What's Lost at the Bottom of your Bags? - Chaos to Order - Chicago Professional Organizing Experts for Home and Office Organizing

What’s Lost at the Bottom of your Bags?

Bag stuffing leads to chaos. Have you ever done a quick clean up and put things into bags that you thought you’d get to later? Did you waste time looking for something lost in those bags? Of course you know that putting each and every item in its place is optimal, but that’s not always realistic. If you just don’t have the time, put it somewhere that you know you’ll get to. I stuff mail and papers into my “Dirty Little Secret Drawer”. Stuffing things in bags makes them out of sight and more importantly out of mind.

The other type of bag stuffing problem is when you fill a bag for something and don’t empty it promptly. Not only can dirty or wet clothes end up sitting, but items you might be looking for may be hiding at the bottom of that bag.Here are some tips for organizing your gym bag. If you leave purses half full, you’ll scrounge through several before you find what you’re looking for. Empty it fully each and every time. Bags are containers for items in motion, not permanent containers.

If you put something in a bag that is part of an errand or belongs to someone, add a clothespin and a name or label on the bag. This way you won’t be searching to find the one you need. Also good when organizing: make sure you label outgoing bags with “donation” or “trash” with so you don’t have to look in them over and over. If you get in the habit of using bags only for items in transition, you’ll spend less time looking in the black hole.

About the author

Monica Friel is president and founder of Chaos to Order. Monica manages and trains a staff of professional organizers who specialize in everything from household clutter to corporate chaos. She also represents brands and speaks publicly as an expert in the field of organizing. Learn more about Monica and Chaos to Order and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+.