10 Practical Organization Tips for a Clutter-Free Home

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Spring Cleaning 2

Do you struggle to clear the clutter from your home? Are you constantly overwhelmed by the amount of stuff accumulating in all the rooms of your house? You don’t have to tackle your whole house today – but you can definitely take small steps toward creating an organized home.

Organization SMB

  1. I always keep a plastic garbage bag in my closet. Why? If I try on a piece of clothing that doesn’t fit, looks outdated or I haven’t worn in more than 6 months, I will place it in the bag. I don’t have to carve out extra time to sort through my clothing.
  2. When I go to the mailbox and pick up the mail, I stop at the recycling bin. If it is mail I don’t need or advertisement circulars that I plan on throwing way, I dump them into my recycling bin. This is a great way to avoid piles of paper taking space on your counters.
  3. How many goodie bags and miscellaneous toys have you collected over the years from your kids’ parties? Probably too many to count. To keep this under control, after a birthday party, I let my daughter keep a few items, but then place the items she doesn’t want in a donation box in the garage.
  4. I do an active inventory at night and put things back in their place. Keys go in my purse, laptop returns to my desk and my Fitbit and other jewelry move to a dish on my nightstand. My husband and daughter do the same with their belongings.
  5. Is your house overrun with toys everywhere? In our home, the rule is that if you receive something new, you must donate an item in exchange. This way the toy clutter stays at a minimum because you are actively preventing an accumulation of toys that your kids do not want. It also teaches them lessons about giving to others.
  6. Go through your house at least every 6 months and evaluate the items that you have in your space. Ask yourself three questions, “Is this something you can toss?, Is this something you can donate?” or “Is this something that you need?” Depending on the answer to these various questions, you can either choose to donate or discard. Be honest with yourself – it is the only way you will be able to effectively remove clutter from your home.
  7. Tired of your essentials falling in your medicine cabinet? Use a magnetic strip and mount it to the inside of your medicine cabinet. You can place tweezers, pins and other grooming items on this strip without it falling to the sink every time you open the door.
  8. This may seem like an extreme, but for one month, try to buy less. Limit your spending to basic items, like food, gas and basic essentials.
  9. Cancel magazine subscriptions. Many magazines offer subscriptions online. You can enjoy your favorite articles and pictures online without the fuss of these magazines collecting in some corner of your bedroom.
  10. Declutter in small steps. If you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, I suggest handling a manageable project, like cleaning out a single drawer and then working your way toward bigger decluttering goals.

What are some of your organization tips for your home? 

 

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