Sort My House director Angela McLachlan has some top tips to help keep your home clutter free during the Covid-19 lockdown. Photo / Supplied
"Clear space, clear mind."
That is the mantra Sort My House director Angela McLachlan lives by every day.
As a professional organiser, McLachlan's skill for sorting items and decluttering homes is in increasing demand. Within three years, the Tauranga woman has grown her business to include a team of sevenand more than 300 clients in Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.
Now, with the introduction of a 30-day challenge, Sort My House's popularity has skyrocketed even more with people stuck in the Covid-19 lockdown attempting their own home decluttering.
"It's incredibly popular. It's actually exploded on social media."
McLachlan posts on Instagram each day with instructions on how to better organise certain home spaces. Day one involved a fridge, day 10 involved wardrobe hanging.
Tips range from colour coding clothes to hanging each item the opposite way after wearing it, so after six months you can tell what you've worn and what you haven't.
"I would say with a wardrobe, section it off. Don't try to do the whole wardrobe all at once because that can be a bit overwhelming."
McLachlan said that for many, one of the biggest challenges of reorganising a wardrobe was questioning whether to let go of some items.
"When people are doing it themselves, it's actually asking those questions of themselves, which can be harder because you don't have anyone to be accountable to."
Sort My Home's clientele ranges from professional couples struggling to balance work, family and home, to older people struggling to let go of sentimental treasures, to well-off individuals in amazing homes happy to be "blitzed".
"It's quite fascinating," McLachlan said.
"I love it."
Top tips to declutter your wardrobe:
• Clear a space, the bed is ideal. • Take everything out, putting like with like as you go. • Once everything is out and grouped, go through each group and make sure the items fit, you love them or you need them. • If you have flocked hangers change those out now. Otherwise hunt around the house to try to get as many matching hangers together in one place. • Put your clothes back, we recommend either colour coding, or long to short. • Store rarely worn items such as formal dresses in garment bags. And if you have another wardrobe spare, store them out of your main wardrobe.
More tips can be found on Sort My House's website, Facebook page and Instagram.