The Fall Clean-Out: Columbus Organizer Birdie Brennan on Guest Rooms, Closet Swaps, and Where the Cast-Offs Should Go

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COLUMBUS, Ohio: October is when the guest room that became a storage room all summer has to turn back into a guest room, and when the closet has to swap sandals for sweaters. Birdie Brennan has spent more than 25 years helping central Ohio households make that switch, and her advice for the fall clean-out starts smaller than most people expect.

“Start with a plan,” Brennan said. “October is the perfect time to look ahead to the holidays and identify what needs attention before Thanksgiving. My biggest advice is to work in small, manageable chunks with a determined frequency, and then give those chunks a time on your calendar. You don’t have to organize your entire home in a weekend.”

Brennan is the first Certified Professional Organizer in central Ohio, and her Columbus company, Birdie Brennan Custom Closets & Organizing, tackles everything from closets to garages, pantries, laundry rooms, and home offices.

Start with the guest room

“Guest rooms tend to become catchall spaces,” she said. Clear out anything that doesn’t belong, sort the extra bedding, clothes, and boxes that accumulated, and decide what gets a home and what goes. “Make the bed, clear the surfaces, and make sure there’s room for guests to unpack and feel comfortable. Remember, your loved ones are coming to see you, not your house. The goal isn’t a perfect house for the holidays. It is a welcoming home where you can enjoy the people in it.”

A cluttered hallway before organizing — A hallway before a Brennan organizing session.

The Fall Clean-Out: Columbus Organizer Birdie Brennan on Guest Rooms, Closet Swaps, and Where the Cast-Offs Should Go — The same space after.

The wardrobe swap, done right

For closets, Brennan says to judge this year’s clothes honestly before storing them. “Look at what you wore this year, what felt good when you put it on. Anything that doesn’t fit, looks worn, has a stain, or needs repair is the first to go. There’s no sense in storing clothes you no longer need or want.”

Her favorite trick for the undecided: hang the questionable item in the closet backward, hanger facing the opposite way. “At the end of the season, you’ll know if you haven’t worn it. If you haven’t, let it go.” She also keeps a bag in her own closet for items she’s done with. “When the bag gets full, give those items to a charity. It keeps your closet up to date.”

An organized master closet — A finished master closet project.

Where the cast-offs should go

Brennan points Columbus donors toward charities that speak to them: Open Door Women’s Recovery Alliance, which helps women rebuild their lives after substance use disorder; Alvis, which supports people returning to the community; church free stores; and Habitat for Humanity ReStore for household items, furniture, and building materials. Some offer pickup. Her team also takes away one carload of donations after every session, “because once a client has made the decision to let something go, we want to help them follow through. We don’t want to leave them with bags and boxes sitting by the door.”

Her one warning: don’t let finding the perfect charity become the next obstacle. “The best donation plan is one that’s meaningful, practical, and easy enough to actually do.”

Organized laundry room storage — Laundry room storage, sorted and labeled.

Twenty-five years of closets

Brennan spent nearly twenty years in the medical field, where she kept organizing every part of the office, before concluding she loved helping others get organized. She started her company in 2000 after her first National Association of Professional Organizers conference, hired her first team member after a “light bulb moment” at another conference, and added custom closets as the business grew.

The Certified Professional Organizer credential, she explained, requires years of hands-on experience and passing a rigorous exam, plus continuing education. Her advice for hiring help: “Look for someone who listens without judgment, understands how you live, thinks creatively, and can develop systems that work for you long after the session is over. It’s not just about making things look neat. It’s about making your life easier.”

And sometimes, she said, the clutter isn’t in the closet at all. “Every time we say yes to one thing, we’re saying no to something else. Getting organized isn’t always about finding a place for our belongings. Sometimes it’s about making room in our schedules for what matters most.”

Birdie Brennan Custom Closets & Organizing can be reached at getorganizedcolumbus.com or (614) 297-1550.

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