"It's Just Taking Up Space": Professional Organizer Shares 18 Things You Don't Need In Your House

Allyson Cartwright is not just a TikTok content creator. She's also a seasoned professional organizer. Her Baltimore-based business, Elysian Organizing, offers both virtual and in-home decluttering services, as well as coaching programs.

Allyson writes how her mother noticed that she had a knack for organization even when she was a child. Instead of playing with dolls or making mud pies, she would rather spend time in a messy closet. "I loved the sense of calm that came with every item finding a home," she writes on her website.

As years went by, she became the go-to person for her friends and family when their spaces became too overwhelming. Her job is all about turning messy rooms into functional spaces: "It's like solving a puzzle – finding the perfect place for everything," Cartwright claims.

Interestingly, she points out that decluttering and tidying up, in general, is a pretty personal affair. "I like to really understand your life and your needs so I can create a space that not only looks good but feels right for you." It's about making a person's life easier by making their spaces more attuned to them.

Allyson started posting decluttering tips on TikTok at the beginning of March. So far, she has made six parts in her series about things that people should throw out. In one of her videos, she explains the reasons behind her content.

"I created this series because I know that so many people struggle with clutter and overwhelm in their homes, and I wanted to create some digestible content to help people take action today."

In another video, Allyon clarifies that she uses the "throw it away" catchphrase as a "blanket statement." She's all for reusing, recycling, or donating the things you no longer need. "Anything that can be donated should be donated. Anything that can be recycled should be recycled."

Yet she also helps people who feel overwhelmed by the amount of waste they might produce feel less guilty. "But some things are just garbage and should just go in the garbage can. And that is okay," she points out. "If you're concerned about things going in the garbage and ending up in a landfill, then stop bringing garbage home."

"Organizing is not one-size-fits-all. It's really important to evaluate your own needs, your own habits, and your own goals when deciding what you want to keep and what you want to throw away." But she also warns people to be practical – we can often find justification to keep an item if we just convince ourselves.

Allyson also started a new series almost a week ago – she's sharing tips about organizing for people who struggle with ADHD. As a fellow ADHD gal herself, she says that it's probably what makes her even better at organizing things.

Allyson says that organizing in general is not just about placing things in bins and putting labels on everything. "Organizing is about understanding your habits and integrating systems that work with those habits instead of against them."