6 Easy Ways to Lose the Clutter

When you have kids, trying to keep your home looking perfect can seem like a never-ending job. On the other hand, there’s also a warmth to your home having a lived-in feel, a sign that this is your home that you love, and yes, there is unapologetic evidence of family members (even mom and dad) who don’t always pick up after ourselves. The trick, of course, is finding the right balance between OCD and your friends nominating your home for an episode of “Hoarders.”

To help keep your home organized, find some time this week to try these six easy ways to lose the clutter from professional home organizer Jeanne Taylor:

1. Trim down your papers.
Unless you use an online curriculum (hint, you can try Monarch for free with code MON30AOP), homeschooling can produce a lot of paperwork on top of your daily mail. Take 10-15 minutes to get caught up and recycle what you don’t need. Then, make a daily effort to not fall behind.

2. Rotate out your magazines.
Speaking of mail, when the new magazine comes, switch it in for the old one. Someday, long into the future, when your grandchildren are looking in your attic, they probably won’t be super excited to read a magazine from 2020, and since there are possibly a million copies, the value isn’t there as a collector’s item. Sorry.

3. Clear your counters.
I know you can make a killer cheesecake, but when exactly was the last time you used that mixer? If it’s been a while, look for a different place to store that appliance or other little used counter items that are in sight but out of mind.

4. Edit your books.
So you bought and read that best-selling paperback last year. That’s great, but will you ever read it again or is it just going to collect dust on the shelf for the foreseeable future?

5. Uncover your tabletops.
This is the grown-up version of “it’s going in the trash if I find it on the floor,” except it applies to what’s on your tables and dressers. If it’s an item that’s not decorative or used daily, say “adios.”

6. Whittle your wardrobe.
“I don’t have anything to wear” is either a bad excuse or it’s serious time to catch up on laundry. Either way, the odds are good your closet still has a number of items that you no longer wear. Consider donating your downsized items and don’t forget to analyze your amount of shoes as well.

Additional Organization Resources
5 Tips to Declutter and Tidy Up Your Home
Organizational Tips from Marie Kondo
5 Easy Ways to Refresh Your Home
10 Habits That Lead to a Cleaner Home