Top 10 Tips For Decluttering Your Stuff!!
I’m a big reader. I really like to read articles about things I need to do and then imagine what it would be like if I actually did them. I guess I could be described as a somewhat passive do-er. (Meaning that I don’t always do a lot until I get to the point of being overwhelmed and decide I MUST do something.)
One of the things I like to read about and not do is declutter. I’ve read dozens and dozens of articles about it. They usually contain very good tips and I am occasionally surprised by the genius of them, despite the fact that they are really just good common sense. Common sense doesn’t always apply around here though, so I decided to write some tips of my own.
- Turn off Facebook. Turn off Pinterest. Turn off all blogs, e-mail accounts, and coupon sites. As a matter of fact, you should probably just turn the computer off all together. And maybe unplug it. Also, turn off the television. Put all phones on silent. Make sure you are the only person in the house. If possible, install an invisible force field that will deflect anyone who tries to come anywhere near you. You need to be in a bubble for this.
- If, like me, you are the one in charge of cleaning and organizing the entire house despite of the mountain of other things you already have to do, then you get to decide what categories to divide things into. A few of my favorites are: Stuff I Refuse to Give Up, Stuff I Need, Crap I Want Them to Have, and Crap I Have to Move-Out-of-the-House-Slowly-So-That-They-Won’t-Realize-It’s-Gone.
- Pick all of your husband’s ball caps up and throw them into the bottom of the closet or on top of the TV. It does not matter how many times you put them on the shelf or into baskets, he will move them, so just go ahead and dump them somewhere. And throw all his shoes on top…he doesn’t like it when you pair them up. If there are ties, shirts, work uniforms, etc. in the floor of the closet, make sure to leave a piece sticking out where it can be seen and easily tugged on. Also, anything that won’t fit on his side of the closet should be kept on yours.
- Do not put your husband’s t-shirts and shorts neatly into the chifferobe. Don’t hang anything up. Also, don’t color code them. He has an easier time finding things if you just leave them inside out and wad them up on the shelves. Or just leave them lying in a chair.
- Throw all pots, pans, lids, containers, cups, etc., into the cabinet. Do not stack or organize in anything other than a meaningless haphazard fashion. It’s not a happy home if everything doesn’t fall out on top of you when you open the doors. This also applies to the refrigerator. Nothing says “good morning” quite like a cold cup of liquid or something gloppy falling on your feet.
- When you get your kids clothes out of the dryer (especially if they are older), make sure to wad them up in balls and throw them in their bedroom floors. That’s where they are going to end up anyway, no sense in creating extra work for yourself by folding them.
- Have a spare room (or two or three) with doors that you can close. Just throw anything extra in there.
- If you are short, it is better to have a large mountain of laundry in the floor. This makes it easier to reach into the washing machine.
- Have everyone leave their shoes by the front door. Inside or out…doesn’t matter as long as there is a pile big enough to trip over or keep the door from opening.
- Invest heavily in plastic boxes and just randomly throw stuff in. Sometimes it’s like Christmas when you open one and find things you don’t remember having!
Remember: If anything in your house is broken, don’t fix it. Leave the ripped wallpaper, the unfilled holes and gouges, the falling in ceiling, anything that’s rusted, mildewed, stained, unpainted, torn, cracked, or smelly. If your family isn’t ashamed and embarrassed by your home, don’t get upset. Just don’t invite anyone over. Ever. Or be like me and only invite them at Christmastime, because it’s the one time of year that your house is guaranteed to be clean and nicely decorated!!
*This is meant to be a joke. (Sort of.) My house is always in some state of messiness, but I do clean the parts that people use on a regular basis and I do invite people over (occasionally). They are just used to it by now! Please don’t recommend me to the Hoarders team just yet. For more tips on how I am actually decluttering my house, please check out my “House and Money 2015: Organizing Everything” post. It contains some great links to websites where the bloggers are actually good at keeping the mess at bay!!