Decluttering Your House In Six Easy Steps

Clutter collects on a daily basis – especially if you have kids. These tips will help you to declutter your house by addressing common and regularly occurring sources of clutter. Once piles build and become jumbled, they can become overwhelming; so it is best to tackle “stuff” as it comes into your life instead of letting it pile up.

1. Paper. Paper is one of the biggest categories of clutter; and the mail is a constant source of fresh paper that has potential to become clutter. Therefore, the strategy is to prevent unnecessary papers from entering your home in the first place. Opt to receive e-bills, and pay them online so that you don’t have to have paper copies sent to your house. Also cut down on subscriptions to catalogs and magazines. Be honest with yourself: which ones do you consistently read?

2. Mail. For the mail that you do receive, process it as soon as you enter your house. Keep a recycling bin near the entrance and sort the mail at that location. Once you have the bills and other important mail segregated, immediately move them to its designated “To Do” location.

3. Daily Declutter. Each time that you exit a room, pick up something that doesn’t belong in that room and move it into the room where is should be stored. Furthermore, every time you pick something, ask yourself if the object you are holding in your hands is something that you really need to keep. Vow to not keep anything that you don’t absolutely love. If it is damaged, dirty, or out of style, then either throw it away or give it to charity.

4. Toys. If you have toddlers, you have toys. Get some bookshelves and a bunch of square baskets or bins that fit neatly on the shelves. The bins make it easy to clean up the toys after the kids have gone to bed. As the little ones get older, teach them to clean up at the end of each play session; it will be easier if you turn it into a game.

5. School Papers. If you have elementary school children, you know that you can’t keep every art project and “A+” paper that your kids bring home from school; but it can sometimes be emotionally difficult to throw them away. Rejoice that you are in the digital age: take a photo of the treasured object. Or better yet, take a picture of your child holding the sentimental piece, and then discard it. Storing a photo is beneficial in several aspects: you are free to throw the object away; it will be simpler to put a photo rather the object itself into a memory scrapbook; and, even if you did keep the object it would likely deteriorate over time while you store it. With the photo, you will be able to view the treasure and remember it in its pristine condition.

6. Kids’ Belongings. Once the kids are older, clearly communicate to them that they are responsible for keeping their things in their own rooms. If gentle reminders don’t work, then play hardball: set a nightly deadline by which things must be removed from the living areas; and communicate it clearly. Once the deadline has passed, then collect the remaining items in a large bag, and put them in the trash.

By: Penelope Pettikrew

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Penelope Pettikrew is known as the Speed Cleaning Queen. She has spent 25 years optimizing her methods. In her latest book, "Speed Cleaning Secrets Revealed," she shares techniques for getting the maximum cleaning done in a minimum amount of time. Visit SpeedCleaningCentre.com to get more tips about getting rid of clutter.