Attacking that pile cluttering your desk at home is easy to put off in the summer, when people would rather be outside barbecuing, biking or basking in the sun.

But once the temperatures cool down, the eventual retreat indoors begins — and many people find they no longer can ignore those dismal piles.

The desperate turn to professional organizers, but clearing the clutter isn't nearly as imposing a task as it seems, those organizers say.

Putting your home office in order and maintaining it is simple once you come up with a plan, commit a couple of hours to the initial cleanup and then keep it up.

"Half the battle is just getting started and starting small," said professional organizer Christa Patchen of Seattle-based Savvy Solutions (206-227-5792, www.savvysolutionsllc.com).

"Usually if you give yourself two or three focused uninterrupted hours — turn off the cellphone and don't answer the front door — you will be blown away at how much you can accomplish," she said.

Fall is a sensible time to get organized before the hectic holiday season.

How to get help


Find a professional organizer through the National Association of Professional Organizers at www.napo.net.

To get started, follow these tips from Patchen; Cynthia Ewer, editor of www.organizedhome.com; and professional organizer Sandee Fahlen, of Kirkland-based Priorities First (425-821-0658, www.prioritiesfirst.com):

• Establish a system by focusing on what you do well. People tend to obsess over what they do wrong, Patchen said. Instead, start with organizational systems that already work for you, like your grocery list, and build on that for your home office.

• Envision the space where you do your office work. Write down or draw what you want it to look like. Like goals, it is easier to stick to something once you write it down, Patchen said.

• Start by sorting the clutter into categories like office supplies, books and computer equipment. Seeing everything together will help you figure out what you do and don't need, Patchen said.

• Toss unnecessary items. "Think of your office as a container and be brutally honest with what enters that container," Patchen said. "If you don't use it, love it or need it, then let it go."

• Find containers, including file cabinets and desk organizers. Label them so roommates, spouses and children know where things belong.

• Give paper a home. Create an inbox like you have at work so you know what needs to get done.

• Gather office supplies in one location so you don't have to hunt for the stapler or scissors, which can be an excuse to procrastinate on the work.

• Buy a shredder and use it. People often allow personal documents to pile up because they are afraid of throwing them away, Patchen said.

• Create a filing system that makes sense for you and stick to it. Then file regularly. "It saves you so much time during tax time," Ewer said.

• Delegate who takes care of what paperwork so bills get paid on time.

• Place a calendar in a prominent location so you have visual reminders of what tasks need to get done. You need a system that triggers your memory to take care of tasks, organizers say.

• Keep a trash can nearby.

• Minimize paper by sorting mail right away. Stand next to a recycling bin to get rid of junk mail, then sort the rest into categories that make sense, like "to pay" for bills, "to do" for mail that requires a response and "calendar" for upcoming events, Ewer said. Families also should consider setting up files with names.

• Most importantly, maintain the space. Tidy up daily during the time of day when you have the most energy, Patchen said.

It takes a couple weeks to change a habit, but put it on a calendar or as a task in e-mail to remind yourself to clean up.

If after a couple of weeks, the system isn't working, assess and tweak what you came up with, she said.

Nicole Tsong: 206-464-2150 or ntsong@seattletimes.com