Tips to a Successful De-Cluttering Day

We all seem to have that one room in our house that we use as a "collect all" for all the stuff we have no idea where to put anywhere else. We dread looking at the piles, and know we need to clean, but don't know where to start.

Here are some simple tips to help make the most of your de-cluttering.

1.Give yourself a time. Say to yourself, "I'm going to have this room absolutely clean by the weekend." This gives you a deadline, and stick to it!

2.Dress comfortably. What a better day to wear your sweatpants and favorite tee-shirt. You're going to be doing a lot of work, so make sure the clothes you wear help you move!

3.Make piles for yourself. You should start with four different piles, labeled: Keep, Trash, Give Away and Donate. As you start going through your clutter, make sure each item has a home in one of those piles.

4.Take out the trash! When you fill up your trash bag, take it outside immediately! If you fill up the "donate" pile, immediately bring it into your car so you can drop it off on your way to work.

5.Look at your sell stuff. How are you going to sell it? Is it going on Ebay or to a yard sale? Find a separate home for it accordingly. If you're going to yard sale, place those items in the basement, or garage until yard sale season. If you're Ebaying, try to find room next to your computer to make it more efficient for you to take pictures and list the items.

6.Find a home for your "keep" stuff. Move them to the appropriate room. If they are staying in the room you're cleaning, set them up on display! Don't pile them back into the corner.

7.Take a break. When you're done, do something you want to do for yourself. Run a hot bath, treat yourself to an ice cream, whatever it is, reward yourself for a job well done!

It's so easy to form piles around the house of the things we have a hard time getting rid of. When the pile gets overwhelming, it's even easier to overlook it and tell ourselves that "someday" we'll get to it. Make a schedule and stick to it. Get rid of the stuff immediately, you'll be less likely to change your mind and take it all back! It can be done, and you'll feel so much better when your "clutter room" is clean!