The holidays are coming to an end. And my house can’t wait to recover! It was a lovely, joy-filled time for Bruce and me and some of our four children, but the house is screaming out, “Get rid of the clutter, already!” Seems like it could be time for some clutter busting tips to get the ship righted again. If you feel the same thing in your home, read on, my friends.
#1 of The Clutter Busting Tips – The One Touch Rule
This is my favorite clutter busting tip, but it is really hard to do consistently. The idea is that when something needs handling, say you take off your coat, you deal with it all the way – once. That means no putting that coat on the back of the chair. You put it in the hall closet. Wash a dish. Then dry it and put it away. No leaving it on the counter to “air dry.” When you come home from work and change into your sweats, you put your jewelry away in the drawer, not on the top of the sink or your dresser. You stash your shoes in the closet, not beside the front door. One touch. If you can master it you will be busting clutter with the best of us.
Maintain a Donate/Consign Area
This clutter busting tip is near-and-dear to my heart. Owning a consignment store like Consignments Ltd. I am constantly advising people to create a bin for consignment and a bin for donation. Put two laundry bins or totes in your garage. As you realize you don’t need something, after the holiday clean-up, put it in the bin for consignment or donation. It busts the clutter AND keeps you on track for moving the things along.
Keep Flat Surfaces Clear
At the holidays, this one can be exceptionally hard to keep up, especially in the kitchen. But after the holidays… look out! Get those kitchen counters clean and your house will immediately look less cluttered. There will always be things, like the toaster, that you want to keep out. But minimize the rest of the “stuff,” and then sweep the surfaces once a day. Your clutter will be busted for sure.
The same is true for your other flat surfaces: the coffee table in the living room and the top of your sink in the bath should get a daily sweep for de-cluttering.
Deal with Mail Immediately – It’s a Great Clutter Buster
Why do we still get so much mail? I pay all my bills online and I haven’t ordered from a paper catalog in what seems like 100 years. But still the mail comes in and piles up. If you can make a habit of putting your bills in a place where you will address them and recycling the junk mail immediately, you will be amazed at how much less clutter is in your life.
Be Mindful about What You Purchase
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. But teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. This tip is in the same vein as this famous proverb. If you are thoughtful about what you bring into your home, you will have less clutter as a rule. I’m not saying don’t buy anything, especially at your favorite consignment store, but think about it before you buy it. And consider number two above, when you do buy. Is this replacing something I plan to sell or donate? Then your purchase is mindful and beneficial. It’s a win-win.
For some other good reads, check out my previous blogs: What’s The Didn’t Know Rule of Decluttering? and My Favorite Amazon Products For My Favorite Readers.
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