When asked if I “really do” work with teams of organizers (like I do on the TV show, “Hoarders”) the answer is, “YES, when working with a hoarding client, I *really do* bring in teams of people to help me; I can’t do it alone.” (Note: this “team approach” is my technique but there is no right or wrong way to do it. If another Professional Organizer does it differently, meaning she/he prefers to work quietly, without a team, it means it suits her/his style better. You should work with an organizer that is a good fit for YOU, personally.
The next question (usually from Professional Organizers is), “How do you do that?” What they mean is, how does one get started in a home filled with many, many things. My answer is that I’m inspired by ideas from established, successful models, like big-box department stores. For example, if you walk into Target, you know where things are located because they have created departments. My team and I do the same exact thing: Jewelry, Automotive, Media, Electronics and so on. We sort through the client’s things, make ‘departments,’ and then have the client look at all of their things, presorted into categories before making decisions on what should stay and what should go.
The Method to My Madness
Most of the time, the client needs to see ALL of their (__fill in the blank__) grouped together, before deciding which (__fill in the blank__) are keepers, which are trash and which can be donated. Sometimes, after seeing 19 bottles of hair spray or 600 videos, it occurs to them they should only keep their favorites and it’s OK to let the rest go. This technique is more time consuming but with a team working on sorting and categorizing, progress is quicker.
If you are a hoarder and reading this wondering how in the world to get started or if you have a loved one who hoards you might find the following categories helpful:
Clothes–Closet/Drawer/Shelf/Baskets
- Shoes, Boots
- Belts
- Bags, Totes, Purses
- Jewelry
Outer Wear
Furniture
Lawn & Garden
Entertainment
- Games
- Videos
- Books
- Music
Food from Pantry/ Kitchen
- Can goods
- Boxed foods
- Categories might also include: breakfast, snacks, ethnic foods, etc.
Bedding
Bath Towels/Rugs
Kitchen
- Dishes
- Stove/Oven
- Utensils
- Towels/Rugs/Mats/Pot Holders
Cleaning Products & Supplies
- Buckets, Mops, Brooms, Rags
- Batteries
- Light bulbs
- Air Filters
Holiday
- Christmas
- Halloween
- Easter
Entertaining
- Indoor (Ice Bucket, Bar)
- Outdoor (Grill, Patio)
Decorations /Houseware
- Small
- Medium
- Large
Recreation & Sports (Coolers, Sleeping Bags, Frisbee)
Home Improvement
- Paint
- Fixtures
- Tile/Shingles/Molding/Wallpaper
Pets
- Leashes
- Collars
- Medications
Crafts & Hobbies
Supplies & Containers
Keepsakes
Gifts
First Aid, Health & Beauty
- Vitamins
- Medicines
- Health & Beauty
- Medical
- Toiletries
Personally, I am NOT in favor of boxing things up and putting them in a storage unit to be dealt with at a later date because I think it’s another way of postponing or procrastinating and from what I know about hoarding, avoidance is the compulsion of hoarders. Look for more on that topic in the future.
As always, thanks for sharing! I know your focus is on hoarders here but this approach applies to many. Challenge is to manage client expectations- everyone wants to jump into organizing & containing portion but the ‘sort’ step is where most of the energy goes
Correct! Sorting is one of the tasks that hoarders and non-hoarders must do.
Some clients, especially those with learning disabilities, have trouble with this step. It’s interesting to work with folks who are challenged when it comes to making decisions. When this is the case, its easier for the PO to sort the belongings into categories and then ask the client to make decision based on the pre-sorted categories. This is the step where hoarders feel challenged–difficulty discarding objects.
Thanks G for this great description. It sounds much less scary also. I think many people believe organizers go in an toss stuff out without consulting the client in these situations, but it’s not so.
You may also be helping new organizers work with the more cluttered homes with this description.
Nice job.
- Allison
Allison,
Unfortunately, I know there are folks calling themselves, “Professional Organizers” who do indeed make decisions for the client and throw things away.
I hear this over and over again from clients and it taints the entire profession.
For all the new POs who may be reading this, you should NOT throw anything away, not even a gum wrapper or used pack of soy sauce without the client’s permission. NOTHING goes into the trash unless it’s OK with the client. You might want to create a list, before beginning the job, and agree to toss certain things in the trash (like extra wire hangers or broken dishes) but be very specific and keep all the trash in one place for the client to “spot check.”
It is a much more tedious, time-consuming process but it must, in the end, be the decision of the client and NOT the organizer as to what stays and what goes. It’s also the client’s decision as to *how* organized their home should be–not your idea of organized, but THEIRS. Rarely do I finish a job where the job is completed the way I would do it at my own house, but as a Professional Organizer we should respect the clients goals and that means knowing when to stop.
As you point out Allison, I hope that posts like this and comments from readers, like you, are helpful to new POs.
Great article!
I’ve been called in to assist on a team because my children were approximately the same age as the kids in the client’s home. The lead organizer was childless and needed help sorting toys.
If you’re going to build a team, try and get organizers working in their specialty area – moms with toys, fashionistas with clothing & jewelery, hardware junkies in the woodshop etc.
Oh, you reminded me of a funny story where I was on a job and some of the organizers wanted to “step out of their comfort zones” so they switched areas of expertise. For example, the fashionista worked in the tool shed and the no-kid organizer did the playroom.
Long story short, not a great idea.
The person sorting and organizing kids toys didn’t know a Leap Frog from Kermit the frog.
The person doing the wardrobe wasn’t sure if something was ‘high end’ or not.
It took about 2 hours before everyone agreed to go back to their “departments.” Several organizers gained a new respect for colleagues who were ‘experts’ in their own, unique areas. The client happened to be an organizer-in-training and said it was the best training she could have.
My clients work well with this method too! They like to see “the category” together to make decisions. Some clients have even remarked about needing to see the items together first. It takes time to get the items together, but it has benefits.
Yes, I agree, for the most part, clients do work well with this method.
One of the things that organizers *should* be doing on the job is teaching and explaining our methods and systems to our clients. It’s our job to transfer our skills to them and explain the way we are doing things.
It’s simple really. On any given day we only have so much time attention and energy.
So when a hoarder spends more time collecting with their limited attention and energy, they do not have enough time, attention and energy to correctly discard, organize, and prioritize the material from that day, or that morning much less yesterday or 15 years ago.
On the A&E shows about hoarding, the professionals attempt to correct thousands of days of mis-directed thinking and energy in two or three days. The frequent conflicts include embarrassment, frustration, fatigue, anger, resentment and frankly panic about loss of an object that contains an emotional memory or hope for future value or utility.
The clients can benefit from new ideas about the objects that have been building for sometimes decades, with complex rules, hopes, plans or sentiments – and the troubled hoarders are required to explain their thinking for each of hundreds of the objects in their home, under a deadline, to strangers.
My observations with family members who started down this road, and my own beginnings of this affliction may help your clients if you are a professional organizer, or a family member who is dealing with this very frustrating condition in a parent spouse or loved one.
The list of categories is a great starting point. So to help the afflicted it may also help to coach them on the VALUE of the items. I’ve noticed that my loved one was more open when we could put labels such as
- I could sell this for x cents or dollars.
- This item has little to no monetary value, and no emotional or sentimental value.
- This is useful, and believed it should not be thrown away ( but could be donated for a tax benefit, or charity, or sold at a garage sale, or given to someone who needs it)
- BIG: This has emotional value. ( Helps the client with a memory, past experience, or feeling).
- This has no attachment, I have it here for very little reason.
- This object has project value. ( Clients may want to make something of value, or use it in a novel way, or they have hope to start something with it, someday).
In my experience the family member could have put objects into the following categories:
sentimental,
cost/value/fear of waste,
and hope for the future.
Sentimental: Household objects that helped them remember a loved one. We took photos of the items to help them remember and reminisce, and got rid of the items.
Cost/Value/Fear of waste: String, broken lamps, tools, hardware items, fixtures: We put a price on old string, and on the nuts and bolts in jars. When we added it up on a cost per pound – it came to pennies. I have my loved one five bucks for stack of boxes and they were ok with it as they knew if they needed to hang a picture (unlikely) they could go to the store and buy some hardware.
Hope for the future: Books unread, letters unwritten, crafts unmade. This one was the toughest, because the many projects undone were heartbreaking to take apart. We reduced the many projects into very organized boxes, with clear labels, and picked the top projects to pursue, then made a quick list of the others that could be done someday on a couple of pages for a project notebook put neatly on the shelf. The books were cataloged quickly and a library card brought out in case any were needed to be read any time soon. Low value paperbacks discarded knowing the library was nearby.
Value confusion with depression era/ recession era individuals causes a panic to ‘waste not want not’ especially when new income is difficult to come by. One couple on the show was retired, with a likely loss of income – causing a ‘holding’ of things possibly.
Establishing true value, and a path to new value may help prioritize.
However, what do you do when the client strongly recommends that you clean around the clutter, and they’ll “deal with it” themselves, or COMPLETELY steer around it. I find that my business has turned around because my clients are all in need of both cleaning AND organizing, and I can’t do both at the same time. One or the other, right?
Personally, I refer all cleaning duties to professional housecleaning services; I know of several organizers who do both the cleaning and organizing.
I will not continue working with someone who keeps saying, “I’ll deal with that later when you aren’t here.” The reason we (Professional Organizers) are hired is because of postponed decisions regarding the client’s possessions.
May I suggest you establish rules with your clients before you begin working together. For example, during any session the client is permitted only 2 (or whatever number suits you) ‘passes.’ Meaning, he/she can say, “I’ll deal with that later” only twice during any one session. I recently negotiated with a client that anytime he said that, we would say OK on the condition that we backtrack and deal with the previously “later” box/bag/container. This really did make him prioritize exactly what he was willing to deal with “later.” It was slow and painful but he did it.
A lot of hoarders are overly optimistic about their “homework” and I encourage only those with enough stamina to take on homework. For the most part, I encourage them to finish the task with me present and enjoy their “off hours” doing something other than organizing/sorting/purging.
Heartfelt thanks for such a detailed, thoughtful comment. I’m certain readers will find this insightful, inspirational and helpful.
To find help go to my RESOURCES page >>Hoarding>>then go to NSGCD and NAPO links.
Both have pages where you can locate local organizers who are qualified to help with specific challenges. Your zip code is required.
http://metropolitanorganizing.com/helpful-websites-how-get-organized
How much you keep is a personal decision based on your space (storage space available) and your particular needs (you may need 7 pair of jeans because you get laundry done every few days while someone else only needs 2 pair of jeans because of some other reason(s).
I enjoy seeing the list but how much do I need to keep of each item. plus how do I find help in my area
Hi Geralin,
From a fellow professional organizer, I want to thank you so much for your great web site and blog. I refer others to your site often when they need resources on hoarding and other organization challenges.
I completely agree with your comments on Cleaning vs. Organizing — in fact, I have an article called just that — Cleaning vs. Organizing –on my own web site. I too refer my clients to a housekeeping service.
As for clients who say “I’ll deal with that later”, I gently remind them that such a mindset contributes greatly to their disorganized lifestyle and got them in their current predicament. On a positive note, I also tell them that a very small habit change has the potential to really help them.
I encourage them to identify the discrete action that would be required for them to “deal with it later”, usually probing for more information as needed. For example, the item in question might be a box of miscellaneous junk. I ask probing questions to identify the action required, and I find that they actually need to sort through that box and decide which items to keep and which to give to a donation center. I then encourage them to write this on the box itself – preferably by affixing a brightly colored sticky note to the box which indicates exactly what action they need to take to “deal with” that box. Finally, I assign this task as homework to them, and I follow up.
I believe this exercise — identifying the discrete task and having it as homework — causes a very subtle mental shift for them in their minds and can help change poor habits. It establishes a tangible action step that can be taken rather than an amorphous, overwhelming future responsibility to “deal with it later”. I think the latter is exactly what causes procrastination and feelings of being overwhelmed which so often plague the disorganized.
Thanks again, Geralin.
Crystal
—
Crystal Dreisbach,
Sparkleizer and Home Organization Expert
http://www.sparkleize.com
E-mail: crystal@sparkleize.com
Durham, North Carolina
What about home office categories?
I urgently need to help my elderly father (the hoarder) locate particular documents. A number of legal and financial issues have come to a head, and his clutter is mostly paper. I can’t afford an organizer, and have no help from other family. (I might get an hour or two from a brother on the weekend.)
Can you recommend a way for one person to sort several rooms in stages, over a couple of days? There are seven rooms to get through… every surface is covered. I think I might *have* to triage, box, and store for later ‘dealing with’ – in an assigned ‘storage’ room, I guess? How might I approach the task, and what tools might be required for an initial sort/desperate search for mortgage papers, etc? (There are pest issues, too.)
I intend to properly clean once the sort is done, but simply cannot manage both at the same time, while wrangling my father and fighting off his creditors.
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98551,00.html
Above is a link to the IRS regarding which papers to keep (wasn’t sure if you needed that information)
First of all, let me say that my heart goes out to you. You are in a most unfortunate situation and even though you can’t afford to hire an organizer, if you have a NAPO chapter within 50 miles, I’d email a note to the chapter President and ask her if she’d send a note, on your behalf, asking for volunteer Professional Organizers in her chapter on xxx date.
Go to NAPO.NET and type in your zip code.
In your note, explain what you are asking. Tell them EXACTLY what you need – in detail, for example:
Please help me – - I have a xxxx square foot house that belongs to my father; it’s located at xxxxx Street.
If you can help, arrive at xxx time and plan on working until xxx time.
I quickly must locate the following documents: xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx.
There is plumbing and electricity but the house is infested with xxxxx.
There are pets/no pets and smokers/no smokers in the house.
I can’t afford to pay you but I’ll write a recommendation (testimonial) for every one of you on or before xxxxx date.
Please bring any supplies that will be helpful (empty boxes or large, collapsible tables for sorting, as examples) and a brown bag lunch
I will provide the following: trash bags, a step stool, markers, file folders, masking tape, card stock for making signs, ice, bottled water, coffee, bagels — whatever)
I need help sorting everything in the home so I can locate the documents mentioned above.
I will/ will not have a portable storage unit rented to temporarily store sorted items.
I will/will not have my father there.
You could use a note like this with any volunteer crew but I think organizers would be my first choice; most are respectful of people’s property and have the skill set needed to assist you in the most-efficient manner possible.
Good luck!