Home Office - Three Cures for Clutter

Three Cures for Clutter

So, you've set up an organized office space. Here's how to keep it that way:

Get a handle on mail. "When you get it, go through it immediately," says Peggy Hackett, a professional organizer in the District. Pull out the junk mail and put it in the recycling bin. Take bills out of their mailing envelopes, put them together with their return envelopes, and then place them on a spot on a desk just for bills. "Doing this every day is best, but if that's not possible, choose a designated day to go through your mail, and stick to it."

Keep up with filing. "We tend to let filing pile up, and at some point it's going to get overwhelming," Hackett says. "If you work from home, pick a designated day to do administrative stuff. If you can't do a whole admin day, then take a couple of hours, but take the time to do it." Don't go more than a week without filing or going through mail.

Buy a shredder. This is important, Hackett says. Shred new credit card offers and anything with personal information on it.

Terri Sapienza