How to Unclutter Your Home

Need a bigger house? You probably just need to corral the contents inside the home you have. Start by getting rid of what you can-- anything broken beyond repair, items no longer used, clothes that haven't seen daylight in a couple of years--then create a place for what's left. Put these rules for streamlining your home into play today. Your abode will feel positively palatial.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Storage Boxes Or Bins
• Trash Bags
• Trash Bags

1. Get rid of what you can. Relieve crammed closets of clothes that haven't been worn in two years or more. Empty drawers, shelves and cabinets of old, unused or broken items. Donate, recycle, toss.

2. Identify items you don't use yet can't bear to part with. Send them to storage in the garage or attic.

3. Find a home for what's left. Everything should have a place, but not every place should have a thing. Leave some open space on cabinets and countertops. Wall-to-wall stuff makes any room look cramped.

4. Look high and low for more storage space. Beneath the stairs, under beds, over doors--these are great places to stash rarely needed items.

5. Create more space. Add shelves in the living room; install a shower caddy in the bath. Whenever you see an opportunity to maximize space, grab it.

6. Give a reprieve to that knickknack-attacked living room. Group small decorative items or collections on tabletops or shelves instead of spreading them haphazardly about the room.

7. Consider stacking or consolidating bigger items such as the TV and the CD player. Create an entertainment, art or reading center by putting such items together.

8. Choose double-duty furnishings. When furniture shopping, select pieces with built-in storage, such as a bed with drawers or a coffee table with baskets underneath.

9. Institute the In-and-Out Rule: For each item you bring home, toss, recycle or give away one item.

10. Create an emergency clutter holder in high-traffic areas such as the kitchen or entryway to keep mail, paperwork and small essentials from cluttering countertops and passageways. Empty the holder regularly.

11. Return misplaced items to their proper location before retiring each evening. It's the secret to a clutter-free household.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't expect to declutter your home in an afternoon. Start with small tasks like pruning your bathroom drawer of old cosmetics and outdated medicines.
• No time to stash stuff? Use a decorative folding screen to camouflage items you don't know what to do with--the vacuum cleaner, extra books, the kids' toys-- before the guests arrive.
• This could become a way of life. Proceed cautiously.

[Clutterholic]

on 9/30/2008 My name is shame and iam a clutterholic. My basement was so bad that I had to call in a cleaning service and eave the house so that I wouldn't stop the process. Iam now usin the rule of buy one give one. A sigh of relief from the throngs of a clutterhplic. Thanks for letting me share.

[Sandra2007123]

on 2/22/2007 I like this article. However I would let go of any clothes, except special occasion clothes, that haven't been worn in year. Consider letting go of things that no longer reflect who you are today ie. suniversity or college books when you have graduated more than three years ago or sewing magazines when you no longer sew. Consider taking pictures of memorabilia and put it in a scrapbook instead. Some things don't have to be a complete loss of money because you can sell them in classified ads, take to consignment shops or thrift shops or donate to a charity for their garage sale. Just don't keep this stuff laying about.

on 11/22/2005 There are thousands of cluttered people just like you out there! You aren't alone! Search for a group that will help cheer your 'decluttering' successes.