How to start organizing your home, according to a Cambridge expert

The Little Details’ Stasia Steele on the power of labels, that last 10 percent of effort, and the hardest habit to break

By Tom Acitelli@tomacitelli Mar 27, 2020, 6:05am EDT

A very messy bedroom with clothes strewn about the furniture.

Stuck at home a ton more? You are not alone in the Boston area by any means. The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to harvest anxiety and disruption as it forces people to alter routines for the longterm.

So we’ve been asking local organizing experts how people might clear, repurpose, and otherwise adjust their existing domestic spaces to better cope. Every expert is getting the same set of questions—and coming back with tips galore.

Next up is Stasia Steele, founder of Cambridge-based organizing outfit The Little Details, on the power of labels and that last 10 percent of effort.

Top two or three tips for getting organized quickly?

Steele over email: Whenever we organize a space, we always follow Julie Morgenstern’s S.P.A.C.E. acronym. It stands for Sort, Purge, Assign, Contain, and Equalize.

Sort your items into categories; purge your unwanted items; assign a home indicating where you want to store those items; contain them with product or drawer space; and, lastly, maintain, maintain, maintain! The best part about the acronym is that it applies to any organizing project whether it’s physical or digital.

Another tip when organizing is to focus on one room at a time until completion. It’s so easy to get distracted when you find items that don’t belong in the room you’re working in. To avoid the distraction of bouncing from room to room like a ping-pong ball, have bins or bags lined up and labeled with the room that the items belong in.

Once you finish organizing the space you’re in, you can take each bag/bin to it’s corresponding room to put items away in their proper homes.

The last tip that’s incredibly useful is to label! Whether you live solo or with multiple people, having labels helps create structure and keep systems from falling apart. This is one of the simplest things that is overlooked and makes all the difference.

What’s the hardest habit for clients to break?

The hardest habit for clients to break is stopping the influx of stuff that enters their homes. In addition to that, it’s physically getting rid of the unwanted items.

Once your home is organized, take the last 10 percent of effort to get rid of what you’ve decided needs to leave. Take the trash bags and recycling out of the house and get those donations in your car to shuttle them to wherever they need to go.

Donation possibilities in the Boston area

The Salvation Army. This group shuttered its thrift stores and its pickup operation in late March due to the coronavirus. It’s encouraging people instead to hold on to their clothing, shoes, furniture, and other household items for later donation.

Would-be donors in the Boston area are encouraged to call 800-SA-TRUCK or to visit Satruck.org for the latest information. And, as for what the Salvation Army might accept, check out this list.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Based in Lynn and with several thrift stores, the society will take everything from clothing to cars to furniture. Check to see what’s needed and/or acceptable, though, and any changes due to the coronavirus. (The society has not responded to requests for comment.)

Habitat for Humanity. The Greater Boston wing of this operation pretty much ceased operations on April 4, and it’s not sure when those operations will resume. The shuttering includes Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore on the VFW Parkway in West Roxbury.

In the meantime, the nonprofit is asking that people not drop off donations but rather hold on to them until things ease. Here’s what you can donate—and information on arranging free pickups once operations resume.

Boomerangs. AIDS Action runs this thrift store chain, which has locations in Boston and Cambridge. All of the locations are closed, though, until on or around May 10, according to the organization. Hold on to any donations until then—and here’s a rundown of what you might be able to donate.

Goodwill. This organization is taking the same approach as the Salvation Army: Please hold on to any potential donations as Goodwill’s stores throughout the Boston region are shuttered and its operations, including donation sites, are pretty much suspended until at least May 4. Here’s a list of what Goodwill in Massachusetts might accept.

A couple of organizational essentials for any home office right now?

Avoid letting your desk drawer turn into a junk drawer. Implement InterDesign drawer organizers that we sell in our online store here. Having a label maker (like this one) is another essential item to help label your files or wherever your desk supplies live.

One trade secret (or a hint) for decluttering fast?

Get rid of items that are broken, stained, torn, need to be repaired (but still haven’t years later), no longer fit, are no longer your style, or are expired. It’s incredible to see how much space can be created when you get rid of these unwanted items. We call this the low-hanging fruit. Start with this step first in any space that you’re trying to organize.