Do you know how many flat surfaces there are in the average home? Me neither, but most everyone has some flat surfaces in their house that become catch-alls for miscellaneous, well, junk. The purpose of Challenge Day 25 is to stop cluttering those flat surfaces!
The flat surfaces we are working on today could include anything from the kitchen table, counter tops, the top of the entertainment center, top of the dresser/chest, or even just various shelves. They all have the potential to be cluttered with a lot more than they were intended to hold.
If nothing else, the main focus should be on keeping the kitchen table and anything in your main entrance area (which for me is the living room) clutter free. This is easier said than done because we tend to just drop things as soon as we walk in the door. It has the potential for a big mess!
To Do:
- Clear everything off of each individual surface.
- Wash, dust, or wipe down the surface.
- Find a place for all of the items that were there before. Put them where they actually belong. Mail goes in the office area with other mail. Toys go in a toy bin. Coats/jackets should be hung up in the closet.
- If some of the mess belongs to other family members, fill a basket with their things and make them put away their own stuff!
- Make an effort to keep the surfaces clean.
Organizational Tips:
- Keep baskets for individual family members and have them put their things away every day.
- Anything left on a counter or tabletop should have a purpose and a specific place. Baskets can also be used in these places to hold things like spices, napkins, or carry out menus.
- Flat surfaces can be used to decorate or they can be left bare, but either way they need to be dusted off or cleaned on a regular basis.
This challenge is really more about clearing the space than actually decluttering, but it is possible that you will find some things along the way that need to go in the yard sale pile or the garbage. At the very least, the house will look much neater!
Do you have clutter? Have you missed Challenge days? Join along with the Clear the Clutter Challenge and do it at your own pace!
