Learn how to use a clutter management system to clean out all of the old stuff from your house.
There are two things to address when trying to clean your house of clutter. We already talked about a clutter management system that will help you to stop creating new clutter.
Now we’re going to talk about a clutter management system that will help you get rid of the stuff that is already in your house.
The main reason that people can’t seem to tackle this challenge is that it seems to be impossibly large. Clearing out the clutter seems like you will never get finished, and that means it is very difficult for you to get started.
1Set Up a Donate Box
This is a tip from the previous article about a clutter management system. However, it applies to cleaning out your old clutter too.
Set up a box or a shelf where you can place items that you intend to donate.
2Find 10 Things to Throw Away
Grab a trash bag and walk through your house. Don’t stop until you find 10 items that you can either throw away or donate.
3Clean Off a Surface
Pick a surface in your house and clean it off. Most people will want to start with a kitchen counter. Get rid of the trash and things you don’t need and put away anything that doesn’t need to be on the counter top.
4Look at Your Filing System
Most people keep way too much in their filing system. Whether you have organized, detailed files or it’s just a shoebox full of “to be filed” items, everyone has more papers than they really need.
Start at the top of the stack and go through it until you find 5 items you can throw away.
5Clean Out Your Junk Drawer
You may not like to admit it, but everyone has a junk drawer. It’s the place you put everything when you either don’t know what else to do with it or you don’t want to put it where it really belongs.
Spend a few minutes going through your junk drawer. If you don’t need it, pitch it. If you don’t know what it is, trash it. If you have 700 more rubber bands than you will ever be able to use, throw them out.
You will be amazed at how easy it is to clean out this drawer if you just take a few minutes to see what is really in it.
6Look For Expired Items
Go through your medicine cabinet and toss anything that is expired. You should also do the same thing in your refrigerator and pantry.
7Put Things Away
How many items in your house are in the wrong place because someone just didn’t feel like putting them away? Grab a shopping bag and walk through your house. Keep walking until you find at least 8 different items that are not where they are supposed to be. Then put them where they belong.
8An Ongoing Clutter Management Plan
What we’re proposing here isn’t spending a whole weekend to clean out the clutter from your house. Nobody has time for this. This is about finding an hour at a time so you can start making progress. If you just spend an hour each weekend in no time at all your house will be ready to be put in a magazine.
Each time you find an hour to go through these steps, you can start in a new room in your house. Once you’re happy with all of the obvious places that collect clutter, you can start looking at the hidden areas. The next time you spend your hour on clutter removal, look at a closet or a couple of your cupboards.
Eventually you can even start looking at those places you like to pretend don’t exist. When the rest of your house becomes clutter free, you will actually be excited at the chance to start looking at the area under the stairs or in the basement.
What Do You Think?
Do you have any other great tips for a new clutter management tips?
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