Reduce Clutter - Get Organized

Reducing clutter will aid in getting yourself organized. But how we reduce that clutter is the first challenge.

If your home or office has a lot of clutter, to avoid becoming overwhelmed, start small. Whether it’s a drawer or closet, getting started is half the battle. You’ll find that the act of decluttering becomes contagious. Now only for ourself, but often for other family members, as well.

If children are involved, make it a game. Set up boxes or totes and let them determine that which can be donated, or maybe later sold in a garage sale. If children are taught charity (the gift of sharing and giving to the less fortunate), they will soon learn how to easily give up toys they are not playing with.

92240723_f4b9e99c7b_mReduce Clutter - Get Organized
As you declutter, you may encounter some items to which you have an emotional attachment. If you’re not willing to let go of these items, think about packing them up and putting them in storage.

On thing I learned from reruns of the “Home Made Simple” show on TLC (The Learning Channel , is to have either a “path” or a “home” for everything you own.

A home for your clothes would be a closet or drawer

A home for dishes, pots or pan may be in a cabinet, drawer or hanging off of a pot rack.

A home for books would be a bookcase or shelf

A home for a family heirloom may be a curio cabinet

A path for excess toys, clothes not being worn, or decorator items not being used may be…”to our favorite charity”

A path for broken or worn out items would be ….to the garbage

A path for seasonal clothes or sports equipment would to …..to storage

A path for important papers would be……to be filed.

I now use this technique when I go shopping. If I see something, and I think of buying it, I ask myself, “Do I have a home for it?” Often the answer is no. By using this technique, I’m not only saving money, but reducing excess clutter.

Some say, if you bring one new item into your home, you should remove two like items. Although this appears to be a great system to declutter a home, I haven’t tried it yet.

Photo Credit: ifindkarma’s photostream

Tags: decluttering, decorator items, emotional attachment, excess clutter, family heirloom, garage sale, half the battle, photo credit, pot rack, rerun

April 10, 2008 | Filed Under Archives, At Home, At Work, Home Improvement, Organizing, Parenting, decluttering

Share Your Thoughts

2 Responses to “Reduce Clutter - Get Organized”

Natural on April 14th, 2008 11:50 am

I’m constantly doing this:

Some say, if you bring one new item into your home, you should remove two like items.

I remove one or more. I hate clutter, can’t stand it. I function much better if things are organized and WHEN i work on a schedule. I’m wired like a clock and when things don’t go “as planned”, I become unwound…I’m working on not being so rigid…but that’s how I am.
Barbara on April 15th, 2008 12:33 pm

Hi Natural,

I laughed when I read this. If we take out two or more like items every time we bring in something, pretty soon we’ll have nothing left.

But we wouldn’t have clutter.
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