It sometimes seems like clutter just sneaks in when you are not looking. You tidy your home in only to turn around and find that things have begun, once more, to collect and pile up. Believe it or not, there are ways to deal with this insidious creep and stop it before it begins. Here are a few simple rules to get rid of the clutter and prevent yourself from becoming a hoarder.
A Place for Everything
The first thing to do is to make sure that everything you use has a home. If it has a dedicated place to live, then it will have a place to go back to when you are done using it. Spoons go in the drawer after they have been washed. The writing pad belongs to the desk. Your shoes stay in the hall. Where you put what is up to you, just make sure you put it somewhere, and you do not set things away in a haphazard manner.
Location Convenience
When you are trying to decide on a home for any given object, think about where you use it. You should keep office materials on the desk because that is where you use them. You can reverse engineer this scenario as well. It is not just where you will use something, but where are you most likely to need or dump it. A small table by the front door should have a mail sorter and hooks for key rings because those are things that you are most likely to set in the nearest open spot when you walk in the door. They are also things you are most likely to be looking for later. If you have a convenient place for those items to go in the area where you are most likely to drop them, then you will know where to look when you want them.
Get Rid of It or Put it in Storage
We all know the rule of thumb: if you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it. It is a rule of thumb for a reason. If you haven’t used it in the last year, you probably will not use it again. If you want more room in your home, consider a storage facility. Sometimes this is your best option, especially if you don’t want to get rid of all your belongings. It will open up room in the home, and your belongings will be kept safe. This way, if you don’t want to get rid of things, they are still in your possession without creating clutter in your home.
Don’t Even Let It In
Just don’t. Keep a small trash can next to that table where you set the mail. Deposit all junk mail into the little can. Then it will not make its way into the house. Also, ask yourself before you buy something, “Do I really need this?” “Do I already have something that will do the same job?” And most importantly, “Where will I put it?” The less you have, the less you have to find a place for.
If you want to reduce clutter in your house so that you do not look like a hoarder, just remember to keep things simple. Don’t bring too much stuff in. Get rid of the things you don’t use. And, most importantly, find a place for the things you have.
Sources
https://www.thespruce.com/6-quick-tips-to-control-clutter-and-stop-hoarding-2648657
http://www.onecrazyhouse.com/how-to-not-be-a-hoarder/
https://www.stor-n-lock.com/self-storage/aurora-co-80012
Tags: Clean House, Hoarding, Storage