Resources for Clearing the Clutter of Medical Supplies and Equipment

Did you ever wonder what to do when you find yourself with home medical care supplies or equipment you no longer need? If it is just a cane, a pair of crutches, or a knee scooter, you might post it to nextdoor.com/for_sale_and_free/. 
This saved one of my neighbors who needed crutches after hours on the weekend. 

If it is a lot of stuff that has accumulated over years, after surgery, or after a loved one passed, it helps to know that there are local non-profits who will put it to good use. 

ReCares homecares.org has locations in Oakland, SF, and Marin, where they collect and redistribute medical supplies and equipment free of charge to those in need. They seem to take the largest variety of medical equipment, and are even capable of doing some repairs. 
See information for donors here. They will provide a donation receipt for your items. 

Berkeley Free Clinic is happy to receive medical supplies they can use, such as gloves, bandages, and gauze. They also welcome hygiene items they can distribute.The equipment they take is limited to stethoscopes, blood pressure devices, and thermometers. They will also take some over the counter medications. They are a non-profit, so donations are tax deductible. Find donor information at berkeleyfreeclinic.org/new-page-3

Vida sends supplies for primary health care to Latin America. They accept a long list of supplies and equipment that you can drop off at their Berkeley location. Get info at 
vidausa.org/medical-supply-donations

While you are clearing the clutter, you might also check the medicine chest for outdated prescription medication, or meds you no longer need. Because prescriptions medications are hazardous, they cannot be flushed, or poured down the drain. There are many safe disposal sites, and even a prepaid mail back option. The most comprehensive information I found is at:
http://www.stopwaste.org/at-home/household-hazardous-waste/common-hazardous-materials/medicine-and-prescription-drugs#Table
Be sure to read to the end of the section for information on controlled substances, which even includes your cough syrup with codeine.  

Like anything else, once you learn how to do it, it is easy. So after your initial purging of accumulated items, you will know how to quickly pass on items in the future. It feels great to know that someone is benefitting from something that was just collecting dust. 

Mom's Best Tip for Staying Organized

My Mom was a naturally organized person. Everything had its place in the house. When she finished using something, she put it back in its place. She called me a packrat because many things were special to me. My room was always full, which meant cluttered, to Mom. 

As the oldest daughter, I spent my life shadowing Mom, helping her, and learning everything she did. While I didn't meet her standards for keeping my room orderly, just living with Mom, I learned the principles of how she kept the whole house orderly. 

As a Professional Organizer, I often work for clients who do not have my Mom's knack for staying organized. They are happy to pay me to clear the clutter, and restore a pleasant environment. Delighted with the new-found order, they often express concern about keeping the order after I am gone. 

I offer them the best tip I learned from Mom. It was like a mantra I heard her say over and over, my entire life. "Don't Make Mess on Top of Mess." Working with clients, I aim to locate things in places that make sense to them, in light of how they live and work. The goal is to store each item in the place the client would naturally go to look for it. That makes finding and putting away, a no-brainer.

The trick comes in when someone has found and used something, or many things, for cooking, or doing a project of some sort. The result is lots of items on a counter, or a table while they are in use. Often happy with the satisfaction of completing the task, or hurried by time to move on to something else, the clean-up gets neglected. Clutter is born out of those items not put away. 

So Mom's best tip for staying organized is "Don't Make Mess on Top of Mess." Take the few minutes to clean up and put away one project before beginning the next. This works for things as simple as the dishes. Take a minute to rinse the breakfast cereal bowl and spoon and put them in the dishwasher, and the lunch plate and glass, too. Then by dinner time, the counter and sink are available. The room looks organized and inviting giving you much more incentive to begin the next task. 

My Best Wedding or Event Planning Tips

After participating in planning a wedding recently, and serving as the Coordinator on the big day, I came away with some tips to make it easier. 

Start the Planning Early 

There are more decisions to make than you realize. So give yourself plenty of time to get clear on what your budget is, and what your options are. Then you can choose exactly what you want. This is your day or your event, so put your signature on it. Securing your venue is likely going to need some lead time. Do you know that some venues book a year or more in advance? Onine, there are many great planning checklists with timelines to help you.

Create an Outline and a Timetable

Have a timetable of what needs to be done in the months, weeks, days before the event. Do as many things as possible before the big day. 0Furniture is best assembled and put up in jeans, not tuxedos.) On the big day, double or triple the amount of time you think things will take. There will always be unexpected things that need to be handled. Have a clear timetable of how you want the day or evening to flow. A wedding coordinator is a great help with making this happen as you wish. 

Arrange for Available, Capable, Reliable Help 

Remember that a person can only be in one place at a time. So don't assign the wedding party to be putting up tables and decorations at the same time they are supposed to be getting dressed, or having a run through. Tell your trusted helpers exactly where you want them to be, at what time, and what exactly you want them to do. 

Have a Quick Repair Kit and a Plan B for as Many Things as Possible

Any big event, particularly a wedding, is live performance, similar to theatre. So you never really know what to expect. What if it the decorations won't stay up? What if it rains when you plan to be outdoors? What if the tablecloths arrive wet and unusable? What if some of what you rented doesn't get delivered? What if a bridesmaid steps in her hem and tears her dress before the ceremony? 

Make a kit with needle and thread, scissors, tape, safety pins, bobby pins etc. Definitely make both an indoor and outdoor plan if the weather is iffy. Have one or two people willing to help with anything unforeseen that arises. And simply decide that it is going to be wonderful, no matter what happens, and enjoy each moment. Just like theatre, the audience never notices most of the slip ups, they just remember how the event makes them feel!

Have It Your Way!

As I was folding sweaters into a neat stack instead of an avalanching pile, my client quoted the organizer she had before me who said, "Mary, you simply can't have this many sweaters."

My reply was "Of course you can, and in fact, you do have this many sweaters. The only question is how to organize them so you can find them when you want them."

Are you what some might call a pack rat, hoarder, or collector? No worries. I don't judge or label clients. I meet you where you are, ask what you would like accomplished, then use my experience, skills and expertise, to get the job done. 

Consultations are FREE

Call or email now

510-339-7276 wiseinfo@me.com

Why Working With Toni is Easier Than Working With Other Professional Organizers

You don't have to straighten up before I get there.
I am coming to see where you need help. Please don't hide the clues.  

You will not be judged.
Life happens. I have seen worse. Really.

No apologies, no shame, no blame.
I get excited by the opportunity to transform a space, or a situation.

I listen.
Some organizers come in and tell you all about their system.

It's all about YOU.
I learn what works for you, then create Your organizational plan.

You are not stuck with one system forever.
I do a little, then we see how it works, then make adjustments, if needed.

The cost can fit your budget.
I can do it all, or I can teach you. 
We can complete the project quickly, or over time. 


Consultations are FREE
Call or email now
510-339-7276   wiseinfo@me.com

Clearing Clutter 1-2-3

Where To Begin . . .

The room looks overwhelming. There is stuff on top of stuff. Everywhere. Likely a slow or sometimes fast growing accumulation resulting from too busy days. Activities blending together one to the next, without sufficient time to stop, and put away what you were using. Then it's time to begin again. 

So there you are looking at a pile of dissimilar items. A sinking feeling comes over you, with the thought "I have no idea where to begin!" Or perhaps, "This is too much to tackle today." You are just about ready to walk out of the room and close the door, though you hate the idea of admitting defeat.

You really want your space back, and you need the feeling of order around you. Today. You thought of calling an organizer, though isn't it too messy for someone else to see? So you feel compelled to begin. If only you knew how. Or is it, where, to begin?  After nearly twenty years of professional organizing, I have tried many approaches that work. My favorite approach is a quick way to get you started. It really is as easy as 1-2-3.

Step 1

The first step is to get a container for trash, a container for recycling, and a container for put away or give away items.

Step 2

The second step is to step back and LOOK. Take a broad sweep look at the area, looking for only one thing. TRASH. For this purpose, trash is defined as things that have no useful purpose to anyone, and cannot be recycled. 

If you see anything you can throw away, discard it immediately into a trash container. The wonderful thing about trash is that there is only one thing to do with it after you identify it. Throw it away. Your are done.

Next, grab a box for items you can put away, or give away. There might be a sweat shirt you took off and set on a chair. Or your running shoes you took off when you came in from the run, though they never made it back to the closet. They can go in the box along with that centerpiece you won at the fundraiser, though never really liked, and other give away items. Take that box and put away your things, then set it aside to donate the rest. Delivering the donations and bringing you a receipt is part of my professional organizing service.

Lastly, scan the area for anything recyclable. This includes plastic bags that can be taken back to the store. Put those in the container for recycling. It is possible that you will find more than can go in the curbside bin. In a future post, I will write about the many things we can recycle in the East Bay, and my favorite recycling locations. You can disperse the contents of the recycling box, or you can save the box for me. My professional organizing service includes responsibly disposing of recycling.

Step 3

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, the third step is to take out the trash, and recycling, and mark where the items will go. If it is a charity, consider making a inventory of the items and their thrift store value to put with the tax deductible receipt you can get when you donate. Put the box in the car, or deliver it right now. That's it.

If you made it through all three steps, it is time to go back and look again. See what a difference it makes to have those items gone. Look for what has been unearthed in the process. If it is your stuff, you will most likely still be overwhelmed. Though you have to admit, it looks better than when you started. So it will be easier to have someone come over to help. I can promise you that yours will not be the worst I have ever seen. And I guarantee that we will make noticeable progress in the first visit. So the next step it to

Call Me 510-339-7276 

For a free consultation on your project. 

Happy De-Cluttering!
Toni