ORGANIZING An industry lines up to arm conquerors of clutter

Tackle one overstuffed nook or cranny a day and you won't be overwhelmed, one expert advises.
By JURA KONCIUS
WASHINGTON POST
Almost nothing gets a bigger response from readers than stories about clutter. People seem to take heart in hearing that they're not the only ones shamed by overstuffed closets and teetering desktops. For many of us, especially after a packed holiday season of giving and getting, the notion of carting out the old and shabby is as gratifying as carrying in the new.
A burgeoning industry of professional organizers, space clearers, life coaches and clutter gurus has grown up to help people part with what they don't need and put order to the rest. (Check out the National Association of Professional Organizers at www.napo.net or look under Organizing in the Yellow Pages.)
Growing numbers of stores and catalogs are devoted specifically to selling things that corral things: under-bed storage bins, hanging shoe bags, stacking file holders, CD towers, sock separators, revolving spice racks.
Dealing with stuff has become a major obsession -- and a major industry -- in the 21st century.
"Organizing has replaced thinking about dieting," says Carrie Tuhy, managing editor of Real Simple, a magazine devoted to paring down and de-stressing. Although some shelter mags have struggled to keep their footing in these uncertain times, this 3-year-old publication has a struck a responsive chord with readers, with a less-is-more mantra: the best black pants, organizing a broom closet and "Am I Losing My Mind or Just My Keys?" It was recently named Magazine of the Year by Advertising Age and ramped up to 1.2 million readers. (Check out www.realsimple.com to see if it rings your bell.)
Out with old, in with new
The bad news is that possessions tend to multiply during December. The good news is that January gives us the perfect opportunity to change our ways. Just as we vow to shed a few pounds with the turn of the new year, now is a fine time to put our homes on a weight-loss plan too, plucking out old clothes and expired cough medicines, culling broken tennis rackets and forgotten crock pots, trashing junk mail. But we need a plan.
Tuhy says that at her own home, she plans to start tossing out 10 things a day. She recommends clearing out one shelf or one drawer at a time, even if you have only five or 10 minutes to spare. "Starting small makes you feel like organizing is really possible and not overwhelming," she says.
I tried this one-a-day approach, also touted by syndicated household-hints queen Heloise, last January. It worked wonders, and I was delighted to part with stray socks, old keys and dried-up nail polish. Of course, as the months rolled by, drawers and shelves overflowed anew. Such, I suppose, is the circle of life. But we won't think of it as defeat; we'll think of it as an opportunity to start fresh.
Online buildup
This year, I'm determined to expand my assault to include cyber-clutter. In her new book, "Organizing Plain & amp; Simple" (Storey Books, 309 pp., $16.95), writer Donna Smallin has polled professional organizers and written a terrific handbook of clutter-control tips. One thing she found is that an overstuffed e-mail inbox can be just as discouraging as a jammed junk drawer. Her book suggests leaving only things in the inbox that you have yet to act on. The rest, she says, should be deleted or moved to storage folders.
Going through closets and clearing off countertops means making decisions about things you have to either recycle to friends or family, donate to charity or sell at auction or on eBay. Smallin's book has a great section called "Keep or Toss," with questions to ask yourself when sorting. Try scrolling through www.holdeverything.com or www.thecontainerstore.com for suggestions.