Clutter is a problem in most homes.
Stuff just piles up day after day until someone decides to move it.
Clutter causes stress because your home feel messy and unorganized.
Here are a few ways to declutter your home to make it a more peaceful and serene environment.
photo courtesy of Rach flickr.com/photos/balancedcrafts/5206170071/
The Source
Figure out the source of your clutter.
My guess is that there are several sources (mail, laundry, school work, cell phone, keys, etc).
Try to tackle one source of clutter at a time.
Start with the source of clutter that is the most prevalent.
A System
Before removing clutter from your home, you must first come up with a system to keep the clutter from happening again, else all of your hard work will be lost.
For mail, you can bring the mail into the house and immediately sort it at your kitchen island while standing up.
Typically at least half will be junk mail that can be thrown directly in the trash.
The other mail should be sorted.
For bills, throw away the outside envelope and all extra unnecessary papers and keep only the return envelope and bill.
If there is mail for someone else, designate a spot for that mail - perhaps in a pretty box or tray.
If you receive magazines or newspapers, designate a spot for them to go until they are ready. Also determine how long you will keep these items before recycling them.
For laundry, designate a spot for dirty laundry. You might have one spot per person or one spot per bathroom.
Depending on how you sort your laundry, you may need several baskets for darks, lights, delicates, and towels.
Designate a particular spot in your home for folding laundry. You might find it easiest to fold laundry in your laundry room as you take it out of the dryer, or you might find it easier to fold laundry in front of the TV while watching your favorite shows.
Also come up with a method for bringing the folded laundry into rooms to be put away and making sure the clean laundry doesn't sit in the laundry basket for a week.
You should also have a designated spot for your everyday items, such as your cell phone, charging cords, purse, watch, wallet, loose change, and keys.
Consider putting them in a decorative tray on your night stand, on a hook on the wall, or create a charging station for all electronics.
Declutter
Now that you have a system in place to keep the clutter from coming back, you can declutter the stuff you already have.
Start with 3 boxes (maybe laundry baskets) and a trash can.
The boxes should be labeled keep, give away, and relocate.
Go room to room and put everything in one of the boxes or the trash can.
After you are finished with each room, immediately take the trash outside, put the donate items in your car, and put all of the relocate items in their correct space.
Too Overwhelming?
Does decluttering seem too overwhelming? If so, consider taking baby steps.
Maybe you can give yourself 15 minutes per day to declutter. Set a timer and focus on your task until the timer goes off.
Another option is to work each day only until you fill one trash bag or laundry basket.
Set a Schedule
Set a decluttering schedule for those few items that bypassed the organizational system.
Perhaps you will declutter every Sunday night before going to bed.
Maybe it will be the first day of the month.
You could require kids to declutter their toys a few weeks before their birthday and Christmas when they will be receiving new toys.
Whatever it is, make sure to hold to the schedule so the clutter no longer gets out of control.
