Create a ‘donation station’ and never buy round containers: professional organisers’ tips for a tidy home

Clear intentions: a designated basket can stop unwanted clothes from becoming another pile to deal with. Photograph: Getty

Few things conjure a sense of achievement quite like a clearout or bringing order to that cupboard of doom you’ve been ignoring for months. But how best to tackle this beast of a job?

To help you make a start, we asked professional organisers and declutterers for their tips and tricks, as well as the products they recommend to help streamline the areas everyone struggles with. From never buying round storage containers to getting the kids to help tidy up, these are the solutions they swear by.