How to De-Clutter Your House

We all think, "Oh, I don't have that much". But if you were to actually SEE what you have, you'd be surprised! I'm telling you, clutter can get into the nooks and crannies of places you never knew you had!

Now I'm not only talking about the stuff like too many clothes, too many toys, too many shoes...that is pretty obvious that clutter has been visiting you. There is a cure for that, but I'm also taking about clutter in places you didn't know you had - which only means CLUTTER you didn't know you had! And this is not hard at all. At worst, it is time consuming, but what job isn't worth time spent on it? What Determines CLUTTER status?

Well, short and sweet - more than 2 of anything you don't use regularly. More than 2 of anything you don't really need. More than 2 of anything that you haven't "seen" in a long time! I always believe in a back up - "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it" but at the same time you have to remember what you have so you know if you even have it if you do need it! Are you still with me?

What Determines De-Clutter?
Items that you have more than 2 of! And throw in the thought process of "how long have I had that and have not used it?" and "do I really need to keep that - I have 2 already" or "do I really need to keep that? I've had it for years and never used it".

Trust me...de-cluttering is a GOOD THING! Martha Stewart would even agree! And once you are done - you'll be so pleased with what you've accomplished and how much nice and cleaner and more comfortable your house or apartment will look, you'll wonder whay you don't "de-clutter" more often!

How Do I Start the De-Clutter Project?

Well, first, don't look at it like it's a chore. Having to make yourself do a chore that you really don't have much interest in is a really hard thing to do - we all know this when it comes time to clean the toilets! So get your mind set to be thinking, "If I get rid of stuff I don't need or use, I'll have so much more space to get new things!". HOWEVER... this is just a trick for your mind! Don't actually plan on filling all the spaces again, just plan on enjoying the fresh, clean, non-cluttered space for awhile! Trick your mind! Your goal is to get rid of the clutter and not let it collect again!

Start small. If you're like me you can start on a huge project to de-clutter, but I am a old hand at it from having had to move so much in the past 30 years. But if you aren't, or think that you can't do this...start small. Take that bottom drawer in the bathroom, the one you don't get into but maybe once a week or so, and take it out to the table. With a trash can, a "give away" box and a "maybe/maybe not" box in front of you, take each item out of the drawer, and ask yourself "Do I really need this? Do I even use this? If I use it, how often and is it a necessity or just something that I do because?". BE HONEST.

Ask Questions!

So you find a wad of bandaids in this drawer... you don't need 20 questions but here's a good few to always use:
1. How old are they? Is the adhesive dried? Are they faded, are they crumbled and open? None of these things is good for a first aid item...dump them.
2. They've been in this bottom drawer for so long I forgot I had them...dump them.
3. I know I have a bunch in that other bathroom, let me look at that and combine the stash, dump the old ones, dump the opened ones, and then think...do I really need this many? Cut down to a reasonable amount and get a ziplock baggie and put them in and lay the stash aside.

Now just go through everything in this drawer with the same procedure and mind-set. The key is to be HONEST! Come on! If you haven't used something in the past year, how likely are you to use it in the next week? Month?

If you do this with every drawer in your house, you end with a huge bang of satisfation! In a way, this is a huge project - a whole house of how many people's clutter! But don't look at it that way! I have found that starting out small is the best place to start. Do one drawer a day... trust me... you'll get so enthused about how much headway and extra space you are creating and how clean your house is getting, you'll want to do more each day!

What About the Closest?

There has been so much said about closets, I don't think I need to repeat it. You know, if you haven't worn it in a year, donate it. If you didn't wear it last winter, you most likely won't wear it this winter - donate it. You've heard the drill. HOWEVER... this does work. I recently did this with my own closet. It started with just the things I know I don't wear or have not lost the weight to fit in- I pulled it all out and gave it to my sister, her daughter and my mom. Then a few months later when we set a move date, I did it again, and if I hadn't worn it in a year I donated it to my church for their rummage sale. I did it again in May and if I hadn't worn it in the last 6 months - to the church it went. And when we moved in August, I did it again and am now down to literally and honestly ONLY the things I wear daily. Do I miss any of the things I had? No. I never worn them. How can you miss something you never used? I am glad I could help others that needed clothes. Is my mind set to go on a shopping spree? No, I don't want all that clutter again. I do plan on watching the upcoming holiday sales and pick up A FEW things for dress or nice but that's it.

So just go through your closet - little at a time. Let a month pass and do it again. You'll be surprised at what you actually admit you don't need, want, can't wear or just don't wear! And look at all that space? Now, just cause it is a closet, doesn't mean it is solely for clothes. Right now I have 2 book shelves in my closet with craft supplies on them!

Kitchen Drawers and Utensils

The same procedure and mind-set applies for the kitchen. Start with one drawer at a time and move to the next. Do you use all those little kitchen gadets? Do you need all those mixing spoons? A good step in this case is to take what you ALWAYS USE - daily or weekly - and set that aside as "keepers". THEN go back through and start asking questions. I had an apple peeler - what a cool gadget! I had intened to use it to peel the apples to dehydrate for trail mix. I did it once and not again. I have packed and moved that thing with me 3 moves. So this time, I admitted, I wasn't using it, I wasn't going to use it and didn't want to waste space on it! So to the donate box it went. Now, that you have gone through and found "keepers", move all the donated stuff out to the garage and go through it once more as you put the things away. Ask again, "am I going to use this this week, next week, next month? Do I really think I will use it in the next 6 months?". And if you get a no answer - donate.

Kitchen Food Shelves

First and foremost, think of food safety. All food expires at some point in time. Maybe it isn't going to kill you if you use it expired, but at the same time, why take the chance? Again, pull all the items out. Clean the shelf, then take each item indivifually and

1. Check expiration date. Within reason, dump if it's expired.
2. How long have you had that food item and how long has it been sitting there open?
3. Does anyone in the family really eat this stuff? It's been sitting here so long and no one has - dump.
4. Do you already have 2 other packages of this same item and they are opened to? Combine them to one container!

Another trick is to use clear plastic (or glass if you can get it) storage containers. Use square instead of round as they stack better and take up less space. Clear so you can see what's inside and plastic or glass for longevity and freshness. Then stack like items together. One shelf for baking things, one shelf for canned foods, one shelf for cooking items like season packets and such. The top shelf is for things you use the most, the bottom for things you use more seldom.

Toys, toys, toys!!

They seem to multiple between themselves! Well, no, they don't, it is just that since you don't play with them, you don't really know how many there are there and don't think much of it. I watch these shows about redesigning rooms and a common room is a living room/play room. Toys everywhere and the parents are complaining about it. Well, first QUIT BUYING SO MANY TOYS! No brainer there! Second, for every new toy you buy, one toy has to be donated! Simple and easy. However, keeping the toys you do want to keep and are playable, not broken, not out grown and not missing parts - what a lazy thing to do!

So.... again, start small. Take that one box of "stuff" over there and go through it. Your boxes this time would be trash, donate, keep. Trash toys that are broken, or have lots of missing pieces. Donate toys that are out grown, seldom played with or not even played with! Keepers are toys that are played with alot, favorite character things and complete toys and games. Start one box at a time and work your way around the room. Just doing this much will greatly improve the looks of the room. Then wait a month, and go through the "keeper" toys againg, with the same boxes - donate, trash and keep. Donate toys that have not been played with in the money. Trash ones that have gotten broken or pieces missing. Keep the ones played with.

Once this is all done, take a look at your house and rooms. See how great they look! No clutter, no mess, a place for everything! Next step? Do it again in about 6 months! Really - it will make you see how much you still can get rid of PLUS it will show you how much money you WASTE on things you don't need or even want! Just think - all that money could be going in a savings account for next years summer vacation. It could be going toward paying off a credit card or for retirement savings. So many places that money could go and be helpful instead of just in a drawer somewhere or on the floor!

This works. Trust me. I have done it many times in my 25 moves. Clutter clutters quickly. Say that really fast three times and you're on your way to a clutter-free house!

And don't forget....

YARD SALES! Selling your de-clutter collection only makes for a collection of money for you - to put away for the kids collge expense, or these days, elementary school! If you sell and just make $100 - how far would that be on your grocery bill? A months utility bill. Nice payment on a credit card or to add to a savings account. The sales I have I usually make about $200 and I do the sale on Friday and Saturday only. It's a win-win situation! When are you going to start?