by D Thomson

Image from: http://theashleysdesigns.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/designing-the-living-room/

I have found the following technique for cluttering to be very effective. De-cluttering the home is important for giving everyone in the home a sense of peace and harmony.

Feeling Overwhelmed

It is easy to feel overwhelmed when you see a room or house filled with clutter. My reaction is to walk away frustrated and overwhelmed, leaving the clutter to stay just as it was. This achieves nothing but feelings of guilt and it can literally affect the energy in your home the more it continues, as negative energy and that sense of being stifled builds up. But there is a way to achieve a clutter-free home.

The Concept

This approach is generally the opposite of how most people approach clutter. Rather than looking at the clutter and trying to work out what to get rid of, we must look at the room as a blank slate and decide carefully which things we need in that room for practical reasons. These are your basics. Also consider the size of the room and what is well-suited to it. For example, you may have a large dining table and only a small dining area. Changing to a smaller table will reduce feelings of the space being cramped.

Create a 'Basics' List

Grab paper and a pen and address each room individually. Without looking at what items you own and therefore reminding yourself of attachments to those items, make a list of all the things that you need in that room - from furniture down to the smallest items. You may wish to deal completely with one room at a time or systematically create lists for all rooms before taking action.

Example: a list for the bathroom may look something like this:

• 1 toothbrush per person
• toothpaste
• hairbrush
• soap - 1 for shower/bath and 1 for basin
• shampoo
• conditioner
• manicure/pedicure accessories
• make-up bag (make list of essentials for this too and get rid of the rest)
• loofah
• 1 towel per person
• 1 hand towel
• 1 bath mat
• 1 face washer
• face cleanser
• moisturiser
• hairdryer
• hairspray
• hair styling gel/mousse
• razors - his and hers
• shaving cream/gel
• deodorant

Everything in its Place

Once you have your lists, you need to think out the best way to store your belongings. Plan specially allocated areas, management procedures and storage. You may benefit from purchasing magazine holders, containers to hold smaller items, vacuum bags for winter clothing, a filing system and so on. Also consider the not-so-obvious items which sometimes lack an allocated location and contribute to clutter around the home.

Here are some tips...

Hot Spot - This is where you place your purse/wallet/handbag, keys, sunglasses, prescription glasses, etc. This should be in a handy place for coming and going from the house. A small basket may be useful for these items.

Mail/Paperwork - Where will you put incoming mail? When will you go through it to sort the keepers from the rubbish? Where will bills be kept until paid? Where will those important due dates be recorded (e.g. calendar and/or diary)? Where will paperwork that needs to be kept go (e.g. set up a filing system)? Where will invitations, reminders and other important notices be kept and their dates recorded? Where will outgoing mail be kept? Where will coupons, take-away menus, etc be stored? And so on.

Children - Where will the children place their school bags, homework, clothes, and so on? Where will they leave school notes that need signing and returning?

Computer Area/Study - Where will you store printer papers? Computer accessories? Software? Where do printed documents go and what procedure will you set up for reading, throwing away, or filing papers? Where will you keep pens, staplers, scissors, paper clips, glue, notepaper, etc.? Business cards?

Special Occasion Items - Where will the birthday and Christmas wrapping papers, gift bags, cards and other decorative items be kept? Christmas decorations? Special occasion platters/dishes? Party decorations, candles, etc?

Tools - Gardening tools, electric tools, smaller tools and accessories, larger items such a lawn mover, trimmer, leaf blower, ladders, etc.

Odds'n'ends - Allocate a drawer or storage container for those odd'n'ends such as marker pens, tape, batteries, spare fittings, etc. Be sure to clear this out once a month or thereabouts so you can actually find the useful stuff!

Kitchen - Often a place where many things get dumped and shoved in cupboards to rarely be used. Which appliances do you really need? How many glasses and dinner sets do you need? Do items have specific locations e.g. ovenware, baking supplies, plastic containers, cleaning products, first aid kit, and so on?

Mental Preparation - Create a 'Vision'

Instead of thinking about your items as necessary, think of your space as necessary. You need lots of free and fresh air about you at all times. Mentally envision how you would love your home to look, with open spaces, good storage, everything easily accessible, and with items that bring you joy and a sense of serenity in your home. Here are some keywords to inspire you:

• Simplicity
• Space
• Nature
• Free-flowing
• Clear
• Haven

This will help motivate you and keep you on task to achieve your goals. Be prepared to stick to your lists and the rule that if you have not used the item within the last 6 months you don't need it. If you come across something that you forgot you even had - you certainly don't need it. Be ruthless with yourself and hold that vision of how you want the room to look and feel. You will be proud of yourself if you persist and you will feel re-energised sitting in your newly created 'haven'.

Physical Preparation

Ok, so you have done all your planning and now it's time to turn the vision into reality. Before you begin, grab a cleaning cloth and the following which you can use for each room you go through:

• rubbish bags
• a 'charity' box/bag
• an 'other rooms' box
• a 'to sell' box - consider how you will sell these items (online, newspaper, garage sale) and set a deadline for doing so, after which all unsold items can be given away to family and friends or go to charity.

Take Action!

Doing one room a day won't exhaust or overwhelm you. Clutter doesn't build up in a single day so don't expect to clear it out in a single day either. One room is very manageable and gives you something specific to focus on. Large or heavily cluttered rooms may take a couple of days but that's okay. Just be systematic and focus on your lists to guide your job.

Clear it Out - Remember that you need to start with a clear space, so start by removing all items from the room you are dealing with before doing anything else. This is a great opportunity to do a thorough clean inside cupboards, on shelves, behind appliances, etc.

Sort it Out - With list and pen in hand, check off your 'basics' items as you place them in your pre-considered storage locations. Now you can sift through the remainder of items which will go to one of four locations - the rubbish bag, 'charity' box, 'to sell' box, or 'other room' box.

Follow Through - Now actually take the rubbish bag to the bin and put the charity box in the car ready to be dropped off at a nearby charity bin. Then walk through the house with the 'other rooms' box and put items in their correct rooms. Put the 'to sell' box in a prominent place and deal with those items by your specified date. For a garage sale, label items with prices, place an ad in your local newspaper and make some signs for outside your home. If you are going to sell online or in a newspaper, note descriptions and prices for items, take photos if relevant, and create those listings or contact the newspaper classifieds.

It is really that easy! All you need to do is be systematic and do this with each room.

Creating an Atmosphere

Next is the fun part.You can now create the personalised atmosphere you desire. Think about what you enjoy in nature and bring it into your home, whether in the form of colours, elements (e.g. fire, earth, water or air), plants, animals/pets (e.g. a bird or fish tank), artwork, crystals, candles and so on.

However, beware of overdoing it and inadvertently stifling the energy in the home again. Energy tends to build up around things like thick curtains, too many decorative cushions and throw rugs and this can give similar feelings as a build up of smoke. If you like to collect things, then instead of having a huge collection, choose a few carefully considered pieces. They will have the same effect without cluttering your space.

Maintenance

It is impossible not to bring new items into your house so ensure you have procedures in place for dealing with those items. If you buy new decorative items, toys, kitchen items etc, there may be older ones you can sell or give away so that you can maintain your clutter-free zones. Magazines are a great example. You could decide on a set number of them to keep for example 4-6 and remove the oldest as you update them. Refer back to your paperwork procedures for bills, incoming and outgoing mail, computer-related documents, and so forth. Set a weekly time to keep on top of sifting paperwork and file only those that are necessary.

Keep your original lists in a file so you can refer to them if you feel clutter building up again. You can then go through your home and see what needs removing. It will be a much quicker process this time around as your procedures should have kept on top of major clutter. If you do this every 3-6 months you will keep on top if it.

One final point: If you tend to be a person who spontaneously brings items into the house, try to train your memory to stop and think carefully before doing so, how it will affect the balance of clutter and space in your home.

Plan, create, manage, enjoy.