KNOW-HOW
Tips for Beating
Clutter Forever
Expert Donna Smallin knows hundreds of ways to get
organized, but for long-lasting order at home, these
seven simple strategies top her list.
Most people
assume my home
is perfectly
organized. That’s
not entirely true.
Yes, my house usually
looks presentable,
because I’m diligent
about keeping my kitchen
and living areas tidy. And I don’t think I
could sleep in a messy bedroom, so I never let
messes build up there. But just like you, I’ve got
clutter. Why? Because clutter happens. It’s a
natural byproduct of our busy, productive lives.
Luckily, you don’t have to stop everything
to get organized. You just have to start
somewhere. Here’s how I do it:
T IP
1
: START W ITH THE EASY STUFF
___
Go through your home room by room
in search of trash. Grab a recycling bin and
toss outdated coupons, flyers, calendars, old
newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. Shred
paid utility bills and other statements not
needed for tax purposes. Fill bags or boxes
with clothing and linens to donate.
---------
T IP 2: SET SM ALL GOALS
Say to yourself:
___
Today I ’m going to clean out my junk
drawer and then I’m going to stop.
Or set a timer
for 15 minutes and go to it. You’ll be amazed
at what you can accomplish in these mini
decluttering sessions. Seeing each project
through gives you confidence for the next one.
TIP
3
: G IVE EVERYTH IN G A HOME
___
A big reason why clutter accumulates
is because items are homeless. A good home for
a frequently used item is one that makes it
easy to retrieve and return. Oven mitts, for
example, are ideally stored in a waist-height
drawer near the stove, but the best home for a
roasting pan might be in the garage, freeing up
cabinet space for more regularly used items.
TIP
4
: GIVE YOURSELF PERM ISSION TO
____
l e t
GO
If you had only 10 minutes to
evacuate your home, what would you grab?
Make a decision to surround yourself with only
beloved and useful objects and let go of the
rest. Have a garage sale, donate, or post items
on
freecycle.org,
an online exchange.
TIP
5
: DEAL W ITH CLUTTER HOT SPOTS
____
You can’t hide all clutter, but you can
conrain it. Look at where it collects and set up
attractive ways to deal with it, like a large bowl
on the kitchen counter to collect keys, or a big
basket by the door for shoes. Discount stores
and office supply houses have everything from
patterned folders for storing bills to wicker,
fabric, and leather boxes to match your decor.
“
TIP 6: DECLUTTER DAILY
It’s easier to
____
keep up than to catch up, so establish a
daily routine. Grab a laundry basket and make
the rounds, tossing in anything to be put away.
Also purge periodically. As you sort through
off-season clothing, get rid of what you didn’t
wear. Clean out filing cabinets at year’s end.
TIP 7: BE A GOOD GATEKEEPER
Think
____
twice before you bring home something
new. Ask yourself:
Do I really need this? Where
will I put it?
Becoming a more conscious
consumer goes a long way toward cutting
clutter. Also cancel unwanted catalogs and
switch to online bill-paying. iS)
PAPER
TRAIL
I feel like I spend
half m y tim e either
filing or trashing
paper! Can you
relate? Try these
strategies:
■ Perform triage
on every piece of
paper. Ask yourself,
Do /
need to save
th is fo r legal o r tax
rea so n s?
If so, file it.
C ould I g e t th is
inform ation again
easily?
If yes, toss it.
■ Take action
right away. File bills
in a “ Bills to Pay”
folder. Respond to
an invitation, note
details on your
calendar, then toss
the invitation.
■ Tear out
articles
from
magazines and
file them in plastic
sleeves in a three-
ring binder, then
recycle the
magazine.
■ Use a notebook
instead of random
sticky notes for lists
and contact info.
Then you’ll always
know where to find
what you’ve w ritten.
Donna Small in's
most recent book
is
The One-Minute
Organizer: A to Z
Storage Solutions
(.Storey Publishing).
28
JANUARY
2009
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
BY D O N N A S M A L L IN ; P H O T O : PETER L A M A S T R O
