Declutter Tips - The Ultimate Collection

Declutter Tips
March 26, 2013

 -Declutter for 5-15 minutes every day. It’s amazing how much you can get through if you just do it in small increments like this.

-Don’t allow things into the house in the first place. Whether you’ve begun decluttering the living space, or you’ve just completed it, stop bringing in new stuff NOW. Think of bailing out a boat with a hole in it. You can bail and bail, but it won’t do anything for the leak.

-Donate stuff you’re decluttering, so you don’t feel like you are wasting.

-Create a goals chart with decluttering on it — either daily, or 3 times a week. Check off the days when you declutter, and you’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment. Your inner child might even get a kick out of a sticker as a reward! My inner child prefers gelato!

-Start at the corner by the door and move your way around the room, doing the superficial stuff first – surfaces, empy the bin etc. Lather, Rinse & Repeat, but do more the 2nd time around – ie. open the cupboards, depending on available time.

-Whenever you’re boiling the kettle for tea or making a cup of coffee, tidy up the kitchen. If the kitchen is tidy, tidy up the next room – it’s only 3 minutes but it keeps you on top of everything.

-Use the “one in, two out” rule. The rule: whenever you bring in an item, you have to throw away two other items. First you cheat, by throwing out two pieces of paper, but soon you will have to move to big stuff.

-Make your storage space smaller and more minimal. If you have lots of storage, you’ll fill it with stuff.

-Clothing rule: If you haven’t worn an item in 6 months, sell or donate it.
- I tried something once (when I realized I had tons of clothes and nothing to wear) that I want to do again. I took all my slacks out of the closet and, one by one, paired each of them with a blouse, blazer and accesories - all on one hanger! That worked SO well and I didn't have to decide what to wear for the longest time! This time, I plan to do the same but if something doesn't fit or look great when I put on the outfit, out it goes.

-The One-Year Box. Take all your items that you unsure about getting rid of (e.g. “I might need this someday…”), put them in a box, seal it and date it for 1 year in the future. When the date comes, and you still didn’t need to open it to get anything, donate the box WITHOUT OPENING IT. You probably won’t even remember what there was in the box.

-Declutter one room (including any closets, desks, cabinets, etc.) before starting on the next one. Spending time in that room will feel so good, and it will be so easy to keep clean, that it will motivate you to do more!

-Keep a list in your planner labeled “Don’t Need It – Don’t Want It.” When you’re out shopping and run across some kind of gadget or other item you crave, note it down on the list. This will slow you down long enough to reconsider. Also, seeing the other things on the list that you nearly bought on impulse really helps.

-Internalize that your value is not in your “stuff”. It is just “stuff”. And realize that your value grows when you share your “stuff”. 

-Have someone else (who you trust!) help you go through things. They don’t have the  irrational emotional attachment that you might have, but can still recognize if something should be kept.

-Gift everything. Books you’ve read immediately get recycled among friends, family or local libraries. If you buy a new gaming system, donate your old one – and all the games. I've started giving away books and audio books at my courses. The participants are interested in the subject matter and are happy to take my material.
The other day, I was on a plane and had an older book of mine with me. The lady next to me expressed interest in it and -- tada!  -- the book was hers!

-Pick up 5 things, and find places for them. These could be things that you actually use, but that you just seem to put anywhere, because they don’t have homes. If you don’t know exactly where things belong, you have to designate a good spot. Take a minute to think it through. Then always put those things in those spots when you’re done using them. Do this for everything in your home, a few things at a time.

-Start clearing a starting zone. What you want to do is clear one area. This is your no-clutter zone. It can be a counter, or your kitchen table, or the three-foot perimeter around your couch. Wherever you start, make a rule: nothing can be placed there that’s not actually in use. Everything must be put away. Once you have that clutter-free zone, keep it that way! Now, each day, slowly expand your no-clutter zone until it envelopes the whole house! 

-Set up some simple folders. Sometimes our papers pile up high because we don’t have good places to put them. Create some simple folders with labels for your major bills and similar paperwork. Put them in one spot. Don't let the papers pile up. (I'll never forget the first time someone asked for some important document. I walked right over to the file cabinet and had it out within 10 seconds! Was I ever proud. Nothing like the chaotic and hectic searches of the past.)

-Clear out your medicine cabinet. If you don’t have one spot for medicines, create one now (not the kitchen!) Go through everything for the outdated medicines, the stuff you’ll never use again, the dirty-looking bandages, the creams that you’ve found you’re allergic to, the ointments that you only used once.

-Curb hamstering extra supplies:~ It seems convenient to have spares of some things waiting in the wings for the moment they are needed. Shampoo, conditioner, other toiletries, pantry items, craft items, paper towels, toilet paper.  All of this is unnecessary. The stores are close enough, open long enough and running out of any of the stuff was not going to cause life as we know it to come to an end. Stop stocking things and allow the stores to do it for you.

-Declutter something you only keep in your home for those rare visitors that drop by maybe once or twice a year. They can always bring their own or do without. ~ Hair dryer, spare toothbrush, a variety of soap, talcum powder, more linen and towels than necessary…

- "By treating edibles as a disposable commodity, we teach our children not to value food," says Jonathan Bloom… He puts the figure on what we waste at more than $100 billion annually.  A few volunteers agreed to keep a journal of what they bought, ate, and threw out for two week. The result? They reported less waste due to the guilt they felt knowing they had to write it down, but even then, an average of 18 percent of their grocery bills went into the trash. 

Participate in an “eating down the fridge” challenge where you avoid buying groceries for a week and intentionally eat down your pantry and refrigerator.  

-To declutter your pantry, take a good look at the items you have on hand and jot down a basic menu for the next 2 weeks on a calendar. Use the menu plan to slowly but surely go through the build-up of boxes of minute rice, canned beans, spice packages, etc. Then, write your grocery list for the week, incorporating only the items you still need to make those meals. Fight off the impulse buys and the "sales", and stick to your list! If you do succumb to a good deal, USE THE PRODUCT by adding it to your menu for the following week!

-Give away one item each day. Colleen Madsen at 365 Less Things gives away one item each day. Over the past several years, she has experienced quite a transformation simply reducing her stuff one day at a time. I do the same with my "100 day challenge" and have really enjoyed it.

-Take the 12-12-12 Challenge. A simple task of locating 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home can be a really fun and exciting way to quickly organize 36 things in your house. 

-Another easy way to de-clutter is through an online site- freetrademart.com. Just ship your unwanted items to their warehouse to get free items in exchange. This helps you to get rid of items you don't need in exchange for items you can really use.

-Try on clothes that you are not sure about - one last look may help you decide to move it on!

-Peter Walsh suggests labeling four shoebox-size containers for technical gear "look," "listen," "travel," and "data," and placing them on a shelf. "Look" stores anything visual (the charger and memory card for your camera); "Listen", anything audio related (iPod accessories, an iPhone car charger); "Travel," anything vacation related (a portable GPS, plug adaptors); and "Data"—well, you get the picture (mini flash drives, a wireless network card).

-Even Emeril doesn't need six spatulas and four whisks; two of each will do, so start by tossing extras. While you're at it, check expiration dates on foodstuffs and pitch anything that's past its prime. Next, tackle seldom-used appliances like cappuccino and bread makers. Those things don't need to live in the kitchen. The number one rule: Keep the counters clear. Counter space is only for items you use daily.

-Complete Each Task — Completely. Of course you will need to sort things into categories (e.g., toss, recycle, donate, give to friend, put in deep storage). But here's the crucial part: Once you have decided where something is going to go — take it there. Never keep bags for charity or boxes for friends in your home to deliver later. Do it now. Finish the process. Take the bags and boxes out to the trash or recycling immediately. If you're donating something or giving something to a friend or family member, put the items in your car or make arrangements for dropping them off. You've done so much work getting this stuff ready to take out, complete the deal!