Few things set the tone better for a new year than an organized home. While donating or properly disposing of clutter is an important first step, creating lasting order comes down to how you reset your space once the excess is gone.
Bridges Conner, owner and founder of Rosie on the House Certified Partner Get Organized with Bridges, has a few tips to help make daily routines easier and create a calmer, more functional environment.
New year, new room
“I like to start with the master areas and clear the clutter to create an oasis for the family,” Conner said. “Sometimes, the master area becomes a dumping zone for the rest of the house (especially the woman’s closet), so I always try to get a workspace (if possible) out of the bedroom to eliminate some of the chaos.”
The kitchen is another area that requires a lot of de cluttering, especially if the family likes to cook.
Tackle one space at a time
Instead of trying to overhaul your entire home in one weekend, focus on one area at a time. High-traffic spaces like entryways and living rooms are great places to start, as they tend to collect clutter quickly and impact daily flow. Working in smaller zones helps keep the process manageable and allows you to see progress faster, which can also be used as motivation!
“The process is the same whether it is a junk drawer or a garage – everything has to come out of the space, get sorted and get purged to get down to what the clients loves and needs,” Conner said. “Then it’s put back and assigned a home.”
Conner mentioned that a helpful acronym for organizing is SPACE, which means sort, purge, assign a home, containerize and then equalize.
When it comes to a busy room, like a closet that’s become a catch all for clothes, décor, holiday items and more, the first thing to keep in mind is, “is the original structure sufficient for a reorganization?”
“I always recommend that a closet company comes in to utilize the space,” Conner said. “This includes increasing the height and understanding how they use the space and what they own.”
Create smart storage solutions
Once you’ve edited down your belongings, it’s time to organize what remains. Storage solutions don’t have to be complicated or expensive to be effective. Clear bins, labeled baskets and drawer dividers make it easier to find what you need and put items back where they belong. Vertical storage, such as shelving or over-the-door organizers, can be especially helpful in smaller homes or apartments, maximizing space without adding visual clutter.
“Bookshelves or a cube system are good alternatives to shelves,” Conner said. “It is imperative that the vertical space is utilized because you can’t always go out.”
Build systems that work for your lifestyle
The key to long-term organization is creating systems you can realistically maintain. A small drop zone near the front door for keys, bags and mail can prevent clutter from spreading throughout the house. In the kitchen, grouping items by function — such as baking supplies, cookware and snacks — streamlines daily routines and reduces frustration. The goal isn’t perfection, but consistency and ease.
“Sometimes the clients get overwhelmed. I hear that every day they just shut the door because they don’t even know where to start,” Conner said. “When you follow a system, there is a wonderful outcome. The goal is to get rid of items the client does not love or need.”
Keeping your home organized doesn’t require constant effort. Simple habits, like a five-minute nightly tidy or a weekly reset, can make a big difference over time. Seasonal check-ins are also helpful for reassessing what you use, what you can donate and what may need a better storage solution. These small routines ensure your space continues to support your lifestyle all year long.
Where to take your clutter
Need help deciding where to take your unwanted wares – including the plastic trees and wreathes or décor that has seen better days? Here are a few Valley spots that can help:
Greenery:
Once the holidays wrap up, it’s time to give your Christmas greenery a proper send-off — and doing it the right way helps keep our community clean and green. Remove all decorations, lights, tinsel, stands and any nails or metal stakes before disposal, and remember that flocked trees are not compostable and must go in your black landfill container or to a transfer station.
Trees and wreaths should be taken unbagged to designated drop-off areas, and if you’re transporting them, secure them safely with tie-downs that can be easily removed. City of Phoenix residents can bring up to two live trees to a transfer station or use their annual free load allowance for larger drop-offs.
You can also include your tree in a scheduled bulk trash pickup or cut it down to fit inside your black bin or Curbside Green Organics bin, if available. While you’re at it, consider reducing holiday waste by reusing gift bags, repurposing paper or magazine pages for wrapping or donating decorations and lights so they can brighten someone else’s season next year.
Little stuff:
For those looking to donate usable goods, there are numerous donation centers and thrift stores across the state that accept clothing, furniture, household items and more. Popular choices in the Phoenix area include Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity ReStore – Phoenix, Thrift to Thrive, Arizona Humane Society, The Salvation Army and Deseret Industries Thrift Store & Donation Center, all of which help support charities and resale efforts.
Smaller nonprofits like Fresh Start Women’s Foundation and Changing Lives Center also accept donations that directly benefit Phoenix residents, while food banks such as St. Mary’s Food Bank provide another way to give back by donating nonperishable food. Community shelters like UMOM New Day Center take certain household goods to support families and individuals in need.
P.S. don’t donate old furniture, encyclopedias, swimsuits, mattresses, well-worn shoes or hazardous items… donations centers aren’t in the market for those things!
Paper stuff:
Remember when banks sent out a paper invoice of all your transactions for the month? Do you still have a giant pile of those from 2003? It’s time to let them go, and Phoenix’s recycling infrastructure includes eco-stations and transfer station drop-offs for materials like paper, plastics and metals.
In addition, several local recycling centers accept a range of recyclables (such as cans, electronics and scrap metal) throughout the metro area.
Hazardous stuff:
For items that require special handling, such as chemicals, paints, batteries and other household hazardous waste, Arizona municipalities offer specific disposal services.
The City of Phoenix provides a household hazardous waste collection program for residents with solid waste accounts, allowing safe pickup of dangerous materials that shouldn’t go in regular trash.
The City of Scottsdale’s Solid Waste Services also schedules home collections for hazardous household items several months throughout the year. In Tempe, the Household Products Collection Center offers a dedicated location to dispose of such products responsibly.
Big stuff:
For yard waste and bulky organic materials, Maricopa County Environmental Services operates recycling centers and quarterly green waste drop-off events where residents can dispose of clean plant debris year-round.
By choosing donation centers, recycling facilities and designated hazardous waste programs, Arizona residents can declutter responsibly in ways that reduce landfill use, support local communities and protect the environment.
