How To Declutter Your Home

Tips to Rid Your Home of the Clutter

Do you sometimes feel so overwhelmed and feel like you’re the only one struggling with clutter? Well, the truth is, the National Association of Professional Organizers did a study that reveals that most people don’t actually use 80% of their stuff. For example, most people only use about 20% of the clothes in their closest- this means that 80% of it just hangs there. Additionally, 25% of adults pay their bills late because they tend to misplace them.

So, if you’re struggling with clutter and being un-organized, take some time to look over these fifty-two tips and put them into effect so that you can organize your home and family.

If you need more help with decluttering, visit Declutter Fast for more information.

In the mornings and evenings:

• In the evenings before going to bed, take some time to prepare lunches, put out school/work clothes, and gather everything you and/or your children will need for the day. Make sure that your kids put their homework, books, permission slips, etc in their backpacks before going to bed. This will keep everyone from going crazy in the mornings.

 

• Always put your purse, cell phone, briefcase, and keys in one specific spot every single day- this will ensure that you always know where they are and you’re not frantically searching.

 

• Take the time to figure out what is going to be for breakfast. If you’re planning on cereal, make sure to place the bowls, spoons, and cereal boxes on the table. This will also help if your children are old enough to fix their own breakfast.

 

• Take some time to make a “to do” list and put those tasks in order of priority. You must make sure to do this on a regular basis.

 

• Make sure to fill your gas tank in the evening on your way home from work- this will keep you from having to stop for gas in case you’re running late in the morning.

Bathrooms

• In order to get a handle on the countertop clutter, get yourself a plastic tub with a handle. Then, you can put all of your products, such as lotions and hair sprays in the tub and store it under the counter or in the closet when you’re not using them. When you’re ready to use them, pull it out and put them back when you’re done.

 

• To get your shower/tub organized, get a shower caddy for your soaps, body washes, shampoos, conditioners, etc. There are lots of different types: those that hang from the showerhead, those that stand in the corner of the shower, and those that you can take in and out of the tub with you.

 

• If you want to save time on cleaning, get a squeegee to keep in your shower, like the one that you use on windows. This way, when you’re done in the shower, just wipe down the doors/walls. Most of the time, squeegees have a hole in the handle, so you can get a suction cup and attach it to the wall in the shower for hanging.

 

• To help keep up with your metal implements, such as tweezers, scissors, and nail clippers, get a magnetic strip and install it in your medicine cabinet.

 

• If you are like most, you probably have reading material in your bathroom. Instead of leaving it lying around on the floor or the back of the toilet tank, get a decorative magazine rack. Make sure that as you bring in new ones, you get rid of the older ones so that the rack doesn’t end up overflowing.

 

• If you have unused medications, return them to the to the pharmacy for proper disposal. Also, take some time to go through your things and throw out any old/unused makeup, sunscreen, perfume, makeup, and old razors.

 

• If you don’t have storage space in your cabinets/closet for towels, roll them up and get a decorative basket next to your tub/shower to display them.

 

• Get some hooks and install them on the wall or the back of the door to hang robes and towels.

 

• Get some drawer organizers for things such as makeup, ponytail holders, and other loose items. A great thing to use are the plastic silverware trays- they’re inexpensive and they work quite well.

 

• Install some shelving above your toilet for storing any extra towels, washcloths, or other items.

 

• Make sure that there is a clock in all of your bathrooms so that you never have an excuse for being late.

Closets

• Put a couple of laundry baskets in your closets- one for regular laundry and one for dry cleaning.

 

• Go through your things and get rid of those things that you don’t wear anymore. Make sure it’s all in good condition and donate it to charity. If you want to make some extra cash, have a yard sale- then, donate what is left at the end of the day.

 

• Take some time to separate your clothes according to season. If you have a tall closet, then put the current season on the lowest rod. However, if you have a standard closet, get some totes and pack away those that are out of season.

 

• Put your clothes into categories according to their purpose: formal, hot/cold weather specific, work, casual, etc.

 

• If you’re like me, over the years, you’ve collected lots of those awful wire hangers. If you want to get rid of them, don’t throw them out- take them to the cleaners for recycling.

 

• If you have lots of scarves or ties, get a rack to hang them on- and put them where they are easily accessible, but out of the way.

 

• If you have lots of shoes (and still have the shoeboxes) get rid of the boxes and get a shoe rack to keep them organized. Also, if you have shoes that are out of season, pack them away with your out of season clothes. You don’t have to always keep all of your shoes in your closet.

 

• If you have lots of hats, totes, and handbags- install some hooks on the wall to hang them on. This way, they are out of the way, but if you want to use them, you can easily get to them.

 

• If there are clothes that you won’t necessarily wear anymore but you can’t bring yourself to part with, store them in a vacuum sealed bag. This way, they are compressed and take up less room in your closet or under your bed.

Kitchen

• Go through your cabinets and organize them into several categories. This way, when someone else is cleaning the kitchen, they can easily figure out where everything goes and you won’t have to go back and do it over again.

 

• Go through your pantry and organize it, putting like items together. This way, it will be easy for you to find what you need when you need it- and you’ll be able to make your grocery list better because you’ll know what you’re out of.

 

• Get some baskets and put those mix packets in it.

 

• Go get yourself a pretty spice rack that will fit well in your kitchen. Make sure to put the spices that you use on a regular basis in the front and the others in the back. Also, for better organization, take some time to put them in alphabetical order.

 

• If you have lots of those plastic storage containers- and I’m sure most everyone does- dedicate one cabinet just for those. If you have containers with no lids and lids with no containers- get rid of them! If you want to maximize your space, go purchase some stackable containers.

 

• To keep your countertops from becoming cluttered, you should only keep out those things that you use on a daily basis. You should only keep cookbooks that you really use on display and everything else should have a place and be kept there.

 

• If you’re a recipe clipper and you have lots of recipes that you’ve clipped out of magazines, newspapers, or printed from online- you need to get them organized. Go get a three ring binder that works well with your décor and some sheet protectors. Then, take some time to sort out and file the recipes. You can glue them to a sheet of paper or just put them in the sheet protector if it’s a large piece. Then, get some tabs and label each category.

 

• You know those plastic grocery bags you get when you’ve been shipping? You can reuse those! In some cases, you may save some money by using your own bags. Or, do like me and use them as trash can liners in those bathroom or desk trash cans.

 

• When you bring home groceries, take a few minutes to clean out your fridge. You should throw out anything that is no longer edible or anything that you know that no one is going to eat.

Kids’ Room

• If getting kids to put dirty laundry in the hamper is an issue, get a basketball hoop to encourage them.

 

• Give your kids a two-compartment laundry hamper. This way, he/she can sort their light clothes from the dark ones when they’re undressing (and you won’t have to!).

 

• If you have an artist on your hands, string a clotheline across their room to hang up their favorite artwork pieces.

 

• If your child’s room is overrun with toys such as stuffed animals, action figures, or dolls hang a mesh hammock from the ceiling to store them. This way, they’re up off the floor.

 

• If you have a book lover, install a bookshelf for them to organize their books.

 

• Get them their very own alarm clocks (let them choose which one they like best so they’ll be more likely to use it) so that they can learn how to get up on their own on time.

Miscellaneous

• Everything in your home should have a place and everything should be in its place when not in use. Family members should be taught to clean up their own messes- even young children. Of course, make sure that you’re expecting age-appropriate tasks out of them- after all, though you want your two-year old to learn to bring her dishes to the sink- you shouldn’t expect her to wash them on her own.

 

• Small trashcans/wastebaskets should be placed in every room along with a few extra trashbags in the bottom of each one. This will give everyone a place to put their trash without having to go to the main trashcan in the house.

 

• These days, we all have several devices and therefore have lots of remote controls. Get a cute basket to put them in- and make sure that everyone understands they should be put there when they’re not being used.

 

• Get a plastic caddy to keep your cleaning supplies in. This way, you can easily transport them from one room to the next and you don’t have to worry about them taking up space on your shelf.

 

• Make sure that you always have baskets/tubs in every room to quick cleanup. Consider purchasing a weatherproof storage box for the kids’ outdoor toys and keep balls in a drawstring mesh bag.

 

• Take a few minutes every night before going to bed (10-15 minutes will be sufficient, especially once you’ve gotten the clutter under control), for everyone to pick up clutter. Consider making it a game and reward the person that can pick up (and put away) the most clutter in the least amount of time.

 

• Get a dry erase board/cork board combo to use for a family message center. This way, you can communicate more easily with each other- especially since everyone is always so busy in today’s world.

 

• On your computer, either in a word processing document or a spreadsheet, make a master grocery list. Think about the things that you buy on a regular basis and put them into the appropriate categories. If possible, organize it in the way that the grocery store’s aisles are set up. Each week, print a copy and put it on the family message center for family members to add to it as necessary.

 

• Consider the convnience of shopping online. You can avoid the hassle of traffic, lines, etc.- Plus, you can shop whenever you choose!

 

• Get some bins for your desk and create an inbox for papers that will need your attention- and make sure you clear it out on a daily basis.

 

• Designate one power strip that you can charge all of your electronics on. This way, you’ll always know where it is if you’ve put it on the charger- plus, you’ll never have to look for an empty outlet.

 

• If you have lots of chargers for lots of different devices, take some time to sort them out and label them. This way, you won’t be trying to figure out which charger is yours every time you need to charge your phone.

Keep in mind that the main purpose for getting organized is to make your life easier. When you’re organized, you’re going to be less stressed and therefore more productive. These tips will help you to end up with less clutter and therefore a neater home- which will ultimately lead to more quality time for your family and even yourself.

Visit Declutter Fast to get more information on how to make your home and life clutter free- which leads to greater happiness and productivity.