Well the Vastu Design Services team is here to help!  Here are a few suggestions and products to consider when designing your work space at home:

Wall-mounted desk system. Think about having a wall-mounted desk system installed, especially if you have a small space.  You have the surface area you need to work without taking up as much floor space as a traditional desk would.  Here’s a look at a wall-mounted desk system used in a bedroom…

Dual purpose desk chair. Have your desk chair be the same chairs you’re using around your dining table.  This way when you have dinner guests, you can easily add additional seating and maintain a uniform look around the dining table.

Storage, storage, storage. When designing any space, be sure to consider how much storage space is required to make your space work for you. This will help to make selections of furniture and organizational pieces easier.

Don’t ignore the floor. Depending on the flooring in your home office space, you may want to consider an area rug.  If you have wooden floors, it’s a great way to add warmth to the space, bring in color and define the work area.

Set the mood. Think about what mood you want the space to evoke. Fast-paced, upbeat environment or a relaxed, calm space? This will help in your selection of materials, finishes, fabrics, colors and accessories.

Color! Color! Color! Painting or adding some sort of wall covering to the walls (either a pattern or texture) will make a world of difference in the overall look of the space. Stark white walls are never an option! Walls with color will bring life and character to your home office space which will help in motivating you to want to do work.

I work with elfa® frequently and find it rather easy to install.  The product is affordable, very sturdy, and flexible enough to use in most any space.  If you enjoy simple, do-it yourself type projects, this how-to video demonstrates how you can install your own elfa® closet system from The Container Store. This is the eighth video in a nine-part series on how to organize your closet like a pro.

Be sure to review the seventh video in this series, where I explained the closet parts, tools, and important safety considerations.

What’s your biggest challenge in your bedroom closets?

Here are the previous videos in this how-to series.

Organizing Your Closet – A How-To Series
Organizing Your Closet – Measuring and Planning Your New Closet
Closet Organizing – Removing the Old Closet
Closet Organizing – How to Sort & Downsize Your Closet Clutter
Closet Organizing – Sorting & Storing Your Linens
Closet Organizing – Sorting & Organizing Your Clothes
Closet Organization – Steps to Install an elfa® Closet System

In April 2008, the Consumer Electronics Association published a Market Research Report called: Trends in CE Reuse, Recycle and Removal which reported the average American Household has 24 electronic products per household. I don’t know about you, but as I look around my apartment, I have MANY more then 24! With that said, when it is time to recycle the items, we all must do our part to recycle the electronics.

This weekend, Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services is hosting another FREE electronics recycling event.

Sunday, July 26, 2009, 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.
Sherwood High School
300 Olney-Sandy Spring Road
Sandy Spring, MD 20860

(The event will be held in the parking lot behind the school and near the school’s stadium.)
They also accept electronics daily at their Solid Waste Transfer Station.
Full electronics drop-off event collection schedule can be found on their website.
Accepted items include:

small electronic appliances
calculators
camcorders
CDs and floppy disks
CD players
cell phones
computers and computer-related products
consumer electronics
copiers
cords and cables (including chargers)
digital cameras
electronic typewriters
fax machines
microwave ovens
monitors
personal digital assistant equipment
printers
projection equipment
scanners
telephones
small electronic toys
televisions
VCRs

If you’re curious what exactly happens to the items after they’re collected – read this post.

We’re excited so many of you have been following this how-to closet organizing video series.  Now that we’ve sorted all the ’stuff’ from the closet, and removed the closet system that wasn’t working, we are ready to begin installing the new elfa® system from The Container Store.

In this video, I’ll show you the tools necessary to install the closet, explain the various hardware pieces, and share with you a few safety concerns.  This is a 3 minute video and it is the seventh in a series of nine videos.

If you have questions about any of the tools, or hardware, please do let me know. The eighth video will actually show the step-by-step process to install the closet. Installing an elfa® closet is an easy, DIY project for most anyone.

If you’re considering purchasing an elfa® closet, you can download this coupon and use it before July 12, 2009 to save 25%!

Here are the previously posted videos in the how-to organize your closet series.

Organizing Your Closet – A How-To Series

Organizing Your Closet – Measuring and Planning Your New Closet

Closet Organizing – Removing the Old Closet

Closet Organizing – How to Sort & Downsize Your Closet Clutter

Closet Organizing – Sorting & Storing Your Linens

Closet Organizing – Sorting & Organizing Your Clothes

Recently I was interviewed by MSNBC for an article, “Money Hiders Risk A Wealth of Woes, Feelings of economic insecurity can lead to cash stashing“.

Most people have some cash available at home. However, I have found clients do not always take appropriate steps in securing their cash. As quoted in the article by MSNBC, I said.

“I’ve found money taped to the back of headboards, in clothes pockets, under loose floorboards, in fake books, and in shoe boxes,” says Scott Roewer, a certified professional organizer from Washington, D.C., who also does estate sales. “It’s amazing what people come up with to hide their money.”

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of a Tel Aviv woman who purchased a new mattress for her elderly mother and tossed out her lumpy mattress. What she didn’t know is her mother had stored her 1 million dollar life’s savings in the mattress, now buried at the dump.

I work with individuals of all ages, and find that all age-groups hide money. I typically urge my clients with cash or other valuables lying around their house to either deposit the cash in the bank, put the valuables or cash in a fireproof safe, and to tell someone where they’re hidden the items, even if they do it via a note in their will.

“I advise against hoarding cash,” he says. “I’ve seen instances of fire, robbery and accidental death where clients had money hidden but nobody knew and it was gone forever.”

Do you stash money at home or have any interesting stories to share about hoarding cash? What steps have you put in place so your money is not lost, forgotten about, or lost? You can read the entire MSNBC article here.

How many times have you said, “my closet just isn’t big enough”? Well the truth of the matter is, your closet is probably large enough, you simply have too much stuff! I’ve worked in a few hundred closets, and I find people use the wrong accessories to store their clothes, and don’t take the time to fold or hang items. Instead, they shove the clothes on shelves and expect their clothes to not be damage, wrinkle free, and they expect to find a ready to wear outfit in a timely manner.

In this fifth video of my “how to organize your closet like a pro” series, I’ll demonstrate the steps you can follow to sort your clothes. I also talk about the proper types of hangers to use, and how to avoid some common mistakes people make in their closets. Watching this video may just save your favorite outfit from damage!

I’ve previously posted five videos in this series. To view the other posts, please visit the links below. If you have any clothes storage tips you’d like to share, please comment below.

Organizing Your Closet – A How-To Series

Organizing Your Closet – Measuring and Planning Your New Closet

Closet Organizing – Removing the Old Closet

Closet Organizing – How to Sort & Downsize Your Closet Clutter

Closet Organizing – Sorting & Organizing Your Linens

This is the fifth video in a nine-part series of “How to Organize Your Closet Like a Pro” and we’ll take a look at organizing your linens.

I love living in the city. However, with city life, you often find a lack of storage space. In this home, there was a lack of closet storage. So the homeowner decided to store sheets, towels, blankets, tablecloths, and material in his master bedroom closet. As you can imagine, the closet was over flowing!

In this 4 minute video, I demonstrate the basic steps you can follow to sort your household linens. Because this homeowner was short on space, we had to find a new home for the towels. In order to redistribute them to another area of the home, I suggested we add a shelf in the linen closet/laundry room conveniently located outside the main bathroom. By adding a shelf here, we were able to move the bath towels closer to the bathroom. Several old blankets were donated, and we used large sweater bags from The Container Store to keep items clean and organized in the closet. Finally, we made use of the space under his bed and stored some of the linens that were not frequently used in the Underbed Containers from The Container Store.

Do you have a creative way you store linens? How many blankets and sheets do you think you should have for each bed in your home? Please share your comments below.

If you’ve missed the first four videos in this how-to video series, please review these posts. If you have any questions about the process, or if you get stuck, please let us know by leaving a comment below.

Organizing Your Closet – A How-To Series

Organizing Your Closet – Measuring and Planning Your New Closet

Closet Organizing – Removing the Old Closet

Closet Organizing – How to Sort & Downsize Your Closet Clutter

A cluttered home adds to the stress of daily life, and most often when we tackle organizing our home, we focus on the public rooms, such as the kitchen and family room, because we fear the dreaded unannounced guest. We often neglect the bedrooms. It’s easy to close the bedroom door, but at the end of the day, we are restless in our cluttered bedrooms.

Do you find that when you enter your bedroom that you are faced with a mound of clothes, a mess on the nightstand, and a pile of shoes on the floor? And each day you finally force yourself out of bed, are you rushed in the mornings searching through piles for something clean and wrinkle-free to wear?  If so, here are three easy, cost-effective tips to help you organize your bedroom.

Art of Storage, Clothes Valet

Get clothes off the floor. If you find yourself throwing clothes on the floor or using the treadmill as your closet, then add a bedroom valet or garment holder to your room. The accessories provide an easy way to preserve and organize your clothes until you are ready to put them away. The racks in The Art of Storage collection are affordable and stylish. These storage pieces features six loops at varying heights to allow for versatile garment draping options and the valet also includes a non-slip pants holder and coin tray.

De-clutter every surface. Overcrowding the surfaces of your dressers and nightstands with knick-knacks presents a cluttered look and makes it more difficult to dust. Select the top two or three non-essential items that are special to you to feature in your bedroom. The others can go into storage, be displayed in another room or maybe be rotated every few months. Remember – less is more.

Use under-the-bed space. Store out-of-season clothes and other items in containers made of plastic, canvas, or wood. Plastic containers are ideal if you have the ability to stack them. If you store linens in wood boxes, opt for cedar, which helps deter moths. Line the containers with plain unbleached muslin to counter the wood’s acidity and protect your linens. Use canvas bags that zip shut for delicate items such as cashmere sweaters, which need circulating air. Make sure all clothing and blankets are cleaned before storing.

A peaceful, clutter-free bedroom is ideal for a restful night’s sleep and piles of clothes don’t create the relaxing oasis you desire. A basic rule of thumb for clothing is if it is clean enough to wear again, it’s clean enough to hang up. Using The Art of Storage valet is a perfect way to store the clothes you’ll wear again soon and the coin tray is a convenient place to empty your pockets at the end of the day.

Beating the bedroom blues is possible – and once you tackle this task, you’ll feel the results immediately. Everyone deserves a calm and peaceful place to relax and re-energize.