How To Get Rid Of Clutter
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January is the month for purging and organizing.
We’ve had the house decorated to the nines since October
and now that Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all packed away (hopefully!)
we’re wanting a fresh start with a junk-free home.
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So if you need some tips on how to get rid of clutter,
here are some ideas of stuff
you may not have thought to ditch in the New Year!
And some items for organizing the stuff you need to keep.
(Be sure to read all the way to the end — I have some really good tips to help if it’s hard for you to get rid of things!)
IN THE KITCHEN
Expired coupons
Fast food napkins, straws and condiment packets
Broken and duplicate utensils
Mismatched plastic containers
I used to have dozens of these throw-away containers. The lids would break or get lost and I’d be left with a topless bottom. Too much frustration! So one day, I treated myself to some grown-up containers:
Gadgets you never use
Do you ever use that George Forman grill or quesadilla maker??
Take out menus
Most restaurants post their menus online or you can take photos of them and keep them on your phone.
Recipes
Ditch the ones you’ll never make and organize the rest:
Plastic bags
You probably don’t need to keep ALL of them!
IN THE BATHROOM
Old makeup
Let go of all that mascara, shadow and foundation that’s more than 3 - 6 months old. And get rid of anything you never use. And while you’re at it, clean your brushes and sponges. Now, organize:
Expired prescription, over-the-counter medications, eye drops and sunscreen (yes sunscreen expires!)
Hair products and tools you don’t use
I confess — I’m a sucker for hair products and tools. I’m always looking for that magic thing that will make my hair do what it doesn’t want to do. So my bathroom is full of hair products and tools that I don’t use. I’ll be giving these to a friend.
Old towels, washcloths and shower curtains
Did you know that animal shelters love it when you donate old towels and blankets to them??
Hotel toiletries and samples
Toilet brush
Not to get too personal — but what does your toilet brush look like?? About time to pitch it and get a new one?
IN THE LIVING AREA
Old magazines, newspapers and books
Faux plants and silk flowers
There’s just nothing like the real thing for giving your space life!
VHS tapes, DVDs and their players
Most people are no longer using them — streaming is the way to go
Board games you don’t play or have missing pieces
Word art
The signs that say ‘gather’ and ‘family’ and ‘antiques’ have had their day…
IN THE LINEN AND CLOTHES CLOSETS
Old sheets, blankets and pillows
Your first aid kit
Go through it and make sure everything in it is up to date. Replace used and expired items like band-aids, antibiotic cream and pain relievers.
Clothes, shoes and handbags that you don’t wear
Yep — I hate to break it to you but almond-toe ankle boots are out of style. I’ll be donating these…
This seems like such a no-brainer but it’s so hard to do! Whether it’s because they don’t fit or they’re out of style or you just don’t love them — if you don’t wear it, it’s time to let it go.
Random, mismatched hangers
Your closet will be so much neater and organized with your clothes arranged by type and color, and all hanging on the same hangers.
MISCELLANEOUS
Dead batteries
Be sure to dispose of them properly!
Old keys
Old remotes, cords and chargers
Tools you don’t use
Old sporting equipment
Old paint
Don’t just throw it in the trash — find out how to dispose of paint properly in your area
Owner’s manuals
You know you can get them online, right? Just Google the item by name and model number at it’s all right there. No more filing cabinets full of random pamphlets! If you can’t part with the printed ones — at least go through them and pull out the ones for products you no longer own.
WHEW…
that was a lot!
And I’m sure that once we get going, we’re going to find a lot more stuff that needs to be dealt with.
So here’s how to keep from getting overwhelmed with the process:
Start small
Pick a small area to start with like one or two drawers in the kitchen.
2. Set a time limit
Set a timer for an hour or whatever time you feel you can give to the process. And stop when the timer goes off.
3. Separate the stuff
Put things to donate in a box. Put things to throw away in a trash bag. Put things to keep on the counter or floor, etc. to be organized and put away.
Now here’s where it gets a little dicey:
What if you just can’t part with something? Maybe you’re afraid you’re going to need that quesadilla maker RIGHT AFTER you get rid of it, or you think you actually WILL wear that floral caftan to next year’s New Year’s Eve party.
Then here’s what you do:
Put the quesadilla maker in a separate box (not the box you already have with stuff to donate). Put everything else in there that you just can’t seem to part with yet but should be donated. Now, close the box and tape it shut (don’t just fold the top up — actually tape it shut) and write ‘DONATE’ on the box. Write the date that is 6 months from now on the box. Do not write what is in the box on the outside of the box.
Now put the floral caftan that should go in the trash in another box. Put all the other items that should go in the trash but you can’t seem to let go of just yet in this box. Close the box and tape it shut. Write ‘TRASH’ on the outside of the box and the date that is 6 months from now on the box. Do not write what is in the box on the outside of the box.
Now store those boxes somewhere in the garage or attic or basement for the next 6 months Don’t ever open the box just to look in it. If you find you really need something that you remember that you put in that box, then you can open the box, take it out and tape the box back up.
Put the unopened TRASH box in the trash and donate the unopened DONATE box on the date you wrote on them. Do not open the boxes before donating or trashing them.
The idea is that in 6 months’ time, you will have long forgotten what’s in those boxes and then it’ll be easy to donate them and throw them away.
So now, let’s go and make all the spaces organized and clutter-free!
(Get more great decorating ideas and tips HERE)
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