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How To Conquer Clutter
1. Dedicate Space
It’s important to have a dedicated space for each item you own. When all of your possessions have a home, it’s easy to put them away. You know exactly where they belong and there are no more excuses for leaving them strewn about.
Build or buy shelves and drawers so that you add extra storage in your home. Sort through items and discard or donate anything broken, expired or unused. Utilize baskets, bins or other storage containers to house items by category.
2. Labels
Just because you have a system for where everything is stored does not mean that your family knows about it. To avoid constant questions about where to find things, label EVERYTHING. Identifying where items are stored also makes it easy for everyone to know where to put stuff back. This is crucial to maintain the organization system.
Use a label maker or design and print your own labels on the computer. Place the labels on shelves or individual bins for easy identification.
3. Catch-All Basket
Despite our best efforts to conquer clutter, sometimes, it’s just too much effort to return stuff immediately. Place a “catch-all” basket in a high traffic area where you can throw things that need to be put back into place.
At the end of the day or when the storage basket is full, pick it up and walk around the house replacing the contents in their rightful locations. This is a great way to keep your home clean and tidy because it prevents rubbish from piling up.
4. One In, One Out Rule
The One In, One Out rule simply refers to removing one item from a location when you acquire something new that is stored in the same place.
I would recommend removing like for like. If you buy clothing that will be hung, remove something kept on a hanger in the same closet. Likewise, if you buy an item that will be folded in a drawer, get rid of an article of clothing from that same drawer. Obviously, this concept applies to more than just clothing but you get the idea.
This rule allows you to get new items so you don’t ever feel deprived but does not allow clutter to build up. You also preserve the amount of storage space dedicated to your belongings. Thirdly, it forces you to be more intentional when bringing new items into your home because you will have to get rid of something you already possess.
5. Habits and Personalities Matter
Conquer clutter in your home by considering everyone’s habits. If paper clutter constantly piles up by the entrance, sort it as soon as you enter the home. Keep folders or trays close to the door labelled with categories like “To File”, “Bills To Pay”, etc. Place a shredder nearby so you can shred any paper you don’t want immediately. This is especially important for documents that contain sensitive information e.g. bank statements.
For organization solutions to be sustainable, you must also take everyone’s personalities into account. Give the people who are more disorganized some grace. Let your kids throw their clothes into baskets in the closet instead of folding them. Get a side table with drawers or a cupboard for your husband so he can hide his mess. Do not expect him to lay his stuff neatly on shelves if it’s not in his character.
The Moral of This Story
Make your organization solutions as simple as possible. Forcing your family to conform with how you want things done, regardless of their habits and personalities, is the quickest way to see your organization system fall apart. They will not keep it up for long and you will run yourself ragged trying to coerce them. Find a method that everyone is on board with and can easily keep up.
If you keep these five elements in mind while organizing your home, you will conquer clutter— guaranteed.
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