Latest / More Organised Less Clutter / 258. Spring Cleaning Secrets: Virtual Organising & Decluttering Tips
Transcript
- speaker-0: Welcome to More Organized Less Clutter, a podcast to empower individuals and neurodivergent families with practical, realistic tools to create a more organized, sensory-friendly, clutter-free, and intentional home that works with your lifestyle and brain, not against it. I'm Norelle King, a professional organizer and neurodivergent mum who understands the unique challenges of family life. I help people just like you simplify your space. Build sustainable organizational systems and create more breathing room physically and mentally. Every fortnight you'll hear solo episodes and guest conversations filled with practical strategies on decluttering, home organization, routines for neurodivergent families, mindful living, and how to build a home that feels safe, calm and functional. You'll walk away with actionable takeaways you can implement even if you only have 10 minutes to spare. Ever felt overwhelmed by spring cleaning and just didn't know where to start? In today's episode, I have Ali, a professional organizer from AliB Co. She dives into how to make decluttering manageable and even enjoyable with some smart virtual organizing hacks. You'll also learn why pulling everything out all at once is a huge mistake and how isolation and busy lives can stop. your progress. And she also goes through what a virtual session looks like from planning as well as knowing when to pause. And she finishes by sharing some seasonal spring cleaning hacks. If you're ready to break free from clutter without burning out and want some practical, realistic strategies you can use on your own or with virtual support, this episode is for you. Let's jump into this more organized, less clutter conversation with Ali from AliB Co. Today, a more organized, less clutter. I'm talking with Ali from Ali B Co. She's the owner and a professional organizer who's passionate about helping people declutter and organize their homes, even from a distance. And today she's going to give us some actionable takeaways to lead into spring and spring cleaning and getting organized. Welcome, Ali. Thank speaker-1: you Naurel, it's great to be here. I'm excited to be having a chat. speaker-0: And I'll have to remember to put the other episodes. You have been in a group episode with other professional organizers last year. So I'll have to definitely put the link to that episode in this one as well. So let's start with if you were a Barbie doll, what two accessories would you come with? speaker-1: Yeah, lovely. That'd be good. So ⁓ right. So for me accessories probably my a book. Yeah, I love reading. And probably my measuring tape. It seems to live with me everywhere. Not just as an organizer, but I'm now I guess become my constant companion. speaker-0: A book yet? I have to agree with that. Mine's in my car and I've got one in my handbag and there's one in the top drawer. And yeah, you do use it a lot, don't you? You just pull it out. Hang on, I'll just measure that. I'll tell you what size we need or whatever. And is there partic particular style of books that you like to read? speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. No, I like a bit of everything. I'm doing a bit of fantasy at the moment. So Yeah, a bit of dragons and I don't know, witches and warlocks and that kind of stuff. So but no, I like anything so that speaker-0: And is it audio? Audio physical physical. speaker-1: Yeah. No, but I do mostly physical. It's kind of my relaxation. So I read every night before bed. So it's my switch off time. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, that's nice. That's such a good thing. We need it after such a physical job, isn't it? Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah, and I find my b I'm often still you know, my brain's still back in, ⁓ how do I solve this problem? How do I just sort this or do this? speaker-0: Yeah, what what solutions is gonna work for there? speaker-1: Yeah. So just that reading sort of takes me out of out of that thinking mode and just I I absorb that makes sense. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. speaker-1: So speaker-0: What do you see as some of the biggest mistakes people do when they're organizing? speaker-1: I think the number one that I see is the old pull everything out all at once. And then it's like the the energy runs out and there's just a mess left. Or that they've, you know, managed to sort of do the declutter, but there's so much that still has to happen after you've actually made all those decisions. So the actual, you know, delivery donations, the rubbish and yeah. So I think it's that that planning piece and actually understanding the full full breadth of what what's actually involved. So speaker-0: what it actually is gonna look like when they do pull everything out and what's in that cupboard, it's so overwhelming for some people. Whereas for you and I, we're like, let's keep going, let's get into this. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. And cause I suppose for the client, it I see that they're it's the decision fatigue. So even when you've made all those decisions, you might you may have the physical energy to keep going to put it back, but it's like your brain power's gone in doing the planning piece to you know, how do I want to put this back and where does it need to go? Like it it's it's fairly, fairly ⁓ common to sort of see that. Yeah. speaker-0: People underestimate how exhausted they're gonna feel from making all those decisions. speaker-1: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And it comes out in funny little ways. Some people speed up and you just see ⁓ just going faster with the decisions and and less care and then more regrets later. Or that you know, they go into complete shutdown and just can't make a decision, can't be in in the space and yeah. So it's yeah, it's really interesting. So speaker-0: Yeah. For you, because of where you you are, I'm sure that there's some people who are quite isolated. So what about if people were working alone? How does that impact like their motivation and progress during decluttering? speaker-1: Yeah, so I mean, for people that are on their own and I I work regionally, so I'm not in the city. So I actually see quite a few people that can't actually access a a professional organizer in person. And what often happens Is because of that isolation, they actually they don't get started to start with. Like they it just keeps being on that to do list or it's too much and then it just gets worse and worse for them and they lose it f a lot more function and it becomes a bit of a spiral. The other thing is I suppose that When you're on your own and you don't have that strong connection with someone else coming in to help you or even if like say if you're a on the farm, like that's a common common one I see with people busy lives, you know, don't even have time for people to drop in and and give ⁓ a hand or or whatever. It just becomes the too hard basket. So you s you slowly sort of see areas fill up in the home and really start to lose that function or a lot more frustration and overwhelm gets experienced and stress because it's like nothing is easy anymore. There's just things on things or because things aren't, you know, in a place that's easy accessible, you you just really start to to lose that ease in your routine. So yeah. And what kind of happens for people that I sort of see at times is i th they just go kinda go quiet. Like it's like you stop asking like they can't ask for help. It's like, well, where do I go if I'm isolated? Yeah. Yeah. And they just kinda slowly just live with it, if that makes sense. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. So what for you, what does it look like? What does a virtual session look like with these clients that you work with? speaker-1: Yeah, so the way I work with people is it can be purely like an online session and that doesn't that doesn't mean doing a zoom and sitting in front of the computer. It can be just as simple as having your phone and we do like a FaceTime or via Messenger or WhatsApp or something like that. It's kind of funny. People don't realise that you have that versatility when it comes to sort of tapping into an organizer because then they can They can walk around with you like your buddy in a on your phone. So or or not. Like it's just having a conversation like you and I are th the person. But it's surprising, you know, how quickly people do open up when you do run a virtual session. I normally start with a bit of a a chat and but if they're open to actually having a look at some of the areas in their home that they they are struggling with, you'd think you'd have to be there in person to to see it, but you actually don't and the person, you know, they can just show you through their phone and you know, you can ask them to go a bit closer and they can have a bit more of a look. But it can also involve actually sitting down and doing some of that decluttering with the person. You're st you're just not physically there. You're on the device, what it whether it's laptop or or phone, and talking to the person and supporting them just as you would any other time. I would say when you're doing ⁓ virtual session, I do find that I have to have little strategies to bring the person into the session. ⁓ so if you imagine someone walking into your home, it's easy to give them a your attention because you're you're they're there with you. But when you're just via a a video, it seems like people can be quite distracted. So there's a few sort of entry techniques I I do around bringing the person into the room and being really focused on what we're going to do. And we do a lot more what I'd say pre-session planning. So before we actually go in and do some decluttering, we actually have a bit of a structure around, you know, how's this gonna flow? How long's it gonna take? We're gonna have check-ins and stop points, bringing into focus, you know, what it is they want to actually look at. Because I I'm not physically there as much to also pick up on some of the cues I would otherwise pick up on. So what I mean by that is the camera maybe pointed at the things and meanwhile the person's face has kind of frozen or you can see that they're starting to get stressed. Well, I don't you don't always see that. So you've kind of got to be really aware and have those check in points throughout a session and and be talking a lot more as well. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, that's definitely I can imagine that because there is a lot or it's even little actions like sometimes someone might move something to the side and then you're like, Okay, keep going for a minute and then you're like, Okay, so why do we move this over to the side? But if that was just in the camera view, you might miss those little little things too. speaker-1: Yeah, that's right. So there's there's a lot to kind of think about and try and remember when you're with a client and you're actually doing that that hands-on declutter with them. The the other one that I actually find the other sort of s session structure that I find that works really well for a virtual session is simply just doing more of a coaching approach. So it's that accountability piece. We're not doing as much hands-on inner session, but it's more helping someone get really clear about what they wanna focus on, talking through what that will look like for them when they are doing the decluttering on their own, setting those time frames, talking about different strategies that will work for them, you know, like task timing or looking at how they might set up their categories. You know, w what I mentioned before about, you know, looking at the full plan, like not just the actual decluttering part, but making sure that we're allowing the let go part and what that looks like for them. It's actually really interesting because some people really respond to that and are happy doing their work outside of the session. But if they weren't having the session with me, then they don't get it done. So it's that simple ⁓ I've got the session coming up in Ali. I know I've got I've said I was gonna do this and I haven't done it. Some people want a little touch base in between sessions. So, you know, a few texts or No, send us a photo, how are you tracking? Like all of that stuff's really powerful because it feels like you're not on your own and the person may be very, very capable. It's just been a time barrier or something it has gone on in their life that, you know, they haven't been able to keep up with things. So that's all they need. So it ca it can be as simple as as that as well. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. And and and I find that I've done a few virtually I actually that's how I started my business was doing virtually and I didn't actually enjoy it because I was like, I just wanna be there. I just wanna help you get started. But yes, now that I've got more experience, I think I don't mind doing it now and then, not all the time, but just occasionally. It's just it's different, isn't it? And it's also having those touch points to be able to keep them accountable. And they actually I find that's really motivating for them as well. to send, you know, photos or updates or we got this bit done and yeah, it's great. I love seeing seeing what they're up to, how they've progressed. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. It's it's amazing. And the like some of my clients, like there's one in particular, I think we've been together coming up a couple of years, but we had a period there where we'd set up and they'd gone off and they'd sort of done everything to a point that they they wanted to, but you know, life kinda got in the way and they needed to pause for a bit. But when they came back, like the shifts and changes that they'd sort of done on so many different levels in their life just through, you know, the work that we'd done around, you know, understanding how they worked best, you know, the different kind of archetypes and how to sort of prioritize and what tools did they need to sort of, you know, pull ⁓ up out of the the the the forest and they could see the trees so that they felt like they could move. Like they were using all of these things in between sessions and and it w during that break time and now ⁓ they've come back and it's almost like I I call it like they're leveling up. It's like, What's where you need No, no, no. Like I'm I'm doing this now. Okay. Right. So it's pretty exciting when you're you know, you think it's it's just a a video call, like, how can you impact as much as what you do and it it just does. So Yeah. Yeah. speaker-0: 'Cause there's a lot more, I think, to organizing than people think there is. There's so much underlying things that go with or organising that yes, and working out problems and how are we going to solve that and what challenges are going to be popping up in the way and where's those friction points as well, isn't there? Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah, that's right. And understanding I mean, I I always try and do work with people understanding their different sort of habits and behaviours and what are your cycles. I think we don't talk enough about this, particularly if I'm working with females, is understanding your cycles and seasons. We kinda feel like we have to be up all the time and go, go, go, rather than sort of listening and observing, you know, when we're best to do certain things in our lives, you know, whether it's your 30s decade or your forties decade. Like I've had some fascinating conversations with some parents that and they just needed to hear it. I think that it's okay that you're going to have a lot more stuff while the kids are, you know, that that young age through to teenage. Like just accept that that's going to happen. But how does that look and how's it going to how are you going to balance that and still feel like it's it's your home kind of thing. But just to hear that. that pressure off themselves and understand that's just a season of their life that will change. But yeah, giving themselves the grace through that period i is really valuable. speaker-0: Yeah, definitely. I love that the whole seasons and looking at where you are. It's not gonna be like this forever. You're not gonna have toys everywhere. ⁓ they do eventually move on and and take get rid of most of the toys. They might keep a small amount, but they do let go and your house is not looking like a toy shop again. speaker-1: No, that's it. And and even the the piece on the cycles, like I mean, I'm Darrell, you I'm sure you're all a across this and but people that school cycle of things, like when people are particularly when they're doing virtuals, they're like, I wanna see you every month. It's like, Okay, is that really gonna work for you? Like, let's talk about what actually happens while you're trying to juggle work and while the kids are at school, like You find that they actually find a balance that's more around what's happening in that flow of busy that happens through the school term and then what does that look like when they're having have that bit more time to themselves. Like there's almost like a two week window depending on and it's not always in the school holidays, but you know, that it's understanding when is that lull gonna happen and when can you actually find time and space to to do this little refresh you're looking for or or speaker-0: Yeah, and it's interesting. The whole school holidays really does affect a professional organizer's business if you're working with that sort of age group. It's like during the holidays, coming into the holidays and coming out of the holidays. And I feel like the middle of the term it's a little bit quieter, but those other ends, it's when everyone wants to get organized. ⁓ they want you to come and work with the kids, or it's after the holidays. That's done. It's done. It's, you know, the holidays have done me in. I need to get rid of some of this stuff out of here or get organized. So it's it's interesting that it that does really influence our our business and our flow, doesn't it, as well? So we're coming into like spring. So do you have some tips that you would suggest for people who it might be virtually, so they're just doing it by themselves, or it could be, you know, having someone else around. What's some of your organizing tips that you like to share with people or do a lot of? speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so spring times it's that change of seasons that's really going on and I mean for me personally it you know, but you start to open up windows, you start to let the air in, all that kind of stuff. So, you know, maybe one I mean, one of the things I love to do is is, you know, that dusty cupboard 'cause the dust can finally go outside. So having a look at those kind of areas that just kind of you know, been left to fester through that winter, it's nice to start sort of poking your head in there and sort of saying, Okay, how can we get give this a little refresh? And when those those beautiful spring days start coming in, you you you're actually feeling like you're you're opening up and letting things breathe again. So in terms of a top tip, I I'd say look for those dark, dusty maces. Don't know if if any Yeah, so just ⁓ speaker-0: That ⁓ be isn't it, that area in their home that they've maybe not touched over that whole winter period and or even it's a room. It's maybe even a whole room, isn't it? The spare room. speaker-1: Room. Yeah. So for me, what's on my radar at the moment is my laundry. I have a ⁓ what do you call ⁓ A clothes dryer. So you always find that I I don't have one of those exhausts. So I find that it gets more dusty in there. And I was looking in there the other day and there's some old shoes that I need to go through. Cause that's where those go to sort of live. Yeah, there's just some old kind of cleaning products. Like it's that kind of room that's kind of It's doing its job through the winter and now you can see it just kind of needs that bit of a really refresh. speaker-0: And no, for me it was like the back deck is looking like it needs it needs refreshing because people are just throwing things out the door because they don't want to walk out to the shed because they'll get wet or they're you know, it's been raining. So that in our house is looking like it needs some really good tidying up right now. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. So there yeah, there's always those spaces that are just don't touch ⁓ in winter. You just you're gonna get to ⁓ in spring and it'll be beautiful when you get there. So yeah. Yeah. I d I did always what about Sorry. No, no, you go. speaker-0: Yeah. But things no, no, I was gonna say, do you have like appliances or things that you do yourself or do for clients, like going into springtime, like like you were saying about the dryer, but it's like even I don't know, like cleaning out the washing machine or any of those, you know, those other cleaning things. I know for me, it's the window frames because they've been closed and so But the condensation builds up on them. So I've already looked at them going, they definitely need to be done in springtime. speaker-1: Yeah. Windows is always one that comes up for me as well at the end of winter. So windows washed inside and out. And and probably that bit of changeover with your wardrobe and shoes. So my home's not a big home. So I find that that seasonal changing over of things for me is something I look at as well. So at the moment, you know, I've got my baskets at the front with the jumpers and the skivvies on and I know You know, my long sleeve t shirts versus my short sleeves. So that'll all start to get swapped around. And of course you you have those in betweens where it's like you'll have a few days of really nice weather and you dip around and it's a bit messy. So I I was actually looking at my T shirts drawing I've got to I've gotta find a new solution for for how to store those 'cause ⁓ it's all not quite working at the moment. Yeah. And it speaker-0: Do you find then it's also that? Like when you you'll see it now and it's on the radar, but it's like that energy of spring is when you go, Okay, I really need to do this and I'm going to do that. Maybe it's also around changing the ⁓ wardrobe around with the different clothes. If you've got a small space, which I'm the same as you, t shorts are all up the top at the moment and they'll come down. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. The other thing I like to do is a refresh on my clothes. So not just the declutter, but I'll actually do a complete wash on everything. Just because they have been closed up and got that bit dusty. So I always do that that little bit of cleaning of of my clothes. The other the other one actually I did this the other day 'cause it was a nice day. Under the ⁓ couch. I'm not one to move that every time that I vacuum. And I pulled it out and went woo. That's been a little while. Yeah. So that was good to to actually get done. Yeah. Yeah. And the pot plants, they love a little refresh, washing their leaves down and and stuff like that. I have a few plants around the house and I'm like, ⁓ you are looking a bit dusty. You need that bit of a refresh as well. speaker-0: Yeah. I'm feeling like some of them too are not liking the room where the heater is and I've had to move them around to that parts of the house that there's not as h it's not as sunny, but it's not as hot and they seem to be like liking that. So like, ⁓ I need to do a bit of a refresh of dirt, I think, for some of these indoor plants. Yeah. Coming into spring. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. I was a bit over my old cleaning stuff. No, I'm a bit of a NYO person. I don't have a lot of chemicals. So I actually found a little recipe around using clove oil and vinegar and and water as a as a nice sort of wipe down disinfectant spray and I'm absolutely loving that at the moment. For some reason Yeah. So anyway, nice little tip there. Make your own little disinfectant. It does the job just as well. speaker-0: ⁓ yeah, that sounds nice. Yeah. Yeah, that's a great tip. So how can people connect with you, Ali? speaker-1: Yeah, so I'm on Facebook, I'm on Instagram, I have my websites Ali Ali B and Co. And my handles are Ali B colder free. ⁓ I'm also on TikTok a little bit. I I sort of I don't promote that one a lot 'cause I don't really dance, although I'm starting to take some lessons. I'm told you I need to dance more as I get older. So yeah. speaker-0: ⁓ that's so great, Ellie. And if anyone wants definitely support virtually, like you're definitely the person to go to because of your experience with it. Thank you so much for your time. speaker-1: You are more than welcome. It's been great chatting to you again. Than speaker-0: Sally. Bye. If you find yourself wasting precious time searching for misplaced items and wishing for a more organized life, then you need my 5-minute declutter ebook, the ultimate guide to quick and easy organizing solutions for a clutter-free and happy home. Forget about spending months comariing your house. These fun solutions are designed to give you immediate results in under 5 minutes. Head over to Simply Happy in the resource section and download your free copy and start seeing results in minutes. I'd like to acknowledge the Wotherong people of the Kulin Nation on which this podcast is recorded as the traditional custodians of the land. I pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.