Things You'll Need:
- Motivation
-
Step 1
START SMALL
De-cluttering and organizing your home may seem like an impossible undertaking at first, but if you start small it will suddenly become not only doable but easy. Start in the room that bothers you the most. Usually the starting room for most people is the room in the house that gets the most traffic and is the most visible to everyone who visits. Once you've chosen your starting room pick an area of that room to tackle first. Keep in mind what the purpose of that room is when deciding what items should remain. -
Step 2
KEEP, DONATE, DISCARD
Have handy three boxes or containers. This is how you are going to sort all the items you come across. The first box or container will be labeled KEEP, the second will be labeled DONATE and the third DISCARD. Generally people opt to put the stuff they are going to keep in a container, the stuff they are going to donate in a box and everything they are going to throw away in a garbage bag. Sort all the items and don't allow garbage to pile up. Regularly dispose of the garbage and take the stuff that you are going to donate to your car. This will actually create the space you will need to store and organize all the stuff you are going to keep. -
Step 3
SELL
You can actually make some money from de-cluttering your home. Once you have all the stuff you no longer want in one area, you can organize a garage sale and/or sell some of the items on Craig's List or eBay. Remember; one man's trash is another man's treasure. Now there is a great way to make some extra money this weekend. -
Step 4
COMPLETION
Don't move on to the next room until you have de-cluttered and organized the first. Set goals and always finish what you've started. -
Step 5
HOW TO DECIDE WHAT TO KEEP
Being indecisive as to what to do with all your stuff is usually the biggest obstacle to de-cluttering and getting organized.
Ask yourself the following questions when you come across an item you are not sure what to do with.
Have I used this item in the past year and will I use it again?
Is this item still in good condition?
Do I have another just like it or similar to it?
Would someone else love or have more use for this item than me?
Does this item hold sentimental value? -
Step 6
WHY DE-CLUTTER
If you have problems staying motivated to get your whole house de-cluttered remember the following:
1) Clutter can be a health and fire hazard.
2) According to Peter Walsh (see link below) clutter can make you fat. Getting rid of it then can help you shed some pounds.
3) You want to be proud of your home and want it to look nice. De-clutter and you'll never be embarrassed to have company over again.
4) De-Clutter and you can sell the items you don't want and make some extra money. In today's economy all of us can use a little extra cash.
5) Finally, imagine how much time, money and effort you'll save by being organized and clutter free. No more misplacing bills and then paying late fees, no more being late to work because you can't find your right shoe, no more wasting money on items that you previously bought but lost in the clutter... you get the picture.
Comments
Gracie1402 said
on 12/16/2008 these are great tips! You can't organize clutter that is for sure!
Bfastattiffanys said
on 11/10/2008 helpful info! i love that it seems easier broken down in steps like this. *****
mommashopper said
on 11/4/2008 I so believe in the points you have made, I hate clutter it slows you down in every way. Thanks for the article!
jkg0679 said
on 11/3/2008 I just started on this endeavor in my own home. These tips will prove useful for me, I am sure. I am bookmarking this page for future reference! :)
ElectricianDave said
on 10/30/2008 Great - Thanks for the info!
5*s