Knocking Out Common Clutter

In our last episode we listed 20 easy things to throw away, but what about all the things you do need to keep! Where do all those things belong? I know they don’t belong on every available flat surface cluttering up your home?!

Today, we are taking a closer look at common clutter makers in order to find permanent homes for these items. Let’s reclaim our counters and tables and knock out common clutter!

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Spinning in Circles with Clutter

Have you ever tried to straighten up but you end up with all these random items you really don’t know where to put away? Then you end up getting frustrated and throw everything in a box or jam it into the nearest drawer or maybe even put it right back on the counter!

Perhaps you did put the random item away but then when you went to look for said item, you can’t find it! So you vowed never to put away something you are “about to use” ever again!

In my experience helping myself and others clear clutter, there are a few specific categories that continue to appear over and over again. These common clutter makers tend to resurface because there isn’t a dedicated space for them so they clutter up our counters and overcrowd our drawers!

It’s time to make a home for these clutter makers! A trusted space where each and every family member knows where an item belongs and returns it when finished (A girl can dream, right!).

We are not just talking about a mail basket by the door (although that is a lovely way to keep it corraled until you have a chance to sort through your mail.) No, we are talking about the nitty gritty of random screws, extra erasers and scribbled notes. Rough storage as some organizers call it.

Rough storage is not necessarily pretty and it definitely wouldn’t show up in a home tour, but these spaces are a necessity to keep clutter off your counters!

 5 Storage Areas to Create in Your Home to Knock Out Clutter

These specific storage spaces have made a huge difference my own home to remove clutter.

1. Permanent place for Donations

We’ve mentioned this repeatedly on the podcast because I just can’t stress enough how much it helps keep clutter down! By creating a permanent spot in your home to throw in items you no longer need or use, decluttering becomes painless.

I do suggest making this a relatively hidden spot so your family (mainly your kids) don’t grab items out of your donation pile. I previously had a bin at the top of my kids’ closet but now it is in the garage to be further out of sight.

Then, when your box is full, schedule a trip or a pick up by your local thrift store.

2. Keepsakes/Mementos

There are some items you want to keep forever or at least you want to keep it for your lifetime. If your favorite keepsakes items are not prominently displayed, create a permanent home, whether in a container under the bed or a box in the garage.

Your keepsake box doesn’t even have to be organized, but your keepsakes do need to fit in the dedicated space you have to store keepsakes. If your keepsakes are overflowing out of their container, it might be time to reexamine what is really worth keeping.

3. Projects/To Dos

Often while straighten up, we come across items that automatically produce the phrase, “I need to…” fill in the blank. We have projects that are multi-step and many times the steps take weeks or months to complete. Life usually postpones projects longer than we’d like so why not create a permanent home for projects?

I had a stack of projects piling up in my kitchen, that is until I got sick of looking at the mess it was creating and transplanted my half finished projects to a clear bin in the garage.

You might be hesitant to create a place for your projects because it feels like they will become forgotten hidden away in a bin. But I would encourage you to use a project list rather then the visual pile of stuff as your reminder of projects.

Even if you are saying, “But wait, I’m a visual person!” I would argue your project list can still be a visual reminder. You can even hang it up in a prominent place.

I can tell you from my own personal experience with piles of supplies for projects, you quickly become blind to visual to-dos lists. When that happens, your piles have now morphed into clutter!

Then, sadly, when you do look around your home to straighten up, all you see are multiple unfinished tasks! Talk about a feeling defeated, ugh!

If I haven’t convinced you yet, another benefit of a project list, rather than a pile, is you are able to get an overall view of all the projects on your list. The project list allows you to prioritize and maybe even rethink how many projects are realistic to tackle. Listen to Ep 5 Making a Better To-Do List, for one of my favorite conversations about how to declutter your to-do list.

I also have a spot in my desk for project paperwork.

4. Long-Term Recycling

Things like e-waste, batteries or glass bottles sometimes wait around before they are taken in to be recycled. Instead of considering them as transient items, create a permanent home to store them until they can be recycled.

5. Current Papers

We could easily devote a whole series about paper alone. In fact I have! You can read more in depth about organizing paper here plus we have a few podcast episodes about paper like Ep 35 Clear Your Paper Pile in 5 Steps, and Ep 27 and Ep 28 both about Stopping Paper Clutter.

But for now, if you have a stack of paper to-do’s or scribbled notes scattered around your home, create a permanent space for paper to be processed whether it is a paper tray or tucked inside your planner. I use action files to keep track of my everyday papers.

In my action files, I use to have a “Pending” file where I’d stash paper representing a task I’m not able to conquer right away.  I’d sort through the pending folder weekly and take care of the random tasks like checking the balance on a gift card and recording events on my calendar all at once.

However, now that my kids are in school full time, I place my pending papers right on my desk and tackle them daily. If they need further follow up, I tuck them inside my planner.

I also have a place to store papers which need to be filed in my long term file box. However, there are not that many papers I need to file long term since most of my mail is digital. So my long term file crate is actually hidden out of the way in my linen closet.

With a “To File” folder in my action files, I postpone my filing to maybe 4 times a year instead of trying to stay on top of it weekly.

Bonus Storage Spaces

Kids’ Paperwork

If you are looking for more ways to conquer common clutter, (and have kids) be sure to set up a space for kids’ paper. I go into full detail about the system I created in Ep 5 Kids’ Paper. Be sure your system includes:

• a place for kids’ current paperwork (Homework, Art projects, etc.)
• short-term keep papers
• long-term keepsakes paperwork
• as well as a way to keep track of activities and events (see #5 Current Papers above)

Office Supplies

Also take a closer look at office supplies. I know this is a no-brainer for some, but if you find office supplies scattered throughout your home, you might need to make two repetitive areas for office supplies. Check out Ep 12  Simplifying with Duplicates.

Simple things like paper clips, scissors, and post-its have a space in both my kitchen and my desk. This makes it easy to put away supplies no matter where you are in the house!

Errands

I don’t know about you but I always have things to return to a store or to a friend. I try to put items required for errands directly in my car but it is also nice to have a dedicated spot.

It doesn’t need to be anything complicated, as long as you have a general area so you are not running around the house trying for find what you need while trying to get out the door.

Knocking Out Clutter

It wasn’t until I slowly carved out dedicated spaces for these clutter makers after moving that I was finally able to straighten up my home quickly. Clearly defined areas make such a difference in feeling organized even if it is just a general area that is tweaked as you go.

Now let’s be real, it’s nice to have a home for everything but things have to actually be returned after they’re used! That’s where a quick 10-minute pick up comes in. Everyone works together for 10 minute to return items to where they belong! 10 minute pick-ups don’t always go smoothly but I remind myself parenting is a process not an event.

What are your clutter makers? What did I forget?

Links we mentioned:

• Crayon Initiative – to recycle crayons
• Crayola Color Cycle – to recycle markers
• Angel Bins and Gotta Have Soles– host a shoe drive
• Second Chance Toys – to recycle toys (toy collection limited to April and December)
• My original junk drawer clean out that got me thinking about rough storage spaces

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