10 Ways to Keep Clutter from Taking Over

As I was walking through a clients home the other day, I was amazed at the storage space that she had in her home. The only problem is that every inch of it was jammed full of clutter.

Clutter is things that take up space but you don't use, is in the way and makes your house bulge at the seams.

When I walked into her house, it was really nice and homey looking and gave you an inviting feeling, only after being in there a few minutes and taking a look at how things were stored and displayed, I found that she was frustrated because there wasn't any room for anything. She constantly had to move something to make space.

What can you do to clear this up?

1. Go through your home and take everything that you don't use and put it on the kitchen table.

2. Now go back through and take everything that you really don't like and add it to the pile on the kitchen table.

3. Using a small basket, go through every room and put things that are in the wrong place or room in the correct room that it is actually used.

4. Now, with that little basket, take every item that is broken, chipped or doesn't have a use besides looking out of place and add it to your kitchen pile.

5. This is cleaning the clutter from evvery place that you can see, imagine what is hid in the closets and cupboards. Now clean everything off of the kitchen counters and only put back the things that you use on a daily basis. Put everything else in a cupboard in the area that you use it or designate a shelf in the basement to store the item until you actually need it. Place it in plastic and add a label to it so you can easily find it when you need it.

6. Add a toothbrush holder to the inside of you bathroom cabinet to hold toothbrushes, add a small container in the bottom cabinet that is used for brushes, combs and a mirror (can be pulled out when in use and then hid again). Eliminate everything from the counter top. Kleenex can go on the back of the toilet. Anything else can go in cute little containers in your cabinet for easy storage and accessability.

7. Keep current magazines in a cute storage container or basket and throw out the rest. If you use them for childrens projects ( I know, these come in handy) then store no more than 10 on a shelf. If you like to use ideas from magazines, cut out the information, add it to a scrapbook or binder in the proper category for fast retrieval. Making your own book is helpful, you know you never can find the right information when you need it and this way, you have your own book of information.

8. Put all 'like' things together into storage containers. pens, pencils; rubber bands,paper clips; brushes, combs; manicure sets, nail files, hand creams; scissors, utility cutters, pape cutters; scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape; paper toweling, napkins, paper plates and cups; batteries of all different sizes, store according to size; light bulbs go in a seperate container, and make sure that you label the containers so you don't have to open them to know what is in them. I am sure that you get the idea.

9. If you walk into it or trip over it, it is clutter and either should be eliminated or moved to a spot that is convenient for use.

10. Always put something back within 2 minutes after you have finished using it. It only took you a minute to get it and by putting it away after you use it, it will save you time to clean and straighten a room and you won't have clutter lying around the house.

Even kids can get used to doing this. Show them!!! One week let them let their things lie around and give them and hour to clean everything up. The next week, have them put things back after they use them. When they find out that they have more time by cleaning up after themselves right away, it will be a habit that they love. It only takes two weeks to create a new habit, make it a good one!!

Jan Hayner-Professional Organizer
organizingyourlifetheeasyway.com

Posted January 9, 2009, filed in Clutter Control Products, Organizeit Projects, Living Simply, Clutter Hacks