Keeping Your Clutter To A Minimum
All homes have their share of clutter. Even if you make an effort to periodically rid your house of unneeded items, there is a good chance that a thorough examination would uncover many, many things you could put into storage or simply throw away.
If you have a large household, and especially if your household includes children, the chances that you have a problem with clutter are even greater. More people produce more mess. The reason for this is that the more people in your house, the more things they are constantly bringing in. The trick is to try and get rid of things as quickly and in the same proportions as new things are brought in. Here are some ideas for doing just that.
Clean Out Your Drawers
Drawers are often one of the hidden disaster areas in a home. Open a kitchen junk drawer, and you may find a sea of dead batteries, a broken black sport watch, a box of matches so old they won’t even light, and countless other useless items that you could simply throw away. Removing unnecessary junk from your drawers will create space for items that you do need. Go through your drawers every six months to throw away broken items. It is a good idea to purchase dividers for your drawers as well. This will help keep things neatly in their place.
Give Away Old Clothes and Other Items
If you have teenagers, you probably have some items lying around from when they were children, items you haven’t used in years and probably will never use again. While it might be sad to get rid of their old things, are you ever really going to use that Disney baby bedding sitting in the attic. You might have bags and bags of old clothes that could do another family a lot of good. If you know someone who has a small child, offer them the things you no longer need. If not, consider donating to a Salvation Army or Goodwill. You’ll get rid of your clutter, and someone else will save money. Everyone wins!
Store Seasonal Equipment
If you daughter has a black helmet she wears to ride her bike in the summertime, chances are it doesn’t need to be accessible year round. Things like rollerblades and pool toys can be stored away during the winter, while ski gear, boots, sleds and bulky coats can be tucked away during the summer. Buy huge plastic bins and store your out-of-season equipment in the basement, attic or garage.
If you have a lot of clutter in your house, these steps may be to simplistic to begin with. You may need to spend a weekend doing a huge cleanout. But once you have things under control, you will find that methods like these, if you keep them up, can be a huge help in keeping your clutter to a minimum.