ABOVE: Professional organizer Kathy Jenkins brings order to scary spaces like this closet by sorting its contents and starting over with a system for keeping it straight. BELOW: Removing the center stile of a kitchen cabinet makes it possible for Allan Young of Shelf Conversions to install Glide-Out drawers for easy access and organization.

Almost everyone has a junk drawer where things are thrown -- loose nails, rubber bands, bits of paper with phone numbers scrawled on them, batteries, twist ties, instructions for the toaster oven. Then some have an entire room for piles of stuff. Others sprinkle odds and ends -- commonly called "clutter" -- throughout the house, in every room, in the form of piles and scattered debris. There are the clothes that need to be donated or repaired, magazines yet to be read, bills to pay. And inside cabinets and closets it's not necessarily any better. Being organizationally challenged is not uncommon, and there is help for you.

P is for "put it in a container." Jenkins says, "That sets up boundaries for the space that an item is allowed to have. If you don't do this, then your stuff grows legs and walks away to other parts of the house." L is for "label, label, label" -- this way you know what is where, even if you can't see inside the containers. Finally, E is for "establish a system for maintaining order."

BEFORE: A jumble of cans and packaged foods, many of which may be expired. When your family is hungry, searching through this mess for ingredients for dinner wastes valuable time. AFTER: Shelf Conversions' Glide-Out shelves make locating your favorite can of soup easy. Plus, you can vary the depth of shelf and tailor them to the contents.

Through her preparations to work with clients, Jenkins has learned much about how people deal with their material lives. Understanding how their brains work with regard to sorting stuff and organizing helps her help them. She has developed a particular specialty in working with children to create lifelong organizational habits. And she is actively involved with the National Study Group for the Chronically Disorganized which offers several levels of certification. Workshops like "File, Don't Pile!" for Hanover and King William counties, among other groups, are popular options, but she also consults by the hour with individuals.

Once you've got everything sorted and you're ready to put it all back in cabinets, you might need some infrastructure to help things stay in place. Shelf Conversions' custom-made Glide-Out products make it easy to manage everything from canned goods to towels and shampoo.

If you've finally gotten down to the task of cleaning out your garage, kitchen, pantry, junk room or attic, the last thing you want is the "get rid of" pile sitting around too long. You could donate it to any number of places, or you could call 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and have them pick it up and take it away. Just so you know, here is their list of can- and cannot-takes: WILL TAKE • WOOD fencing, firewood, old lumber • CONSTRUCTION lumber, wood ends, tiling • GARDEN REFUSE branches, hedge clippings • FURNITURE couches, sofa beds, mattresses • APPLIANCES fridges, freezers, washers and dryers • BASEMENT JUNK boxes, books, old tools, tires • CONCRETE from a broken patio, etc. • SOIL and SOD from a new garden • ROOFING ITEMS cedar and asphalt shingles • DRYWALL wallboard, drywall, gyproc, sheetrock WILL NOT TAKE • Paint, chemicals, solvents, oils • Asbestos • Oil drums (unless empty and top and bottom cut out) • Oil tanks Visit www.1800gotjunk.com to read more or to arrange a pick-up.

Once a plan has been made, Glide-Out shelves can be constructed to fit any size or shape of cabinet. "We measure down to the milliliter," sounds Young. "That way our shelves fit perfectly. You don't have to settle for something that comes close." Made of Baltic birch from Russia, milled in Italy and built and distributed in Ashland, VA, the shelves are made to last.

Once installed -- and Shelf Conversions can remove center stiles if necessary -- the shelves give homeowners a place for everything. Different designs can accommodate cookie sheets, small appliances, cleaning supplies and anything else you need to hide away. So it's up to you to keep everything in its place.