Outsmart Your Clutter With These Tips
Whether you are doing a deep Spring cleaning or have decided to list your home for sale, it is time for the clutter to go! But some areas of the house are harder to keep de-cluttered than others. Here are the top five clutter danger zones for homes, and our top spring cleaning tips to keep your home under control.
The ‘Inbox’
First things first—every home has a spot (or more than one) where mail and papers pile up. Whether it is in the front entryway or on the kitchen table or countertop, dealing with this will set the organizational tone for your whole home. Pick up a box with a lid—think a chic leather box or a patterned box to match your decor—to act as a central inbox to organize incoming and outgoing mail. The lid will help keep piles out of sight, but commit to sitting down once a week to clear out the inbox by paying any bills or filing away items that need to be saved.
Playroom
Whether you have an actual playroom, or it feels like your entire house is the playroom, controlling this chaos is a huge benefit to controlling the cluttered look of your home. The kids’ play area is going to get messy every day, and that’s OK! Create a new evening routine of cleaning up before bedtime. If you don’t already have them, add bins and drawers designated for toys, art supplies, and other items. If the whole family pitches in, it’s easy to keep the chaos under control.
Home Office
For those who work from home, keeping the home office neat is a near impossible task. When decluttering, start from scratch by purging what is not needed, separating personal items from business items, and set up your desk with an inbox and outbox to keep it neat. Once your desk and filing cabinets are back under control, establish an organizational system based on the ‘one-touch rule’: act on it, file it, or trash it. The office is going to get messy during the workday, and that’s understandable. Commit to spending 5 to 10 minutes each evening clearing off your desk and straightening up, and you’ll start each day with a clean, clutter-free work zone.
Refrigerator
The fridge can be dangerous for out-of-sight, out-of-mind types. Set a clean-out schedule based on your weekly trash pick-up day. Clear out all the leftovers that haven’t been eaten, and anything that’s expired. Clean up any spills or obvious messes, and take a minute to rearrange what’s left. This way, your refrigerator will always appear neat and orderly and make planning your weekly meals that much easier.
Linen Closet
An organized linen closet will feel much less cluttered than one that’s jumbled and stuffed to overflowing. Take everything out of the closet and organize items by room. Fold items neatly, then assign each room its own shelf, basket or canister.
For more articles on organizing your home, read our blog.
