Battling chaos of clutter

Kelly Rhoten wasn’t always organized. At one time, the local woman was known for all-night, double-latte-fueled decluttering sessions that caused her stress and depression, with no long-term results.

“I was a train wreck,” she said. “It just seemed unlikely that I would ever, ever be organized.”

Today Rhoten is a professional organizer, and the founder of her own company, Organize Me! In addition to working one-on-one with clients, she teaches a popular course at the Huntington Beach Adult School.

Rhoten’s odyssey from clutter to control began when she went to a similar organizing class with a friend, at the same school.

Her life changed when she and her friend worked together on their clutter issues, and found they liked helping each other. After a few paired-up organizing sessions, Rhoten found she could do it herself and, slowly but surely, changed her habits. She also cut down on what stuff came into her home.

“I saw the difference that it made in my own life, and I wanted to help others have that feeling,” she said. “It was just so rewarding.”

A new business was born.

“Now I get to see the light come on when my clients realize what’s gotten them to this point,” Rhoten said. “You can help someone make their dream come true.”

Her two-session class at the Huntington Beach Adult School is geared toward busy people who feel stressed out and overwhelmed by the clutter and disorganization in their home, Rhoten said.

Her goal is to help people get out of CHAOS, or “Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome.”

Techniques she teaches include how to find the time to sort through clutter; how to determine what is worth keeping and what should be trashed, recycled or donated; and scores of tips for specific areas of the home, like the closet, kitchen or office.

She warns against common sidetracking tendencies while decluttering, like micro-organizing: i.e., sorting all buttons by color, size and style, rather than just putting them together in a container.

In the week between sessions, Rhoten gives a homework assignment to the class to tackle their own project. When they return for the second session, students share what worked and what was difficult for them about the project.

“I’m very much about common sense,” Rhoten said. “I’m all about drawing on my own experience. I’m just trying to teach what I run into on a daily basis, and what’s stopping people from getting organized.”

Rhoten teaches a unique sorting system that helps people quickly determine what to do with each paper in a pile, each sweater on a closet floor, or each cleaning product jammed under a sink.

When determining what to keep and what to toss, Rhoten suggested asking whether the item is worth the space and time it takes up in a person’s day; whether it offers any joy, regular use or special heirloom value; and whether it was used in the past year, or will be used in the next.

For clothing, people can ask themselves whether it makes them feel good to wear, if it fits, or if it’s in style. If the answer to any of these is no, toss it out.

“I have not seen anyone get rich by keeping junk,” Rhoten told the class.

She is an avid proponent of donating, and has a wealth of resources on where to donate anything from a magazine to a toddler’s toy.

“If I have six women’s business suits that I will never wear again, it’s a little bit selfish of me not to donate them somewhere like Working Wardrobes,” Rhoten told the class.

Upcoming classes are scheduled for March, April and June. Call (714) 948-0881 or e-mail [email protected].

ORGANIZING QUIZ

Do you know how many rolls of tape you have in your house?

A. Yes, and my family knows they had better put them back!

B. I think I have a couple, but I’m not exactly sure where they are right now.

C. I keep buying them, but they disappear like socks.

D. Are you kidding? I just use gift bags, medical tape or chewing gum.

From Kelly Rhoten’s The Organized Home class

CANDICE BAKER may be reached at (714) 966-4631 or at [email protected].