Clutter can keep you from living the happy, productive life that you deserve. However, there are some ways that you can declutter your home. You might want to look into Declutter Fast to learn more about this process. Meanwhile, you can use this checklist to help you get started. Simply check off each item as you do it and before you know it, you will have a clutter free home. Once you do the once-over in your home using this checklist, it will be so much easier to maintain.

Declutter Outside

The best place to start the decluttering process is outside. After all, what is outside of your home sets the idea for what can be expected inside. When you get home after a long day of work and your yard is neat and clean- and welcoming- you won’t care how bad the day was. You’ll be able to unwind and relax.

• Start by looking at your front yard, walkways, and entrance- remove any debris, dead leaves, limbs, etc.
• Trim trees, shrubs, clear out flower beds, plant new flowers, put fresh mulch in beds, etc.
• Wash windows- and keep them clean
• Regularly remove the cobwebs
• As needed, sweep front porch/front door area
• Gather your mail on a daily basis
• Regularly mow the lawn
• Put away your tools in your storage building or garage
• Roll up all hoses
• Take the time to completely clean out the gutters
• Make any necessary repairs to shutters and paint, if necessary
• Repair the fences and other items that need repair

Inside Your Home

Once you have done everything there is to do outside, it’s time to move indoors. The best place to start is in the entry way- and then go through your home, room by room.

Foyer Area

Make sure all coats are hung in an armoire or closet

Make sure shoes are not strewn out in the foyer- have a place for them in the armoire or closet

• Sweep or vacuum
• Dust/polish any furniture
• Purchase an umbrella stand so that you have somewhere near the door to keep them

Den/Living Room

• Figure out the natural traffic pattern to your den/living room area- rearrange furniture so that the traffic pattern is not impeded
• Gather any discarded toys/games and put them where they belong
• Gather any discarded clothing and put it in the laundry or in the room where it belongs
• Gather any empty dishes and take them to the kitchen (more on decluttering the kitchen area next)
• Carefully sort through the stacks of newspapers and magazines- every now and then, throw them out, give them to someone else, or put them in the recycle bins
• Take a look at your window treatments (shades/blinds, curtains/drapes, etc.)- if necessary, replace them

Kitchen

• Make sure that dirty dishes don’t stack up on the counter or in the sink
• Take the time to declutter the counter tops
• Organize your cabinets- and put a system in place to maintain them
• Regularly clean (sweep/mop) the floors
• Make sure that sinks are kept clean and drains kept unclogged
• If you have worn out sponges, dish cloths, or dish towels- replace them
• Refill soap dispensers (if you have them)
• Clean your oven, stovetop, and cabinets on a regular basis
• Go through fridge and throw out anything that is spoiled/expired
• Wash around the doorframes and light switches
• Clean the windows (you did the outside- the inside should be done too)
• Wash pet bowls
• Avoid allowing the trash bags to accumulate or the trash to overflow before it is taken outside

Laundry

• Instead of letting laundry accumulate and doing it once a week or so- make sure that you keep up with it.
• Take the time to fold and put away clean laundry- don’t let it pile up (you may end up not being able to tell what’s clean and what’s dirty)
• Regularly clean your dryer filter
• Regularly clean the washer and the dryer (inside and out- you can get special cleaner bars to run through both)
• Clean sink (if you have one)
• Clean windows
• Sweep/mom floor
• Get a shelving system set up to store laundry supplies so they’re not strewn out- and keep all caps on
• Organize the closet (if you have one)

Bathrooms

• Regularly deodorize (to keep down the stench)
• When not in use, turn off the exhaust fans
• Clean (and maintain) tubs, sinks, and shower stalls
• Clean toilets on a regular basis
• Clean the windows
• Clean toothbrush holders (and sink) to avoid toothpaste buildup
• Clean the mirrors
• Don’t throw towels on the floor- hang them so they can be reused or place them in the laundry room/hamper. Washcloths should be placed in hamper or taken to the laundry room.
• Trash cans should be emptied on a regular basis
• Take time to unclog showers, tubs, and sinks
• Get organization/storage bins for any cosmetics so they’re not strewn all over the counter

Bedrooms

• Before leaving the bedroom, make up your bed
• Regularly vacuum
• Regularly dust furniture and fans/light fixtures
• Hang up/put away clothes instead of leaving them on the floor
• Put away shoes
• Keep towels out of room- they should be in the bathroom
• Dirty clothes should be placed in hamper or taken to laundry room
• Food should not be eaten in bedroom- this encourages bugs and rodents to make their home in your room. If you do have dirty dishes in your room, remove them and take them to the kitchen
• Clear nightstand of clutter- and keep it that way
• Replace any light bulbs that are burnt out
• Organize drawers and closets
• Regularly dust under bed

Why This Works

By using this checklist to declutter your home, you know exactly what should be done and you get a sense of achievement as you do each one and check them off. A clutter free home brings good fengshui- and it also makes you more efficient. If you want to know more about how to declutter, check out Declutter Fast.

Many people find the thought of having a simple life, free of clutter very attractive. They have thought about it and have weighed the positives of having less stuff: less debt, more money, more energy to pursue their passions, less to clean, less stress, and less to keep organized. They have decided they are ready to take the next step and get rid of all the clutter in their life- but many are not sure where to start.

Unfortunately, when it comes down to it, many people begin to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and even completely defeated at the thought of decluttering their home and lives.

However, the truth is, it really doesn’t have to be all that complicated and painful. In fact, there are some creative and fun ways that you can get started with this process. Check out Declutter Fast for some great tips on decluttering your home and consider implementing the following tips into your life to get you started.

Tips for Decluttering

• Allow yourself FIVE whole minutes to clean/straighten and organize a particular area. This way, you’re breaking it up into smaller increments, you’re not focusing so much on the BIG PICTURE.
• Every day, find one thing to give away- in one year, you’ll have 365 less things. This will make you feel like you’re more in control of your stuff instead of your stuff controlling you. Make a point to not replace those things with more things.
• Early on in your journey, get a trash bag and fill it up. This can be with things you are throwing out or things you are donating. Either way, you’re getting rid of things. This is a wonderful way to kickstart your path to decluttering.
• Go into your close and turn all of the hangers backwards. When you wear an item, turn the hanger back around to put it back. Within six months, you’ll have an idea of what you wear on a regular basis and what you really don’t. Anything that is not facing the correct direction can be gotten rid of. You can also use this same idea to clear out the clutter in the rest of your home.
• Take the time to make a list of the various areas in your home so that you can figure out which one is the easiest to get done. Then, as you begin to declutter and organize, as you complete one area, STOP. Of course, your list can be as easy or as complicated as you want, depending upon the areas of your home that you put on the list- and it can work with any schedule at all.
• Follow the 12/12/12 challenge in which you find 12 things that you can throw out, 12 things you can donate, and 12 things that you will return to their proper location (everything you own should have a place). You can even make this a family competition- whoever is the first one finished is the winner.
• Often, since we live in the clutter, we may not necessarily see what we need to do. Therefore, try to change the way you see your home. Imagine inviting over the CEO of your company, a toddler, or take some pictures. This will help you to see your home from another perspective and you’ll be more able to see the clutter that you so desperately need to get rid of.
• Try to involve your imagination in the decluttering process. When you’re clearing out the clutter, pick something up and decide how much you’d be willing to pay if you were to purchase that item right now- or if you’d but it at all. This could be very helpful in helping you to remove things you don’t really need anymore.
• As you are on your path to minimizing your possessions and decluttering your life, try the four-box method. Simply take 4 boxes and label them: Trash, Keep, Relocate, Give Away. Then, take one room at a time and place everything in that room in a box. You may only need an hour or two in one room and you may need a week in another room. The point is, you’re getting rid of the clutter one step at a time.

Of course, no matter how you get started- whether you use one of the above tips or some other advice that you come across- the point is to be excited about it. You’ll find that there’s a wonderful world of freedom and freshness waiting for you on the other side of the clutter. How you get rid of the clutter is entirely up to you. For more help getting started- or maintaining your motivation- try Declutter Fast.

Look around you- do you see lots of clutter in your home? Do you want to get it all under control, but you’re not sure what to do? Do you want to have some help with the decluttering process? Fear not- check out Declutter Fast for some help. In the meantime, keep reading for some tips on getting organized.

What is Decluttering?

Decluttering is the process of removing the clutter from your home and life. Clutter is all that junk that is keeping you from being able to use your living areas for what they should be used for. Clutter can be things you don’t want/need or even things that you do want/need, but they’re not in their proper place. Always remember, everything should have a place and everything should be in that place for you to be efficient and effective in your life.

Following are ten tips that can be helpful with ridding your home of the clutter.

• Take baby steps 

The truth is, no matter how good you are, you’re not going to be able to declutter your entire home in just one day. It’s just not going to happen. While it may be hard to believe, it really does take lots of concentration, effort, and energy to declutter. You’re not just sorting things- you’re making a decision of what to do with it. So, instead of spending hours in a particular area/room, spend about 20 minutes at a time- then take a break.

• Remove/process clutter in the various areas of your home

Unfortunately, we all have the tendency to become what is called “clutter blind.” This is when we get so used to clutter, we don’t really even see it anymore. However, let’s say your makeup is in your bedroom or living room. It doesn’t belong there, so it’s easy to see. So, look around and gather all of the clutter from the room that belongs in another room. You can place it in a box, basket, or bag. Once you’ve gathered it, move it to the room it belongs in.

• Get a trash bag/recycle bin

When you’re decluttering, it’s a good idea to make it as easy as possible to dispose of items that you don’t want/need. Therefore, you need to have bags/bins for trash and for recycling. If you have paperwork with personal information, put it through the shredder. Once you have completed a particular area, take the things you’re throwing away or recycling outside of your home so it’s less likely to find its way out.

• Work from the top down

You’ve been told that you should clean from the top down, right? The same thing goes for decluttering. Start with the attic or the bedrooms and work your way to the basement or garage. This way, your entire home will be transformed and you won’t have to wonder if you made it to a particular area or not.

• Work from the inside out

If you have lots of clutter in a particular room, it may be a good idea to declutter from the center of the room to the walls. This will make it easy for you to get into and out of the room and you’ll be able to see the progress you’re making. Begin with the clutter just inside the door, moving to the center. Then, work your way out. you can move counterclockwise or clockwise, whatever makes sense to you.

• Just “grab and go”

Of course, you may have lots of clutter in an area/room and you don’t even begin to know where to start. Just find a pile of clutter and start working. You can use a container to temporarily house the clutter so that it’s easier to go through later on, if you wish.

• Look at your stuff objectively

When you begin the decluttering process, you’ll need to be practical about your stuff and whether you are or are not using them. Consider the following questions:

1. Have I used this in the last year?
2. Am I currently using the item or have I recently used it?
3. Am I saving this “just in case” I need it later?
4. Do I still like this or have I lost interest?
5. Is this adding value to my home and life?
6. Is this weighing me down, keeping me from doing what I want to?

• Get rid of anything that is broken, unusable, or outdated

The truth is, things that are busted, broken, and unusable becomes more of a headache than they’re worth over time. It just takes up space and sucks up all your attention and energy from the things that really matter.

If you’re looking for a way to decide whether to get rid of something, ask yourself if it’s functional and whether or not you want it in your life now or might want it in the future.

Finally, don’t wait for the perfect time- it will never come. Decluttering is something that you just need to do. If you need more help, check out Declutter Fast to learn more.

Paper clutter is perhaps the most unsettling type of clutter. After all, it is representative of lingering decisions and to-dos. When you have paper clutter all around you, it’s hard to know exactly what’s hiding at the bottom of the stack and you’re not sure what needs your attention and time.

However, when you have a filing system in place, you can put an end to the uneasy feelings created by paper clutter. Check out Declutter Fast for more tips on decluttering your environment. Here are seven steps to get paper clutter organized.

Create a Collection System

The very first step to getting rid of paper clutter is to create a spot to place incoming paper. First of all, determine the best place for this collection system. If you’re not sure, think about where things are landing now. This is the place you’re putting things now, so it makes sense to make this the area.

Once you’ve decided where to put it, place a container such as a basket or tray and make it official. This will help you keep all papers together instead of allowing them to be strewn all over.

Once you have implemented a collection system for your papers, the next step is to set up a system for each type of papers: action, reference, and archive.

Create a System for Action/”To-Do” Papers

You should start by setting up a system for processing your action/”to-do” papers. After all, this is the most important type because they tell you that you need to make sure a specific task gets completed. This includes permission slips, party invites, and bills.

Make sure that you consider convenience when you are creating your system for action/”to-do” papers. Ideally, the system should be set up close to where you do the tasks associated with paperwork. For example, if you process your bills at the kitchen table, the file should be set up somewhere close to the kitchen table.

Create a System for Reference Papers

The next type of paperwork is the reference papers. This is anything that doesn’t require any specific action at the moment. If there is an action required by this paperwork in the future, there will be something on it that will trigger your action.

One reference item is carry out menus. The menu doesn’t tell you to order food- but when you’re hungry and you want to order take out, it’s good to know where the menus are kept.

Since convenience is key to a great reference system, binders work well. You might even consider keeping this file in your filing cabinet if you have a home office. After all, chances are that’s near your phone- so you can grab the menu and then call in your order.

Create a System for Archive Papers

Archive papers are permanent records such as old tax returns and anything else that needs to be held onto for a certain amount of time. Just as with reference papers, archive papers don’t really have any specific action associated with them at this time.

Since you’re going to be accessing these less than you would any other type of paper, you can keep these in the bottom file drawer of your filing cabinet.

Develop Habits for Using these Systems

Once you have successfully established your filing systems, you need to establish habits that you need to use them. Of course, each one requires different habits. For example, you should empty the collection system once a day to distribute everything to its proper place.

As you use the systems, you’ll find that your habits will change and develop as necessary until you have found a successful way to use them. Plus, you’ll find that the more often you process your action papers, the less likely you are to get behind.

Process Your Paper Backlog

Now that you know what to do with incoming papers- do you know what to do with the backlog of papers that seems to be staring you down? The best way is to prioritize it and take it down one step at a time.

• Daily Inflow: the best way to deal with backlog is to avoid adding to it. The first priority should be to stay on top of new things coming in by dealing with it right away.
• Visible Backlog: once you have learned to deal with the daily inflow, you should deal with the papers that are stacked up everywhere. This means the piles of stuff that people can see when they come into your home or office.
• Hidden Backlog: once you have learned to deal with the daily inflow and the backlog that can be seen- it’s time to deal with the stacks that are hidden away.

Enjoy Your Clutter Free Desk/Counters

Once you have gotten your paper clutter under control, you can relax and enjoy the peace that comes from being free from it. Enjoy it- and then live your life! Don’t forget to check out Declutter Fast for more help on decluttering.