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Do you dream of a home with everything in its place? Just imagine a scenario when the husband asks for a light bulb, a shoehorn or a C battery — and you know exactly where it is. Imagine a living room uncluttered by papers; a kitchen counter without mail or backpacks; a clean dresser. Sound good? Here's how to make it happen.
Most of us have 20 of everything and cannot put our hands on one. We have accumulated so much stuff over the years that we are figuratively drowning in it. If you want to be able to access the things you actually use, you have to eliminate the things you don't. Unless, of course, you have a personal staff to keep up with all your possessions.
Go through every item in every closet and every drawer and ask yourself these questions:
- Have I used it recently?
- Will I use it later?
- Does it have any sentimental value?
- Would I save it if there were a fire?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, keep it; if not, donate it to charity.
Step 2: Garbage in, garbage out.
Make a rule in your house that nothing else comes in unless something goes out. A new pair of slacks means that Goodwill will be receiving an old sweater. New golf clubs means the old ones go bye-bye. A new Barbie … well, you've got the idea.
Step 3: Put it where you need it.
Often, the reason things can't be found — and aren't put away again — is that they are in the wrong place to begin with. If an item (say a telephone directory) was where it was needed (say, by the phone), you would know where to find it. And anyone in the family would know to return it to its logical home. But if the phone directory is above the microwave oven, it's easy to forget its location — because it's not logical. And you won't return it there because it's too inconvenient.
Step 4: Think in terms of activity centers.
Think about what activity you do in each room and what supplies you need for it. Then put those supplies there. It might mean buying several pairs of scissors (for the sewing basket, the office, the kitchen, the gift wrapping box, the homework area) but it's worth it not to have to keep interrupting a project to track down a pair when you need them.
Step 5: Stop clutter at the door.
Most clutter happens as kids come in from school and adults come home from shopping or work. We're tired; we're hungry. We all dump whatever we're carrying (books, newspapers, mail, shoes, shopping bags, coats, etc.) just inside the door. Designate convenient places to put this stuff. Have hooks for backpacks; coat racks for coats; cubbies for mail, etc. Put things you use frequently on lower shelves; things you rarely use on higher shelves. Well, duh. That seems obvious, doesn't it? But often we just put things away without really thinking about it. Just think about it.
Step 6: Use clutter baskets.
Let's face it. There are going to be times when we aren't going to take time to put things away. Instead of giving in to the temptation to just stash the note cards in the nearest drawer (where you'll never find them again), have a clutter basket in each room. Empty the basket when you have time to return items to their proper home.
Step 7: She's making a list…
Usually only one person in the house — mom — knows where everything is. Don't fall into this trap. If you're the only one who knows where everything goes, you'll be the one always having to look for stuff and always having to put it away. Keep a household directory on your computer — an inventory that tells where family possessions such as batteries, wrapping paper, heating pads, extra dog food are kept. Then when the kids screech, "Mom! Where's the Crazy Glue?" you can tell them to look it up!
Step 8: Don't hoard paper.
Don't keep stacks of magazines, newspapers and mail that you're never going to get to read. Keep one basket for reading materials and empty it weekly. If there's only one article that you want to keep in an old magazine, tear it out and recycle the magazine, then file the article.
Step 9: Be vigilant.
No system is self-sustaining. You have to keep at it. Make a rule in your home that the house will be picked up (laundry put away, toys stashed, papers filed) before you go to bed. If everyone participates, this should be a 15-minute chore at most.
Step 10: Fine-tune your system.
No system is forever, either. Look at your organizational setup occasionally and make sure it's still working for your family. If clutter is building in any area of the home, rethink your methods.
