Most everyone who knows me knows that I am a bit of an organization nut and a little bit of a clean freak. I have tenancies to label most everything that can be labeled and at most any time my house is ready for company. I thought I would share a few tips for eliminating clutter. These tips keep me company ready on most days.
5 Tips for eliminating clutter
1. Create a place for shoes - this may sound strange but once you decide on where your families shoes will "live" when they are not in use it will really keep your life less cluttered. For me that is on a shelf in our garage. The shoes never enter the house. This is a great way to reduce your cleaning time too! Shoes carry dirt, pebbles, mud, germs and other debris that you don't want on your floors. By simply eliminating shoes in your house you will save yourself time in cleaning.
2. Create a place for items you use daily - Whatever items that includes backpacks, coats, lunch boxes, keys, coupon binder, brief case, purse. If these items have a "home" when not in use it will keep your life less chaotic. It will become a time saver because you will no longer spend time looking for these items.
3. Every single day do a power clean - I do one power clean for 15 minutes every single morning while my son eats his breakfast before school and I then I do another one every evening after dinner. Both of these times my son in engaged doing something else and it gives me 15 minutes to clean and straighten up. By completing this power clean I am able to manage clutter and keep cleaning do a more manageable time.
4. Before you go to bed make sure you are organized for the next day - Simply lay out clothes, pack lunches, make your to-do list. It will allow you to sleep better to make sure you are ready for your day. I find this gets me ready for the next day and allows me better sleep.
5. Every single day I purge 2-3 items. I place at least 2-3 items a day in either the donate box, consignment box or the garbage. This is a huge help in removing the clutter from our house. I also have a monthly pick up date with the Veterans which allows me to be prepared for them and remove unwanted items from my house. My advice is if you have not used it in a full year you don't need it.
I hope this help s with eliminating the clutter from your life!
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Melissa is a soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 22 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
Jodi B
5 items sound like a lot. we just have paper clutter. half of it is my coupons and the other half is mail that needs to be paid or what-not. we don't really have a lot of 'stuff'
Melissa @ Stockpiling Moms
5 items is nothing 🙂 If you think about your entire house there are so many things that you can sort through from junk drawer, toys, coat closet. It is a great way to reduce and keep organized 🙂
Cindy
I did the same idea with my shoes. If I could just get my husband to use it! But it has helped a ton.
Melissa @ Stockpiling Moms
Yes you have to "convince" them to use it 🙂
Jennifer
I do these already! The problem I have is w/ the pigs I MEAN children I live with. Shoes are kicked off in front of the cubby, along w/ the backpacks. I do a power clean and place all the kids items on the stairwell for them to take to their rooms when they get home, only for them to walk past them 20x! Maybe I should create a giant goodwill box w/ all the things that don't get picked up or placed where they belong THE FIRST TIME!!! hmmmm
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
We have a specific location for shoes and if I find them anywhere else they are placed in the donation box - that never happens now 🙂
Tamara Nankivel
Great ideas, this would make a great weekly feature --- how to get organized, declutter, etc....
agree 5 things is nothing even if is just 5 pieces of paper a day 😉
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
So true!