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Are you a packrat? Do you have trouble throwing anything away, even if you know you’ll never use it again? You’re in good company. Clutter has taken over homes all over the country. So much so, even the best housekeepers have to contend with overstuffed closets and disorganized attics. It seems the more space we have, the more stuff we have to put into these spaces. Soon our homes are taken over by our possessions. The problem is many of us are either afraid to part with things, or we just don’t want to throw anything away. After a while our homes start to look disorganized and messy, even if we just cleaned. Don’t let this happen to you. With luck, this article will help you deal effectively with household clutter.
The key to eliminating household clutter is to put things away immediately instead of letting them pile up. For instance, do you save magazines because they have an article you’ll want to keep for future reference? Instead of keeping a stack of magazines, cultivate a folder of clippings. Clip the article you wish to save, place it in the folder and recycle the magazine. If you don’t own a file cabinet, you can purchase an inexpensive plastic or cardboard file box from any discount store.
The same rule applies to mail. Deal with each piece of mail as soon as it’s brought into the house. Sort everything into piles: items to be dealt with immediately (within the next week) such as bills or general correspondence, items to keep for future reference such as business letters or legal notices, and items to be recycled or shredded. At least once a week, deal with the “immediate” pile. Pay bills, examine statements and type up correspondence. Once this is done, file any paperwork. Items to keep for future reference should be filed immediately. Don’t leave paperwork to pile up. This is how things get lost and clutter builds up. Newspaper flyers and other junk mail can be immediately put outside in a recycle bin. Credit card applications or any paperwork with personal information should be shredded immediately. In order to eliminate clutter, it’s a good idea to keep containers designated for recycling outside the home. Not only does this eliminate some of the mess, there’s a better chance it will be kept neat and organized as most people don’t want their neighbors to think they’re slobs.
A good rule of thumb is to put everything in its place. If something doesn’t have a place, it’s clutter. This doesn’t mean throwing it in the basement or a corner of the attic, either. When you put something in its place, it means there is a specific location for that item. The nearest coffee table or an empty bit of closet space isn’t good enough. The space has to be a permanent home. If you don’t have a place for something in your life, get rid of it.
Go through all of the items constituting clutter in your home and ask yourself, “Do I need this particular item, and if so, what is its purpose and where will it go?” Is it something you’ll use in the next year, or is it something that’s taking up valuable space? If it’s not a necessary item, deal with it immediately. Gather several large boxers and label them, “Donate”, “Sell” and “Throw Away.” If the item is a keeper, find a home for it immediately; otherwise, decide on a different course of action. If you’re donating the item to a charity, make an appointment to immediately drop off your unwanted goods. If you’re planning on selling unwanted items in a garage sale, set a date right away, and if you consider certain things junk, bring them out to the curb. Remember, if you stick the items in a box and put them aside for later, they’re still considered clutter.
It’s one thing to save a trophy, childhood drawing or family heirloom. It’s another to save things that will never be used again or have become outdated. If you’re saving broken pocketbooks or shoes that have fallen out of fashion, throw them away. If you’re saving old video tapes and paperbacks, and you know you’ll never watch the movie or read the book again, donate them to the library. Use the same logic for food items accumulating in the cabinet. If you’re not going to use that can of lima beans or boxed muffin mix, the local food pantry can give them to someone who will. Clean medicine cabinets and pantries and throw away expired products.
Why are you storing old furniture in the attic or basement? If you have no place for them in your home, donate them to a charity, sell them in a garage sale, or put them out on the curb for trash pickup. When you purchase new furniture, deal with the old furniture immediately. Don’t put it away in hopes someone will use it. Ask around, if no one wants it, donate it or throw it in the trash.
Are you saving things for “someday?” If it’s been years and “someday” hasn’t come, there’s probably a good chance you have no use for these items. If there are items you’ll never use, get rid of them.
Uncluttering your home will give it a clean, neat appearance, leading to peace of mind. The key to a clutter-free life is to give every item a home as soon as it’s brought into the house. This applies to clothes, knick knacks, food and mail. Never bring an item into the home if you don’t have a place for it and don’t feel you have to save everything. Once you’ve had a taste of organization, you’re not going to want your home to go back to it’s original state of confusion. Remember, a clutter-free home means a clutter-free life.
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