Tag Archive: declutter fast

Reduce Clutter Information

Reducing clutter in you home is easy if you have the information that you need to know, in order to get your things organized. Most people do not even think that they have any clutter.

But what exactly is clutter?

Can you define it? Most of us would be hard pressed to define the word. But, we know it when we see it! Actually, though, the definition is easy and fairly straightforward. Clutter is any item which you own, but you don’t use or you don’t take care of.

Now, think about this. If you own and use an item, you’re probably going to take care of it — at least to some degree. But if you have some article you don’t use, you’re more likely not to take as good care of it.

For example, there’s the souvenir plate from Disney World that Auntie Vera gave you. Do you really love that plate as much as you say? Then why is it stashed up in the attic with your yearbook from high school? That souvenir plate has just passed “the clutter test.”

We find reasons — or sometimes we create — reasons why we just can’t start the decluttering process today. And even if we do start the process, we find many more excuses for not throwing items away.

Trust me, on my quest to make our personal spaces less crowded with items we neither need nor use, I think I’ve heard just about every excuse for not throwing individual objects in the trash. From wanting to sell them at a yard sale to donating them to a place that can sell them.

I know how hard it truly can be to part with some material possessions. And we now know why it’s not the easiest thing in the world. It can be very overwhelming. Especially when the memories, attached to the items, are of people that are no longer with us. Believe me, I get it! I’ve been there myself.

But at the end of the day, when you look around after you’ve tried to declutter and you still see a bunch of unused “stuff”, what have you really accomplished?

Nothing more and nothing less than merely going through the motions. Now you can tell everyone “I’ve tried.” Well, perhaps you assessed the situation and determined that it was hopeless. Or you surveyed a room or two only to find it a little too emotionally draining.

But as long as you’re carrying around even one of these excuses, you really haven’t “tried” at all. You’ve just successfully — for another day — avoided the entire process.

Hopefully you will use the tips and tricks (provided in my other articles and eBook) that have helped me through this process and begin to finally reduce all of the clutter that you have been accumulating in your home.

How To Declutter The Garage

Learn how to declutter your garage on a regular basis. Why do people leave their vehicles parked in the driveway, exposing them to the elements 24/7 ? It is usually because their garages are filled with a bunch of junk they cannot bear to part with.

Of course, the junk that has piled up in their garage, probably is not worth anywhere close to the value of their vehicle. So where is the common sense there? Now is the time to declutter the garage and make room to park your vehicle there, where it belongs.

OK, so lets start the process now. First of all, ask yourself how long each item has been sitting in the garage. If it has been in your garage for two or three years without being used, then toss it. You should try to either donate it to a charity, sell it at a yard sale or throw it away (if it is in poor condition).

One of the worst things, that many people keep, is cans of partially used paint. Well, get rid of all of those old cans of paint. The next most common item that get stored in the garage is sporting goods. It any sporting item is broken and cannot be easily repair, then get rid of it now.

Other things, to contend with, may be auto accessory items. If you got rid of the vehicle that the accessories were purchased for, then it is time to toss them. If the item is damaged then, of course, dispose of it properly. The next thing is ladders, which can sometimes be more dangerous than helpful. Make sure your ladders are safe and in good condition.

Next, go through and inspect your tools. Get rid of any tools that you never use. Any tools that are damaged and cannot be fixed, should be thrown it away. Although, the tools that are used all the time, should be stored in a tool chest or on a pegboard with hooks. You could also label the pegboard to indicate exactly where each item belongs, that way you can quickly put them away.

The end result will be to get these items up off the floor and put away in the appropriate place. This will give you the room, that you need, to park your vehicle inside the garage(away from severe weather conditions).
 

 

Five Quick Bedroom Declutter Tips

Today is “declutter day” for the bedroom. Pick a bedroom, any bedroom. It can be one of your childrens or if you’re brave enough it can be yours. Every bedroom seems to be a natural magnet for clutter.

If you wonder why, just think about it. It is out of the way of guest traffic and easy enough to close the door instead of declutter or clean. A hallway with the doors to the bedrooms closed looks quite nice.

That being said, you just may be in need of the “turbocharged” decluttering system. Here is a quick way to make any bedroom look a little bit right from the very start.

Step 1: Empty the waste basket.

Yes, it’s that simple. Of course, even you can see that it is already overflowing with trash.

Step 2: Straighten up those piles of books and magazines.
If you don’t have time to put them away properly, then just pile them up neatly and place them along the wall. This will instantly make the room appear much neater. Especially if they were scattered all over the floor and the bed.

Step 3: Get a basket and use it for temporary storage.
This is especially helpful for a girls bedroom. Take all that stuff from makeup to earrings and necklaces and place it in a basket. Now you can actually see the dresser top (and you won’t step on any earrings lying around the floor). You actually haven’t solved the problem yet, but you’ve certainly tamed it some – and sometimes that’s all we can hope for.

Step 4: Make the bed.
A bed that is actually made helps a room look more organized and well, civilized. Even if you replace some of those books that your children are using back on the bed (perhaps you can arrange them a little nicer),it will still appear to be more organized.

Step 5: Run The Vacuum Cleaner
Performing this one single task can make the room look vastly more decluttered and clean. It is truly amazing. Of course, this isn’t so easy to do if there are a 100 items laying around the floor!

If unexpected company calls and you can do nothing else with a bedroom, run the vacuum quickly through the room (and by all the means, the rest of your house). Then stand back a moment before that doorbell rings and check out what a difference that one small thing made.
 

Organize A Closet Quickly And Easily

Do I believe there’s any chance of you learning how to declutter your closet?
Of course, there’s always hope. But the initial steps may be a bit painful for you.

The first thing you really need to do is to go through all those clothes that are stuffed on that rack. Yes, I have noticed you can barely move them back and forth you have so many. Get your box of charity bound items ready, because some of your clothes eventually are destined for this container. Don’t panic, quite yet. Items that you keep have to pass a test. For every article of clothing in your closet, ask these three questions concerning it:

1. Does it still fit?

2. Do I still wear it?

3. Do I need it? (Aha! Now that one is the clincher!)

If your answer to any one of them is “no,” place the article of clothing in the charity box. It’s gone! I’m sure that still leaves quite a few pieces, but this exercise also serves its purpose: decluttering of your closet.

Do the same for your shoes as well.

Now take a quick look around. What’s left? And how well is it organized? No, I don’t suggest you store that bowling ball on the top shelf. Bring it down on the floor here (now that you’ve eliminated a half dozen pairs of shoes or so). Are there other items that can be at least stored together in bins.

One of the beauties of the closet is that it doesn’t have to be beautiful to be a storage container. Take an old cardboard box if that’s all you have for the moment.

Got papers that you know you just can’t toss? Use a milk crate, if you must. Nobody but you and a few other family members are going to see your containers, so it really doesn’t matter what they look like.

And while you’re at it, have every member of your family go through his or her closet in the same way. You may have to supervise some of the younger members. There’s no use keeping a tee-shirt that is three sizes too small for your youngest child. Donate it to a church rummage sale or have your own yard sale.

Organize any toys or other items in the children’s room according into certain categories. Put them all in a storage bin, milk crate or even a box.

What type of box is best?

Have access to one of those great sturdy boxes that reams of paper come in? If you can, use these boxes as storage bins in your closets and your children’s. Place the lid on the bottom of the box. If you have to move – or your children switch bedrooms, you’ve got an automatic box for moving. Just place the lid on it and go!

If you’re moving from the house, just be sure to mark what’s in the box and that it goes back into a closet. When the box reaches its destination, then all you need to do is take the lid off, place it back on the bottom of the box and place the entire thing back in the closet. Moving is painful enough. Every little bit helps.