(And how I got started in the professional organizing business)
When I started working in the field of organizing back in 2018, I started with my Home Reset service. At the time I certainly didn’t call it this, and I didn’t even know it would be considered organizing (or what professional organizing even was)!
I’d spotted a post in a local Facebook group, by a woman in my neighborhood, who was looking to hire someone to tidy her house twice a week. Her life was busy, juggling work and kids and everything else in life, and she was tired coming home, after a long day at work, to a messy house that demanded more of her precious time when she had the least amount of energy. She wanted someone who would put away the laundry, tidy up the toys, empty the dishwasher, and other tasks that were not monumental in themselves but took up a lot of valuable time and effort.
Come home to a tidy kitchen with space to actually cook
I jumped at the opportunity to work for her. These were all tasks I did every day at home anyway, and to be honest I really didn’t mind doing them. I got a lot of satisfaction from opening a cupboard or drawer and finding the items in there neatly folded or organized (a hint of my future career here, I realize now!). And as a stay-at-home parent, I could relate only too well to the frustration and overwhelm that an untidy home can give you. When every action is thwarted by “stuff” - having to move dirty dishes to clear a place to work; tripping over toys; unable to find a shoe or the car keys; unable to get into bed without dumping all the clean laundry onto the floor - it can feel like you will explode with the overwhelm of it all. And the effort required to get it all tidied and put away can feel unattainable at the end of a long day of work and/or childcare.
Over the years, my services gradually began to expand to more traditional organizing and moving services, and I decided in 2021 to make it official by starting Tidy Spaces Toronto. But I’ve kept my OG tidying service, now known as the Home Reset, because a) it’s work I still enjoy, and b) I truly believe that it helps improve my clients’ quality of life. It reduces daily stress and overwhelm, and it gives back precious free time - isn’t it better to spend that hour relaxing with loved ones instead of folding laundry and picking up Lego?
I can put away your kid’s Lego so you never have to step on a piece in your bare feet again
Here’s a list of example tasks I can take care of if you subscribe to my Home Reset service, and if you have a task in mind that’s not on the list, feel free to ask!
Washing, drying, folding and putting away laundry (I am a strong advocate of the “file folding” method, but it is of course up to the client’s preference)
Emptying and reloading the dishwasher, and handwashing necessary dishes
Making beds and changing the bedding (a secret of mine is I love making beds, and I’m a pro at changing a duvet cover)
Putting away kids’ toys and books (I love a ROYGBIV bookshelf)
Emptying garbage bins (you know you want to outsource this least-fun task)
Watering potplants
Cleaning out the refrigerator and pantry
I’m not a cleaner by trade or nature, but I will wipe down countertops and sweep the kitchen floor
See all of your clothes and linens in one glance with the file folding method
My Home Reset service is ideal for busy working families, where the number of domestic chores far outweighs the available time and energy of the homeowners. But it is also for people who may have limitations to being able to do these tasks themselves, and for people who just don’t enjoy doing it or want to spend their free time elsewhere. It is just like hiring a regular house cleaner but the focus of the work is different.
I offer this service in the west end of Toronto: Roncesvalles, Parkdale, High Park and surrounding areas. It is a regularly scheduled service, at least once a week for a 2-hour minimum session each time.
So if you’re interested in spending your free time on the things you want rather than doing laundry; if you want to reduce the daily stress and frustration a messy household brings; if you want to outsource the mundane chores to someone who genuinely loves doing them, then I would love to hear from you! Get in touch through my webform, email or phone, and we can chat about how my Home Reset service can help you.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you today 🙂
And P.S. I’m proud to say that I’m still working with my original client to this day!