As evidenced by the numerous books and television shows about home organization, decluttering is much
Decluttering is all about making decisions: Will I ever read this book again or should I donate it to the library? Where can I store these craft supplies so my visiting relatives don't have to trip over them? Am I really attached to all of my grandfather's old hats, or will one or two preserve his memory just as well? Why is this house such a wreck all of the time?
Decluttering is finally saying "the buck stops here," with the primary goal of regaining control of your household and, consequently, a big part of your
home life. The work is at times difficult and exhausting, but the rewards are almost guaranteed to exceed your expectations. No one knows this better than professional organizers: people who earn a living by helping others make decisions about their own stuff.
Organizing experts work from different philosophies and methods. Some adhere to the principles of feng
shui and help clients improve the flow of positive energy in their homes through decluttering, furniture arrangement, and other techniques. Other pros focus more on practical goals than spiritual ones. All, however, recommend a systematic approach to decluttering. They know from experience how hard it is to succeed without some guidelines and planning.
Following are some tried-and-true tips from the gurus of home organization.
The Decluttering Process
The goal of decluttering is to get rid of excess stuff until you're left with only the things you really need, use, and love. You will also move items to the places where they really belong. This prepares you for the next big step of organizing and storing your things in each space so everything looks and works just right. Start by breaking up the job into smaller tasks. For the initial battle of sorting and pitching, arm yourself with these tools:
1. Boxes or trash bags for throw-away junk
2. A "donate" box for items you'll take to a local charity
3. A "return" box for items that belong to someone else and for things that you want to give away to friends
4. A "relocate" box for items that you're keeping but that belong in another room or area of the house
5. Optional: A "sell" box for any valuable items you'd like to resell for cash At the end of each decluttering session, do the following:
• Take out the trash. Don't leave your boxes and bags sitting in the house.
• Put your donate and return boxes in your car, preferably in the passenger's seat. This forces you to deal
with them soon and prevents you from driving by your friend's house or the charity thlift shop without your drop-off items.
• Walk through the house with the relocate box and deliver everything to its proper location.
Set a goal for each sorting session, whether its organizing one shelf in the library or tackling the hall closet, and finish the job completely before starting somewhere else. When each area is decluttered- and, ideally, cleaned- put away the broom and other cleaning supplies that you used. Leaving them out and in the way will only create more clutter and detract from your sense of satisfaction in a job well done.
For big jobs, schedule plenty of time to complete the task at hand. Treat the session as a work day by starting early and taking as few breaks as possible.
Scheduling is especially important if roommates or other family members are involved in the effort. Kids who are old enough definitely should take part in helping out.
However, for some stages of the process, it might be wise to arrange for your kids to sleep over at a friend's house.
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