Tackling Clutter

Tackling clutter is not always easy, and most people are not really sure how to do it, so the clutter worsens, and it becomes more and more overwhelming to tackle it later. However, there are ways to tackle clutter, and the following tips will help:

Choose a place to start: Honestly, the biggest problem with clutter is people look at it, get overwhelmed by it, and because they do not know where to start, they never do. So, if you want to tackle clutter, choose a place to start. One of the best places to start is whatever cluttered place you see most often, whether that is your room, your kitchen, your bathroom, or wherever. If you want to tackle clutter you have to start somewhere, so pick somewhere to start.

Reduce and simplify: Once you have your starting point, the best thing you can do is start reducing and simplifying. You want to get rid of as much stuff as you can. If you want to get rid of clutter you have to start by getting rid of as much of the stuff causing clutter as possible. So, make “reduce and simplify” your motto. Make sure you get rid of anything you have not used in a while, anything that you do not need, anything that invites clutter, etc.

Sort and organize: Once you have reduced and simplified, it is time to organize what you have left. You will want to go through the stuff in the area you are de-cluttering, and sort it. Put like items together, put items you use at the same time together, etc.

Buy some bins or containers, and store like items together.

Buy some bins or containers: Once you have pared down what you have, sorted it into organized and logical groupings, it is now time to take those sorted through items, and put them in something to contain them, thus containers, baskets, bins, etc. You can buy decorative baskets that will look nice displayed, or more practical and cheaper plastic containers that you store in cupboards, etc. You can label the bins and containers so that should things ever start to get cluttered you can easily get things back into place, and back to organized.

Designate places for everything: Once you have things sorted, contained, and labeled, choose a place for everything. The things you do not have a place for you need to get rid of as they will only create more clutter. If you can’t part with items, consider getting a storage unit or shed so that you can keep the stuff, but eliminate the clutter.

Teach others where things go: If you want your things to stay organized, and not cluttered, you have to teach all who use the space the system for keeping things organized. This means, things stay organized, and areas do not get bad again. The fact is, the better you teach others, the nicer your home is going to stay.

Tackle clutter by making it a goal to do so, and following logical steps, instead of letting the clutter overwhelm you, chip away at it little by little.