How To Stop Organizing Clutter With These Simple Organizing Tips
We’ve all been here- another trip to the store to buy more things to organize those clutter magnet areas of your home. Wondering why it seems that no matter how many items or systems you buy to organize those areas of your home, it never stays organized for very long? It’s because you are probably organizing clutter. So what now?
Read on for a few simple ways to stop organizing clutter and get your home truly organized once and for all.
Here are a few general tips to keep every room in your home clutter-free:
- Avoid buying something just because it’s on sale. That (fill in the blanks) may only cost $7 dollars but now you’ll have to take care of it, make room for it, and eventually let go of it. All these actions require your attention so be mindful of what you bring to your home.
- Really think before you buy. Ask yourself where you are going to store if you bring it home, how many times you are going to use it and if you can wait until tomorrow to make that buy. Chances are you’ll be glad you didn’t bring that XXL serving platter home! But if you do buy, use the one in, one out rule of thumb in the space where that item will live. Keeping your possessions under control will help you keep your home organized and free of clutter.
- Declutter and donate on the regular. Making this part of your routine will keep clutter from building over long periods of time. The truth is that we have special dates and season throughout the year to bring more stuff home: birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, holidays… these are the times you are going to see stuff coming in so why not establish a ritual of going through all you have to see what can go out to make room for the new? If after decluttering you see an empty shelf don’t be tempted to fill it up! Get into the habit of seeing empty spaces in your house as a normal thing.
Now, let’s look at how to get a handle on some classic clutter-magnet areas in your home.
The Entryway
This is one of the most common places for clutter to build in your home. It is the place you first come to upon entering your home, which means surfaces becomes cluttered with mail, keys, and miscellany. Floor spaces, chairs, or benches become cluttered with bags, shoes, and seasonal accessories like hats, scarves, and gloves. The solution to all of this stuff?
- Give everything you carry into your house on a daily basis that ends up on entryway surfaces a home.
- Be sure to have a mail sorting system in place.
- Consider alternative furniture for your entryway. Tables and dressers can be repurposed to make perfect entryway furniture-all those drawers tuck mail, keys, and sunglasses out of eyesight.
- Depending on the season, provide a place for hats, scarves, gloves, or umbrellas. Neat baskets or an entryway tree can take care of these.
- Additional items that have no place to go-you guessed it-don’t belong in the entryway. Decide if they are keepers and put them back where they belong or get rid of them.
The Kitchen
Another notorious space in your home that is often cluttered is the kitchen counter.
Here are a few simple habits to keep your counters clear.
- Only keep things you use every day out on your counters, such as your coffee pot.
- Make good use of your under cabinet storage.
- Make sure everything has a home. If it doesn’t, ask yourself if this item is really used or belongs in your kitchen. If it does, make a space for it. If it does not, donate it.
- Declutter 10 minutes at the end of each night. The kitchen is the heat of the home so it makes sense that throughout the day cutter gathers in everyone’s kitchen. Take 10 minutes each night to declutter and put things away where they belong. There is no better feeling than starting your day in a clean and clutter-free kitchen.
The Bedroom
Dressers and nightstands often end up gathering a lot of random clutter-ticket stubs and change from clothing pockets, jewelry you name it, the dresser and nightstand are landing spaces for all kinds of small clutter. A few tweaks can keep these areas free of visual clutter and give you back your peaceful bedroom space.
- Keep a vessel for loose change on the dresser and a tray for jewelry.
- Your nightstand should have a lamp, a coaster or tray for a beverage, a charging device, a clock, and a photo or something you love to wake up and go to bed looking at. Everything Else can be placed in drawers or in another space.
- Twice a week take time to clear away any items that have gathered on your dresser and put them back in their places. Clear your nightstand each morning of anything that does not belong.
The Office
Offices are one of the hardest places to keep organized and clutter-free. Here are a few ways to get your office clutter under control and keep it that way.
- Start by keeping fewer things on your desk. Keep only those items you are immediately using out. This helps to avoid visual clutter and helps keep you from being distracted.
- Consider going paperless whenever possible. Change any payments to paperless, and store things digitally.
- Take 5 minutes each day at the end of your work day to organize your desk area. Being greeted by a clutter-free desk each day will improve your focus and productivity.
These tips to stop organizing clutter will have you well on your way to a more effective organizing system so you can keep your home consistently clutter-free.
Check out the Life-Binder 2019 for more time-saving ways to keep every room in your home clutter-free and organized!
