How to Declutter Your House- Forever

Ridding your house of clutter is not easy, but it is simple, once you get the hang of it. The real challenge is keeping it clean.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a willing attitude
• three large baskets
• a place set aside for charity gifts
• A recycling center in your house or garage

1. 
    
   Labels aren't necessary, but they make it easier.

   Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. ~ William Morris
   
   Clean one room at a time. Start with the easiest room and work your way to the hardest. (If your house is very messy, I recommend cleaning no more than one room a day, to avoid emotional overload.)
   Success will give you courage to tackle the harder rooms as you go.
   
   Bring in three baskets or bags; laundry baskets are the best.
   These baskets are for TRASH, GIVE AWAY and KEEP. Work from one end of the room to the other, placing items in the appropriate baskets as you go. Be ruthless. If you are a hoarder, try to fill the TRASH basket the fullest, the KEEP basket the least. Make it a challenge. Be proud of your accomplishments.
   Work quickly. You don't have to be utterly thorough yet. (You'll be back.)

2. Now comes the hard part: Maintenance.
   
   Divide your house into five rooms or areas. Pick one room/area to work on each week. Write the rooms on a list and cycle through these rooms every month. Be more thorough now. Bring cleaning supplies and make these rooms guest-ready.
   
   This schedule is adapted from www.flylady.net with many thanks:
   Week 1: The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room
   Week 2: The Kitchen
   Week 3: The Bathroom and One Extra Room
   Week 4: The Master Bedroom
   Week 5: The Living Room
   
   If an item is out of place, put it away. If you can't think of where to put it, create a place or GET RID OF IT.
   
   Some charities come to your neighborhood to pick items up. Make use of this, or make the local thrift shop a regular stop. Pick a place in your garage, put a bag there, and continue to fill it with unwanted/outgrown items all year long.
   If you don't want to part with items of monetary value, take them to a consignment shop. Hold a garage sale. Freecycle. (See website below) Or pass them on to a charity and imagine how happy someone will be to find a treasure!

3. 
    
   Make use of organizers- baskets and bins.

   A place for everything, and everything in its place.
   
   Continue cycling through the house. Rooms WILL get messy again. Don't despair; just roll up your sleeves and keep going.
   If you tend to get sidetracked, make a to-do list and check things off as you go; this will keep you focused and give you a sense of accomplishment.
   Be kind to yourself. If you're a hoarder, getting rid of things will be very difficult. (Get help if you need it. There are decluttering specialists on the internet and in the phonebook.) Don't be ashamed; instead, focus on how much happier you will be when your house is a pleasant place.
   Look at each item you own and ask yourself; Does this really make me happy? Or is it just weighing me down?
   When you bring something into the house (like a great new sweater) get rid of something THAT DAY (like that favorite old sweater with a snag in it.)
   
   This works for me: Get rid of at least one item every day of the year; more if you have time. That's at least 365 things leaving your house!

4. Find a way to really "see" your house.
   
   Too often, clutter becomes invisible, especially your own. (The kids' clutter, on the other hand, is never invisible.) Stand in the doorway and imagine what your mother-in-law will see when she comes. Hey, look! There's a stack of photos sitting there, waiting to be put in a photo album! Make that your next project.
   
   Dust, making sure you cover every surface. Are you picking up too many items? Get rid of one or more. Rearrange the furniture, if that works for you.
   
   Don't wait until guests are coming. You'll be too overwhelmed to do a good job. OR...
   Invite guests over. Sometimes there's nothing like a little pressure to light a fire under you!

Tips & Warnings

• Make cleaning enjoyable. Play your favorite music, or listen to a book on CD from the library. I actually look forward to cleaning. (Well, a little.)
• Don't buy more stuff if you don't have a place for it. Souvenirs, collections, fashion accessories; ask yourself if you will really use and enjoy each item you are considering. Don't buy something just because it's on sale.
• Declutter your mind. I've always noticed that the state of my house reflects the state of my mind. The more messy it is, the more I need to deal with something that's bothering me.
• Don't spend too much time reading about how to clean your house. This can be a way to avoid actually cleaning your house!
• Usually, clutter becomes a major chafing point between family members. If you disagree on how and what to clean up, negotiate.
• Don't be a martyr. Try to get your spouse and kids to help.
• You will never be finished decluttering your house. Make it your new lifestyle. It WILL get easier.

[izzieromer]

on 12/19/2009 Quite helpful!

[Clem-Media]

on 8/6/2009 EHow wouldn't let me message you, so here was my response:
I got the same email, but, please note--I did NOT write it to you!!

I totally agree with your stance, and this is what I replied with:

Please note that I have NEVER sent you such requests, so there was no reason why I should've received this message.

Any articles I wrote for eHow were not susceptible for clicks-for-pay arrangements; they were all paid up-front, so I have no use for spamming people to click on them. I also know how to add them to search engines to solicit that type of attention, if I need to.

Read my stuff if you want, but I don't seek people out to read it or, necessarily, to friend. Most people and I have mutually stumbled across one another, or sought me out.

Or, was this intended as some sort of spam on its own?

Wendy (aka: Clem-Media)

[goodselfme]

on 3/29/2009 I like your tips to declutter. I can understand one not being able to do more than one room at a time like you mentioned for possible" emotional overload". I know someone who needs to read this good advice.

[turtledove]

on 3/23/2009 Kallicat-- You're right about Freecycle. I'm going to add it on, becuse it's a great service.

[Kallicat]

on 3/23/2009 I am a neat freak and have slowly taught your tips to my husband but the teenager is rebelling. If you do the little things daily, it doesn't get out of control. I would suggest using Freecycle if available and the items you are getting rid of can still be used. Better off with someone else than in a landfill.