How to Make My House Look Less Cluttered
The fight against clutter is one most modern families can relate to, and the effects can be far-reaching. Clutter does not only invade your space, it can make you feel stressed, confused and anxious, and even stop you achieving your goals. Teach yourself some effective techniques to reduce the amount of clutter in your house; after you have put them into practice for a while, keeping your house tidy will become second nature. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Trash bags
- Storage boxes
- Marker pen
- Under-bed storage boxes
- Double closet hanger
- Behind-the-door shoe hangers
- Label-maker
- Corkboard
- Pushpins
- Desktop shredder
Instructions
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Look at all the rooms in your house. Work out which room is most cluttered and start there. Place three trash bags, baskets or storage boxes in the center of the room -- one for items you are keeping, one for items you are donating and one for items you are binning. It is worth asking a friend or family member to help you decide what to do with each piece of clutter, particularly if you have a tendency to hoard. Ask yourself what each item's value is, either in terms of aesthetic appeal or practical use. Place all items that you no longer use or like, but still have a function, in the " donating" box. Place all broken items in the "binning" box. Repeat the process in each room of your house. Take the "donating" boxes to your local Goodwill store or charity donation center.
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Fill a box with anything you can't quite bring yourself to get rid of. Seal it and write the date on the outside with a marker pen. Store it in the garage or basement. If you don't use anything in the box over the next 12 months, get rid of it.
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Store as many items as possible out of sight. Store shoes in under-bed storage boxes instead of leaving them scattered on your bedroom floor. Install a double closet hanger in your closet to give you more room for clothes and hang them up after you wear them.
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Store things in their proper place: paperwork, stationery and ink cartridges in the office; linens, towels and detergent in the laundry room; and recipe books and messy craft supplies in the kitchen.
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Hang behind-the-door shoe holders to store small items that often do not have a designated home, such as office materials and craft supplies.
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Allocate a plastic storage box to each member of the family. Ask them to go round the house before bedtime every evening and collect all their clutter in the box. This is an effective way to prevent magazines, books, makeup, cell phone chargers and other frequently used items from turning into large piles of clutter over the course of a week.
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Allocate a space in your home for items that your family needs to go out, such as coats, boots, backpacks, purses, keys and umbrellas. This could be a coat rack with a canvas storage hanger hooked over it for small items, or a shelving unit with hooks attached to either end for hanging garments. Label each shelf or hook with a label-maker to give every member of the household a designated space. It will prevent these everyday items from cluttering up the rest of the house and make it easier for all the family members to find what they need when they are going out.
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Spend 10 minutes each evening tidying up toys, CDs, books and other items that have been brought out during the day. This saves you spending hours every weekend clearing up the mess from the past week.
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Wash and put away dishes right after meals to keep kitchen countertops clutter-free.
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Hang jewelry on a corkboard with pushpins and attach it to the wall. This allows you to keep everything within easy reach, but clears space on your dressing table.
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Open mail as soon as it arrives. Shred junk mail and put it in your recycling can. Display personal cards on a corkboard for a month, then recycle them. Take action on bills as soon as they come in. Store paid bills in a box file and unpaid bills in another, both clearly labelled. If you have a scanner, scan all important paperwork and save it in your computer. Keep hard copies only if you absolutely have to. Ask your bank to send you statements and other correspondence by email.
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References
- Photo Credit Ryan McVay/Lifesize/Getty Images
