How to Declutter

For many people, organization may be a problem (If you are not a neat freak). This article will inform you about the process of decluttering your home; and your life.

Decide how often you are going to declutter a zone. Do a little every day - use a timer. But be warned - this can become compulsive! Once you get started you will want to clean like a banshee! Don't burn yourself out! Only do small amount at a time. The house did not get dirty overnight and it will not get clean overnight. When you set the timer you can only do two sessions at a time. This goal may seem unattainable right now, but you can do it in little pieces. In a couple of months, the whole house will be decluttered.

Gather together your decluttering Equipment: You will need garbage bags, boxes, magic markers, and a dust rag. Label the boxes "Give Away", "Throw Away", and "Put Away". Line the "Throw Away" box with a plastic garbage bag.

Start at the entrance to the room: Then, work your way around the room clockwise. Do not skip a spot. Whatever happens to be next, just do it.

Declutter Away! With boxes at your feet and dust rag in your waistband, start off by cleaning out and getting rid of the things that do not belong in this room. Put garbage in the "Throw Away" box, donations in the "Give Away" box, and stuff that goes somewhere else in the "Put Away" box. Don't worry that you do not have a place for everything right now. By the time you finish you will.

Ask yourself as you get rid of your clutter:Do I love this item? Have I used it in the past year? Is it really garbage? Do I have another one that is better? Should I really keep two? Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it? Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item?

Get rid of the garbage! When the "Throw Away" box gets full, pull out the garbage bag, close it, and put it in the trash can, the pickup truck, or wherever you keep your garbage. Put a new garbage bag in the "Throw Away" box and keep on Flying until the timer goes off.

Donate! When the "Give Away" box gets full, seal it off, and put it in your car. The next time you are out, you can donate to the area thrift shop. Do not save your clutter for a yard or garage sale, you will be blessed by giving it away. The value can be deducted on your income tax. Remember you are trying to get rid of clutter - not relocate it somewhere else in your home. Now, grab another box, label it "Give Away", and get back to work.

"Put Away" Stuff: When the "Put Away" box gets full, take the box in your arms and run around the house and put the items in the room where they belong. If they have a place, put them there, if not put them in the room where they logically belong. By the time you have finished you will have a place for everything and everything will be in it's place.

Tips

• Rubbermaid or Sterilite plastic containers with lids are great for storing items. They can be stacked with the lids taped shut in the garage or shed.
• Don't spend more on a storage unit than what you are storing is worth. Many people spend $30 a month for years, only to one day clean out the unit or abandon the contents.
• Give yourself a few extra days before making the final discard - so as not to have any regrets or need for future repurchase.

Warnings

• Only set aside a group of things to sell (garage sale, eBay, etc.) if you know you will sell it, and not have it sit in a box for years. If you're a procrastinator, think twice about this.
• What you throw away today may end up the find of a lifetime in a garage sale or flea market later.

Things You'll Need

• Boxes.
• Garbage bags.
• Permanent markers