Organization 101 with Ashley of @OCDAZ
I think we can all agree, nothing is quite as aesthetically pleasing as an organized, color coordinated closet. Or a drawer solely for your Keurig coffee cups categorized by flavor. Could you imagine making your living helping people declutter their homes? Believe it or not, professional organizing is a career, and the LGD team sat down with Ashley Stewart, the face behind @ocdaz, to hear all about it! Ashley is an advocate for de-cluttering your physical space as well as improving your mental wellness, and helps get her clients in control of their space. Her motto says it all: “Your chaos is our sanity.”
First and foremost, tell us what a professional organizer does!
A professional organizer helps get your physical and mental space organized! We go in and help identify the areas that are causing the most chaos in your life and come up with solutions by creating systems that work to get you organized and more importantly, keep you organized.
What does a professional organizer NOT do?
Judge! People ALWAYS say to us when we come over, “ok, don’t judge me!” That is the last thing we do. We understand that everyone has their own clutter, their own chaos. We are here to help with that. No judgement here.
Why does someone benefit from purging and getting organized?
People can benefit from purging and organizing for many reasons. One of the most obvious is that it clears up space and makes your home look tidy and not so cluttered. I am a huge believer that physical clutter causes mental clutter. Physical chaos causes mental chaos. By creating spaces that look good, in turn you will start to feel good. I think an organized home is the first important step to take in order to have an organized life. When you have order at home, you are no longer late to appointments, you are no longer losing your keys all of the time, you are no longer paying your bills late. The chain goes on and on. Organized spaces = organized life. Period.
Is there a certain mindset you prepare your clients to be in before tackling a project?
For the most part when clients reach out to us they are already mentally there. I think picking up the phone or sending us a DM is the work. They are ready by the time we get there.
How do you know what to keep, and what to say goodbye to?
In the kitchen, we always suggest keeping one, or a maximum of two, of the same thing. I mean, no one needs 5 sets of measuring spoons. We also suggest getting rid of kitchen appliances you don’t use. The Instant Pot is the culprit in so many houses. Everyone rushed to get them and so many have them just sitting there with tags on in their pantries. If you aren’t using them…get rid of them.
For clothes, it is pretty much the same rule. If you aren’t wearing it, donate, sell, or throw away. Those are the three categories we create when going through closets. If it is sellable, by all means put it on Poshmark or take it to My Sister’s Closet. Go get that money! If you don’t think it will sell but still has some life in it, donate! We love donating to local charities. Maggie’s Place and Fresh Start are two of our go-tos.
What are some of your favorite products and what do you use them for?
Baskets and labels all day! We use them for every space in the house. Baskets are great for storing and containing. Labels let you know what everything is and where it is.
Once the space is organized, what tips do you have for maintaining the space?
With the systems we create it should be easy to stay organized. We try to make it error proof for the whole family. If you know where to find the chips, you know where to put them back.
We were so grateful to have had this conversation and learn more about Ashley and her amazing organizing skills! If you would like to follow along or know someone who could use some help decluttering, feel free to send her a DM on Instagram at @ocdaz or visit her website! She even offers virtual services! If nothing else, looking at her page will give you the kick start you need to drop everything and finally start tidying up your office drawer.
