Shinn likes to call the process of getting rid of the items you don't need, want, or use "editing."
"I think that's a nicer word than decluttering or purging," she said. She sees huge benefits for her clients after they "edit" their belongings.
"You really have lightened up not only your living space but your life," she said. "There's a lot of maintenance to your clutter."
McKinley sees two organizing styles among her clients: hiders and pilers. Hiders stash things in cabinets and drawers. If they never edit, stuff starts to spill out. Pilers feel more organized if they can see everything. They often end up with so much stuff lying around that they can't find anything.
"For some people, organizing does need to be about editing," McKinley said. "For others, it's not so much about editing, it's about actually assigning homes for things."