How to Conquer Clutter

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

Rate: (7 Ratings)

Over time, it creeps into the corners and cabinets, stairways and entryways, closets and cupboards of your home--clutter! Suddenly you're overrun with piles of unrelated stuff, some useful and some far from it. Junk-proof your life and keep only what you use and love.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Pick one area to focus your decluttering efforts on. Start small-- just a drawer, shelf or closet floor. Sticking to a single small area will ensure that you get something accomplished. See 1 Get Organized.

Step2

Dress down. You're about to get dirty and sweaty, so wear clothes you don't mind messing up.

Step3

Decide how long each decluttering session will last. Set a timer or other prompt to let you know when to stop. Keep in mind that you will be most effective if you limit your sessions to a few hours at most. A whole day of decluttering can be overwhelming.

Step4

Bring bags and boxes to your decluttering location for collecting the items you no longer need or use.

Step5

Ask yourself these questions as you pick up each item to decide whether it stays or goes: (a) Have I used this in the last two years? (b) Is it a duplicate? Can I replace it easily if it's not? (c) Does it need repair, and if so, is it worth repairing? (d) Will I use it in the next year? (e) Am I keeping it only for sentimental reasons? (f) Is an unused item taking up space where I could store something more valuable or useful? (g) Does it belong elsewhere or to someone else? (h) Do I love it?

Step6

Add that item to one of your boxes: Repairs, store returns, items to put elsewhere, items to return to others, items to sell, donations, mementos, garbage, maybes and definite keepers.

Step7

Take action on each pile after you've handled every item: (a) Put repair items in the car. Drop them off on your next errand run. (b) Collect store returns along with their purchase receipts and put them all in one designated place. Return them when convenient-- and before the store's money-back return period is up. (c) Cart the box with your "belongs elsewhere" pile around the house, and replace everything. Find a permanent home for items; if possible, instead of another temporary spot you'll have to clean again. (d) Box up mementos and items you aren't quite ready to let go of. List contents on the outside of the containers and place them in a storage area of your house. Look at these items again in six months to decide whether you want to keep them or let them go. See 296 Archive Family Records. (e) Place items for donation in boxes or bags and move them to a holding area, ideally in the garage or storage space. Make arrangements for pickup or plan a time in your schedule for drop-off. See 12 Get Rid of What You Don't Want.

Step8

Clean your freshly decluttered area, and put the keepers in their permanent home.

Step9

Reward yourself with a tangible prize to reinforce and celebrate your success.

Step10

Find you next victim--a room, a shelf--and repeat the process until your home is clutter-free.

Step11

Select a permanent home for every new thing that comes into your life to prevent the clutter from building up again.

Tips & Warnings

If you are working in a room that is covered in clutter and you feel overwhelmed, box up a small quantity of stuff to take to your clear area to sort.
Walk around the living spaces of your home-- kitchen, family room, entry areas--each evening with a box and gather all stray items. Redistribute or toss the box's contents before going to bed to keep the level of clutter manageable. See 36 Tidy Up in 15 Minutes.
Keep a donations box in or close to the laundry room for outgrown or unwanted clothes. Remember, though, that you should donate only items in good to excellent condition--clean, no rips, holes or stains. See 62 Organize Your Laundry Center.
Mix small decluttering jobs with other activities. Sort through the kitchen junk drawer while talking on the phone, or cull magazines while watching TV. See 42 Take Control of Your Junk Drawer and 52 Categorize Newspaper and Magazine Clippings.
To boost your efforts, pretend that you have to move and will be paying someone by the hour to pack and transport all your stuff. Marginal things lose their value quickly when you adopt this strategy.
For every new item that comes into your home, get rid of something else (the inand- out rule).
Be realistic about how long it will take you to get a handle on your clutter. It didn't get that way in a week, so you won't fix it in a week.