CLEANING OUT YOUR CLOSET

In New York, space is at a premium - especially in your closet. Luckily, there's an entire industry ready to help you spring-clean. By Beth Landman

CROSS IT OFF YOUR LIST

APPROACH: Pixieish Linda Rothschild zips through your closet in no-nonsense style, making sure your most-used items are accessible before stowing others away.

PROS: There's a staff of six, so you can always get an appointment. Your organizer sends your discarded items to charity or a consignment shop, and sets up smart systems so you stay clean after she's gone.

CONS: Rothschild isn't very helpful about what to discard, and she doesn't offer fashion suggestions.

RATING: *****

 

INSIDERS ADVICE

Linda Rothschild explains what to look for in an organizer.

• 1. A GOOD ORGANIZER MUST GE EMPATHETIC and creative - New York apartments have terrible closet space, and original solutions are often required. If she asks, "How could you live like this?", it's not a good sign.
• 2. BE WARY OF SOMEONE WHO tells you exactly how much time it will take to organize your closets before seeing them. If you have a lot of clothes and shoes, a minimum of four hours could be required
• 3. DON'T TRY TO TIDY UP BEFORE the organizer comes. It's important for her to see the real state of the closets.
• 4. THE ORGANIZER SHOULD BE KNOWLEDGEABLE about products. Do you need wooden or Lucite hangers? Should bins or boxes be fabric or plastic?
• 5. A GOOD ORGANIZER SHOULD ALWAYS be one step ahead of you, not waiting for your direction. It's her job to make this a painless, not torturous, process.