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To take action is the only way to take care of your clutter problem. Don’t analyze . . . do something. You have permission to rethink your belongings. Choose to let go of things you don’t need, use, or love.
Set up your house with daily flow areas and storage areas. Daily flow means things you use daily, weekly, monthly. Things used less frequently are storage. Daily flow items should be easily accessible. Storage areas should be in less accessible places, such as garage and basement.
HELP Method:
H = Honest. What do you honestly need in your life right now? You need things for your real life, not your fantasy life.
E = Efficient. What is the most efficient use of your time and energy or your available space?
L = Love. Love it or shove it!
P = Pare down. What is your minimum number or how much do you want to be in charge of?
Re-evaluate Your Belongings
1. Life as a Novel – Your life has different chapters. Your interests and activities change, as well as the people in your life. With each chapter, your needs also change. Ask yourself, “What do I need for my current chapter?”
2. Expiration Date – An item’s expiration date is the date that it stops being useful to you. Let it go when its usefulness expires.
3. Natural disaster – What would you save? Emergency supplies and things you cannot replace (photos, important papers, etc.)
4. How much is too much? More is not better; it’s just more. Your magic number is the number of a given item you need to be functional. Choose clothes you love. Give each person a memorabilia box in which to keep their special stuff.
5. Someday is not on the schedule. Don’t save things for “some day.” If you need it again, it will show up.
For Perfectionists: 80% is perfect. If you are immobilized by fear of making the wrong decision, practice deciding!
Treat your own belongings as well as you treat those of other people.
Plan Your Project
1. Everything you own has to have a home. Ask yourself and family members: Where should this item live? Where are you willing to put this away when you are finished using it? Keep like items together in an assigned place. The floor is not an option: floors are for feet and furniture (and pets).
2. What standard of living do you want in your home? For example: easy to clean, able to entertain, easy to find things, easy to put away, safe. Set rules that help you accomplish this standard.
3. Buy shelves for storage areas that are functional, sturdy, and inexpensive. KM recommends ventilated utility shelves, plastic, 18” deep, each shelf holds 150 lbs., and you can configure them as high as you want. Available at WalMart, Target, Home Depot, etc.
4. Label everything.
Free boxes are available from hardware and liquor stores.
De-cluttering Session
1. To the extent that you are able, remove items from the area and clean the space.
2. Have 3 or 4 boxes of bags for sorting: toss, recycle, donate, keep, sell.
3. Pick up one item and focus on it exclusively, decide which box it belongs in, and
4. Put that item in the appropriate container.
5. Pick up the next item, and repeat the process.
6. Decide quickly and trust your first instinct.
7. Allow time at the end of the session to clean up. Put the donate items in your car, toss the trash, etc.
8. Put away the items you are keeping. Categorize, designate homes, label containers.
9. Schedule your next session.
Sales – Don’t do a rummage sale. Estate sale companies will do a sale of good even if nobody has died. Advertise on-line or in newspaper. Set guidelines for yourself as to how much time and money you will spend trying to sell your stuff.
Donate – Habitat for Humanity “Re-Store” takes building supplies, fixtures, furniture, paint, etc. Schools may take art, craft and office supplies. Organizations that do silent auction fundraisers also take donations. Take donations out to your car immediately after finishing a session. Keep a simple list for tax purposes and staple your receipt from the charity to your list. www.itsdeductibleonline.com will give approximate values
Create a box for hazardous waste disposal items. Put oil based paint, chemicals, prescription drugs, cleaning products, etc. in this box. Watch for the county clean sweep program to dispose of this stuff.
A work surface is not functional if you store things on it. You need the space to work. Use peg board behind the work surface and 1 shelf unit for daily flow items. Create a recharging station for tools and equipment. Treat our tools with respect.
Use hooks, nails or pegboard to hang outdoor decorations, garden tools, hoses, wreaths, etc. In the garage, daily flow shelves should be close to where you get in and out of your car. Daily flow items will probably change with the season. Assign a spot for planting supplies and get rid of what is not being used.
Where to start? If you’re moving, start anywhere. To de-clutter where you live, start with storage areas – basement, attic, garage – to create functional storage. It may be easier to decide what you need to keep rather than what to get rid of. Throw out expired food in the kitchen and pantry.
Recognize your patterns and work to change them.
Yard by yard is hard; inch by inch is a cinch. Eat your elephant one bite at a time.
Information from the workshop Simple Steps to a Clutter-free Garage and Basement taught by Kathi Miller, Clutter Coach.
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