How To Declutter

Filing

Get yourself an in-tray and as bills, statements etc. arrive in the post put them in this tray to be dealt with. This is much neater and far better than filing them on the mantle piece or stuffed down the back of the sofa. Once a month go through the tray and process it. Pay any bills that need paying, check statements then file them away. I personally use a neat little filing cabinet which I picked up for $20.00. You will be surprised how easy it is to grab a utility bill 6 months down the line should you have a dispute with your electricity company.

Clothes

I bet your closet is so full of clothes that you haven’t worn in years that you can’t close the door. Get rid of them! If you haven’t worn it in 2 years then be merciless and throw it out because the chances are it will still be there in 10 years, unworn. If family members are putting up resistance sort out their stuff into piles when they are not around. On their return let them have the final say. Most will see reason in the end.

Drawers

Have a drawer in the house that is just for keepsakes. This drawer you want to keep for the special drawings you kids bring home from school or something cute they modelled from clay. You know the kind of stuff I am talking about. It’s cute but not cute enough to be on show! Every couple of months go through the drawer with your kids and declutter it together. Keep another drawer for paint, pencils crayons etc. This will stop all the children’s art materials cluttering op the house.

Chores

Getting the children involved in housework is always going to be hard work so make it fun and reward them. You need to be specific when asking them to do something. “Tidy Your Room” is not going to cut it with kids. Instead break it down into smaller chunks like “Bring Down Your Laundry” or “Put All Your Toys Back In The Basket”. Making a progress or reward chart will motivate the kids if their is something to win in the end.

Holding Basket

Get a large wicker basket at the bottom of the stairs. This is a holding basket and anything that needs to be taken upstairs get put in it. Try and take something out of it every time you go up stairs but at the very least make a point of decluttering it once a day.

Display Items

If your shelves are full of family heirlooms and impulse craft fair purchases and it looks messy then just have a major purge. If it’s functional and required (like a clock) then keep it. If it’s broke, redundant or just too damned ugly stop procrastinating and throw it away. If you still have lots of knick-knacks cluttering up the place then put half away in storage and rotate them every few months.

Newspapers

In the digital age the only time you will need an actual newspaper is if you are on the loo or need something to beat your dog. Everything can be found on-line. But if you insist on buying magazines and newspapers then you need to keep them in a small box. Something that will hold maybe 10 copies. That way as it gets filled up you will be forced to throw the old one out.

Conclusion

Once you have learnt the basics of how to declutter the rest is common sense. Keeping your family on the ball is a biggest part of the challenge. If you are single then you won’t have this problem but you need to be very disciplined with yourself.