Jan 13, 2026 - Home Tour
Steal these organizing tips from professionals
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Professional organizers from Sort It Out San Diego and Miss Organized share tips for how to tackle clutter at home.
👚 Seasonal rotation of clothes
- "There's no reason for that to take up prime real estate in our tiny closets with sweaters and boots in the summer, so we have a bin that we can throw those in and stash them away in an attic or a crawl space for the summer months," said Jen Jeffress, owner of Sort It Out San Diego.
🧸 Toy rotation
- "Having a smaller amount of toys out and available for the kids to play with is actually going to stimulate their imaginations a lot more," she said.
📦 Delay buying bins
- Don't buy your bins until after you've purged so you can see what you need.
- Even better, work with the bins you have. "Those can be your limits," Jeffress said.
🧁 Start small
- If you're feeling overwhelmed, start with a cabinet, a drawer, or a dresser.
🗃️ Sort, then purge
- Jeffress said whether you're tackling a small drawer or your entire garage, the system should be: sort into categories, purge, then organize.
- Miss Organized founder Tracy Paye suggests the "Yes, No, Maybe" method.
⏱️ Give yourself 10 seconds
- Or less for each decision to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
🔁 Do it regularly
- Clean out your closets and cabinets every year.
- If you haven't used something in a year, toss it.
👕 One in, one out
- If you get a new sweater, get rid of an old sweater.
🎯 Backward planning
- Pick your goal (for example, move a crib into a room), then work backward to identify the steps to achieve it.
🧘 Don't overdo it
- Avoid marathon organizing sessions back-to-back, Paye said.
- Give yourself time for rest and processing.
