Meet the Pro Who's Organizing Milwaukee

HOME CLEANING MADE EASY Meet the pro who’s organizing Milwaukee one home at a time.

BY MARK HAGEN

If you’re anything like me, your experience with the COVID-19 lockdown included grandiose plans to organize closets, design picture-perfect rooms, and shine floors, windows and countertops to a sparkling glow. After all, I believed I’d surely make the most of this obligatory free time, right?

Fast forward a year, and few of my lofty goals came to fruition. In fact, my fantasy of a Martha Stewart-like abode faded the more I surrendered to the daily temptation of “soft clothes.” Talking to friends, I realized I wasn’t the only Mr. Clean wannabe. Now faced with the need for an extreme (albeit late) spring cleaning, I wondered, “Where do I even start?”

MILWAUKEE’S CLEAN QUEEN

Enter Angie Vine, owner, executive organizer and designer of The Nitpicky Home Collective. “There has definitely been an increased need for household services since the beginning of the pandemic,” she says.

The Nitpicky Home Collective offers homeowners several organizing, design and cleaning services. “The biggest benefit of using our professional household service is that it tremendously reduces stress, especially now that people are in their homes more than they’re used to,” Vine explains.

“It’s much more common to outsource these services than people realize,” she adds. “Our lives are so much busier and chaotic than before, so it becomes almost a necessity. There is no shame in valuing your time and allowing yourself to enjoy that time with your loved ones.”

DIY CLEANING & ORGANIZING

If your home needs sprucing up but you’re not able to hire a professional, Vine offers a few steps for quick, easy cleanups. “Start by planning how you’ll approach things,” she says. “Which room will you begin with? What tasks absolutely need to be done? When cleaning, we like to start with the hardest room. We typically start on the left and work our way to the right or vice versa.”

She also suggests getting the entire household involved. If cleaning becomes a family affair, things will go faster and lessen the load. “Anyone healthy and over the age of 3 can pitch in,” she says with a smile.

When it comes to organizing, Vine and her team rely on what she calls the C.A.S. method—clarify, align and style the space. u Clarify. Vine suggests evaluating the area you’d like to organize. “Start by assessing your space,” she says. “Write down and clarify your goals.”

u Align. “Break large spaces into smaller zones, then sort items into categories,” says Vine. “We typically divide (items) into five categories: keep, toss, donate, relocate to another room and rehome. Separate the ”keep” items into subcategories, aligning these items with the areas in your home where they make the most sense.

u Style. Finally, measure out the space where you think you may want to install shelving, closet organizers and the like. “Put everything together, and style the space,” Vine says.

“To stay organized, you have to keep up with the space, oftentimes forming new habits within your household,” Vine notes. Start with the C.A.S. method and repeat, but give yourself some grace along the way, too. Keep things up and you’ll eventually find post-pandemic, squeaky-clean success.

GOING ECO-FRIENDLY AT HOME

Using all-natural cleaning products is at the core of Angie Vine’s The Nitpicky Home Collective. ”Not only do we use microfiber cloths to eliminate paper-towel waste,” says Vine, “but we make our own all-natural cleaning products—Nitpicky Naturals.”

If you’re looking to clean your home in an eco-friendly manner, Vine recommends making your own cleaners such as the one she shares below.

ALL-NATURAL CLEANER • 15 oz purified or distilled water • 2 Tbsp Liquid Castile Soap • 30 drops lemon essential oil • 15 drops lavender essential oil

Combine all ingredients and store in a glass spray bottle. Always test cleaners on an inconspicuous area or surface.

For more information, visit www.thenitpickyhome.com.

Mark Hagen is a décor enthusiast whose home has been featured in numerous national publications. His work has appeared in Fresh Home and Your Family magazines.

Image by Getty Images/Everyday better to do everything you love.