When it comes to getting your home organized, not all tasks are created equal. Some are helpful to do every day, while others are much more about aesthetics than effectiveness.

“Organizing photos have become so ‘Instagram perfect,’ and 90% of the things they do in those pics are a waste of time,” Tova Weinstock, a professional organizer at Tidy Tova, told HuffPost.

From color-coding everything to sorting things you should probably just be ditching, there are many time-consuming organizing habits that don’t make a lasting impact ― and might distract from what actually needs to get done.

With that in mind, we asked expert organizers to share the tidying tasks they believe are a waste of time.

Folding Underwear

“I understand the value of being organized ― for function, for peace of mind, to find what you need when you need and put it back with little effort. But I also don’t put huge effort into performance art! Using my cognitive skills for the micromanagement of invisible items feels performative and inefficient. Underwear isn’t on display, and its level of fold doesn’t impact my day-to-day functioning. If I’m spending my precious executive function skills & energy making my sock & underwear drawer look like a Pinterest board, I know myself well enough to know that I’m likely avoiding something else entirely. Not everything needs to be folded like origami when my cognitive labor is better spent elsewhere.” ― Regina Lark, professional organizer at A Clear Path

Organizing Legos By Color

“The biggest waste of time is organizing Legos by color. Why? Typically, kids don’t build by color. They assemble by shape. The color tends to be an afterthought. Same with organizing Legos by kits. I always recommend parents watch how their kids play with Legos. If they keep rebuilding the kits, then store them that way. If they build the kit once, then put the pieces in a bin and just pull from the bin, no need to spend time organizing the pieces more carefully.” ― Sarah Giller Nelson, founder, Less is More Organizing Services

“My opinion is that the best way to organize Lego[s] is not to organize it at all. Any attempts to organize Legos will come undone quickly, so you’re better off teaching your kids to rummage through a bin to find pieces they want and to use it creatively beyond the sets.” ― Weinstock

Color-Coding Your Books

“Unless the books are only used for design purposes, color-coding them is a waste of time. Books are made to be used, and the color-coding will become undone quickly. Your tidying efforts will be better off elsewhere.” ― Weinstock

Decanting Food Into Containers

“It’s more logical to keep food in the container or packaging that it came in. My exceptions are flour and sugar, since those bags can get messy fast. If left in the original container, you’ll know exactly what it is, when it expires, how to cook it, and any other packaging info that may be needed. You’ll also never have a case of a full container with some leftover food that you’re storing as backup anyway.” ― Weinstock

Organizing Things You Should Be Ditching

“The biggest time waster to me is spending any time organizing what you should be shedding. Often, people just buy more containers as their possessions pile up. Even if you label these containers, you are likely to store things you no longer use, need, or love. Wise organizing always begins with decluttering. If you skip this step, you will end up overwhelmed by too much stuff. Letting go may not feel as fun as shopping for bins, but it is the ‘secret sauce’ for staying organized.” ― Seana Turner, founder of The Seana Method

Perfectly Folding And Smoothing Your Clothes

“While folding clothes can smooth out wrinkles and make it easier to find a specific item, it’s not necessary to spend a lot of time folding items perfectly. Quickly smoothing them out and doing a quick fold is fine. Each shirt doesn’t need to be folded to the exact same size and shape, creating a perfect stack. No one is coming over to inspect or photograph your closets!” ― Lisa Zaslow, professional organizer with Gotham Organizers

Overthinking Where Your Items Are Going

“While it’s important to make sure your belongings end up going to someone who could really use them, overthinking and complicating this process can lead to wasting time. Find a good organization and know that your belongings will ulitmately find a new home.” ― Julie Naylon, professional organizer at No Wire Hangers Professional Organizing

Over-Sorting

“Don’t waste time ‘over-sorting.’ I often see this mistake, especially with children’s toys. You always want to establish systems that are easy to use. A complex system is one that is likely to be avoided. For example, Barbie clothes don’t need to be sorted and hung on little hangers. If you set this as the bar, kids will likely resist restoring order altogether. Instead, establish simple containers into which kids can quickly toss generally-like items.” ― Turner

“My philosophy is that being organized helps make your life easier and saves you time. If your organization efforts are taking more time than they save you, consider lowering your organizing standards to raise your quality of life! As long as you can easily find what you need and your place looks and feels organized enough for you, you’re doing great!” ― Zaslow

Responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity.