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Most of us are on the double-digit days of social distancing, and things are starting to get a little weird. What better way to distract yourself from the news cycle-slash-quarantine insanity than finally tackling that pile of high school debate club T-shirts you’ve been meaning to donate?
Nicole Anzia and Katherine DiGiovanni of the DC-based organizing group Neatnik know a lot about this—they are professional purgers, after all. The duo has launched a series of virtual organizing sessions that are free for folks out of work right now, and they’re posting a daily project on their Instagram to motivate followers, too.
Admittedly, tackling a home organizing project can seem overwhelming when you first approach it. So we asked the women to recommend ways to break up said organizing so that it feels manageable. But remember: you don’t need to stress yourself out over completing projects like this at an already stressful time, they say. Start small—they recommend setting a timer and tidying up for a set amount of time each day.
“The one thing we can control is our home environment,” says Anzia, “and just a little bit of work each day to improve our surrounding will help ease anxiety and help us feel productive.”
Here are their six tips for breaking down your journey toward an organized home into manageable chunks:
Make a To-Do List
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’ll launch you in the right direction. Anzia and DiGiovanni recommend making a list each morning and including everything you have to do, no matter how trivial. That includes brushing your teeth, working out, taking a shower, having lunch—your typical daily routine. Then sprinkle in some organizational tasks throughout, they say. This will make tidying seem like a typical part of your routine.
Tackle the Closet
For 20 minutes each day, face your closet. Take out clothes you know you’re never going to wear again, and then put them in a pile to donate and a pile to sell. Have bags marked and ready to store your clothes, so you won’t have any excuses when it comes time to get them out of the house (when we’re no longer social distancing, that is).
Now For the Shelves
You can tackle one shelf at a time, or one bookcase at a time, if you have multiple. Start by taking your books and knickknacks down and wiping the shelf clean, then take stock of what you have. For every shelf, find three books you’d like to donate. Repeat daily until you’ve gone through all your shelves and bookcases.
Don’t Forget the Medicine Cabinet
This applies to vanities and bathroom counter drawers, too. Take everything out, wipe down your shelves and drawers, and take stock of what you have. Throw out all expired cosmetics, samples, and products. If you have expired prescriptions, bag them so that you can dispose of them safely once you’re able to get out of the house.
Get Rid of All Those Old Magazines and Mail
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually need to hoard every issue of Bon Appetit ever created. Go through the stacks of publications in your house—if there’s an article you really want to read, tear that out and keep it, then ditch the actual magazine. Recycle everything. The same goes for your mail: Divide it into piles like “needs attention,” “needs to be filed,” and “need to be recycled.”
Make Your Bed
Just do it! It’s one thing to check off your list early in the morning, and it will most likely set you up for other good household habits, too.
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s written for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Del Ray.
