If you’re like me keeping clutter at bay is a must. I know I can let it get away from me on occasion, which leads to a large scale clean up on my part from time to time. The old adage ” Everything in it’s place” is for some, better said than done. It’s something I am working on diligently, being married to a neat freak does help. For those of that are clutter challenged, I’ve uncovered a few tips that may be worth making a habit.
- Do a daily 5 minute clean up. Patrol “hot”spots through out your house to where stuff tends to gather and make a quick sweep. I usually do this right before Kevin comes home. I also keep a basket at the ready so when he starts picking up he has a place to dump my stuff, allowing me to handle it.
- Open mail over the trash can or recycling bin and conduct your bill paying on line. Mail is the chief culprit of clutter for some.
- File Newspapers and Magazines once a week. If you haven’t looked at in two weeks, it’s better to toss it. I, on the other hand, have a filing system for my magazines. I used to hold onto all of my design magazines, but found they took up too much extra space in the office. I found an easier way to keep what I wanted without stacks of mags. I created a binder to store my “tear sheets” (I’ll have more on this shortly)
- No Wire Hangers! Purge those things monthly. If you have a bunch return them to the dry cleaners. They would be happy to recycle them. I found wooden hangers that make our closet look uniform and well, more stylish.
- Clear closets yearly. My rule is if I haven’t worn it in a year chances are I won’t wear it again. Donate your items to charity, unless it’s Lilly, put it on ebay! Another great option is to turn your unwanted clothing into cash by ordering a Thredup bag. You can stuff the bag they send you with what ever you don’t want, send it back and they will send you cash. Awesome concept.
- Arrange wardrobe by type. Sort clothes into categories and then color, or use what ever system will work for you.
- Fold sheet sets inside one pillow case and store in the linen closet as unit. It will take up less space and let you store several sets together.
- Don’t over stuff drawers. Don’t let a drawer get more the 3/4 full. It will become a jammed mess otherwise.
- Eliminate unused items in the kitchen. Go through cabinets and drawers, collect never used items for charity.
- Make a list before you shop. Take stock of what you need in order to get things under control. More skirt hangers? Another storage box? Then figure out where everything will go.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to curb the clutter too.
