15 Top Tips To Conquer Your Clutter

Posted by Fen on 14 October 2011 | 31 Comments

15 Top Tips To Conquer Your Clutter. By Kerri Rodley

Kerri is a Professional Organiser, Interior Stylist and Feng Shui Consultant with Domestic Downsizing - Declutter & Design. She has over 21 years experience in decluttering, organising and interior styling and has affirmed her life-long interest in Feng Shui by becoming a trained consultant, having trained with Australia's leading Real World Feng Shui Practitioner. She also has a Diploma in Interior Design, been trained as a professional organiser by Australia's first accredited "Expert Professional Organiser" and is the Assistant Coordinator for the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers in QLD. Kerri is also the Secretary of the AFSC. www.domesticdownsizing.com.au

 

"Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein

Clutter is the physical embodiment of emotional baggage that we don't realise we are carrying around and by decluttering we are clearing ourselves of these old emotions that hold us back.

When we let go of clutter we are free to forget about those things and we can live life in this moment to appreciate life as it happens, instead of looking back on what has happened before, or looking forward to what might happen later.

Of course it is quite possible to live in the moment even if we do have clutter; but decluttering can be a beautiful process of helping ourselves let go of the things we don't realise we're holding on to (emotionally, physically and spiritually).

When our homes are filled with clutter, trying to tackle a mountain of stuff can be quite overwhelming.

Here are two important questions to ask before we begin to declutter:

1. Why do we have clutter in the first place?
2. Why do we keep it when we don't really need it?

Often clutter comes in the form of emotional attachment to objects that have significance to us. They might remind us of a loved one, a holiday, or a special event like a birthday or a wedding or it might be a gift from someone.

These things are keeping us in the past and letting them is a way of releasing our hold on the past. Decluttering is a way of living more in the present.

Clutter might be things we think we might need again one day so we hold on to them "just in case".  We don't want to be unprepared for the future, but trying to do so means that we're never really living in the present moment. We're always preparing for what might (or might not) come.

Now, look at your clutter carefully, one object at a time, and ask yourself why you're holding onto each object: Do you love it? Is it useful? Do you really need it?

Books are a good example of popular clutter - we hold onto the ones we have already read as trophies of our reading accomplishments and we hold onto books we "should" read in the future to enhance our education or intellect (but probably won't).

I like to get rid of clutter a little bit at a time (I have a permanent charity box in my garage). In doing this I release any attachments, memories or fears. You should try it - it's very liberating!

So here's my advice: start with just five minutes.

Baby steps are important. Sure, five minutes will hardly make a dent in your mountain, but it's a start. Celebrate when you've made that start! Then take another five minutes tomorrow. And again the next day. Before you know it, you'll have cleared a whole closet or a room and then half your house!

For those who are overwhelmed by their clutter, here are 15 top tips to get started, five minutes at a time.

1. Designate a spot for incoming papers.

Papers often account for a lot of our clutter. This is because we put them in different spots - on the counter, on the table, on our desk, in a drawer, on top of our dresser, in our car. Designate an in-box tray or spot in your home and don't put down papers anywhere but that spot. Got mail? Put it in the inbox. Got school papers? Put it in the inbox. This one little change can really transform your paperwork.

NB - Make sure you go through the inbox on a regular basis otherwise it will be overflowing (see next point).

2. Learn to file quickly.

Once you've created a filing system, you just need to learn to use it regularly. Take a handful of papers from your inbox, and go through them one at a time, starting from the top paper and working down. Make quick decisions: trash them, file them immediately, or make a note of the action required and put them in an "action" file. Don't put anything back in the inbox, and don't put them anywhere but in a folder or in the trash/recycling bin.

3. Clear off a counter.

You want to get your house so that all flat spaces are clear of clutter. Maybe they have a toaster on them, maybe a decorative candle, but not a lot of clutter. So start with one counter. Clear off everything possible, except maybe one or two essential things. Have a blender you haven't used since that cocktail party last year? Put it in the cupboard! Clear off all papers and all the other junk you've been tossing on the counter too.

4. Pick a shelf.

Now that you've done a counter, try a shelf. Could be a shelf in a closet, or on a bookshelf. Don't tackle the whole bookshelf - just one shelf. Clear all non-essential things and leave it looking neat and clutter-free.

5. Schedule a decluttering weekend.

Maybe you don't feel like doing a huge decluttering session right now. But if you take the time to schedule it for later this month, you can clear your schedule, and if you have a family, get them involved too. The more hands pitching in, the better. Get boxes and trash bags ready, and plan a trip to a charity to drop off donated items. You might not get the entire house decluttered during the weekend, but you'll probably make great progress.

6. Spend a few minutes visualising the room.

When I'm decluttering, I like to take a moment to take a look at a room, and think about how I want it to look. What are the most essential pieces of furniture? What doesn't belong in the room but has just gravitated there? What is on the floor (hint: only furniture and rugs belong there) and what is on the other flat surfaces? Once I've visualised how the room will look uncluttered, and figured out what is essential, I get rid of the rest.

7. Create a "maybe" box.

Sometimes when you're going through a pile of stuff, you know exactly what to keep (the stuff you love and use) and what to trash or donate. But then there's the stuff you don't use, but think you might want it or need it someday. You can't bear to get rid of that stuff! So create a "maybe" box, and put this stuff there. Then store the box somewhere hidden, out of the way. Put a note on your calendar six months from now to look in the box. Then pull it out, six months later, and see if it's anything you really needed. Usually, you can just dump the whole box, because you never needed that stuff.

8. Put a load in your car for charity.

If you've decluttered a bunch of stuff, you might have a "to donate" pile that's just taking up space in a corner of your room. Take a few minutes to box it up and put it in your trunk. Then tomorrow, drop it off.

9. Create a 30-day list.

The problem with decluttering is that we can declutter forever but it just comes back because we buy more stuff. So fight that tendency by nipping it in the bud: don't buy the stuff in the first place. Take a minute to create a 30-day list, and every time you want to buy something that's not absolutely necessary, put it on the list with the date it was added to the list. Make a rule never to buy anything (except necessities) unless they've been on the list for 30 days. Often you'll lose the urge to buy the stuff and you'll save yourself a lot of money and clutter.

10. Teach your kids where things belong.

If you teach your kids where things go, and start teaching them the habit of putting them there, you'll go a long way to keeping your house uncluttered. Of course, they won't learn the habit overnight, so you'll have to be very patient with them and just keep teaching them until they've got it. And better yet, set the example for them and get into the habit yourself.

11. Pull out some clothes you don't wear.

As you're getting ready for work, and going through your closet for something to wear, spend a few minutes pulling out ones you haven't worn in a few months. If they're seasonal clothes, store them in a box. Get rid of the rest. Do this a little at a time until your closet (and then your drawers) only contains stuff you actually wear.

12. Clear out your medicine and toiletries cabinet.

Go through everything such as outdated medicines, the stuff you'll never use again, and then do the same with your toiletries and make-up. Be ruthless, chances are you will never wear that blue eye shadow again. Simplify to only the essential (and in date).

13. Clear out the kitchen junk drawer.

Just take the drawer out and empty it on a table. Then sort the drawer into three piles: 1) stuff that really should go in the drawer; 2) stuff that belongs elsewhere; 3) stuff to get rid of. Clean the drawer out nice, then put the stuff in the first pile back neatly and

orderly. Deal with the other piles immediately!

14. Have a conversation with your partner or roommate.

Sometimes the problem isn't just with us, it's with the person or people we live with. An uncluttered home is the result of a shared philosophy of simplicity of all the people living in the house. If you take a few minutes to explain that you really want to have an uncluttered house, and that you could use their help, you can go a long way to getting to that point. Try to be persuasive and encouraging rather than nagging and negative.

15. Celebrate all your hard work by doing something you love.

Invite friends around for a dinner party on your new uncluttered dining table, take a long leisurely bath in your uncluttered bathroom, or simply buy a bunch of fresh flowers to display on an uncluttered surface. Enjoy!