Keeping Clutter in Check

 Before making any purchase, visualize where it will be stored or displayed.

Have trash cans in each room and use them.

Always leave the kitchen clean.

Reduce “drop zones.”

Reduce clothing and linens to fit existing drawers and closets when they are clean.

Rotate perishables.

Take out garbage and clean out fridge weekly.

Install towel racks and use them.

Reduce clothing to core components.

Don’t procrastinate cleaning or putting things away.

Stop incoming subscriptions, and return junk mail to the sender.

Create memories instead of buying things.

Replace shopping habits with health-friendly alternatives.

Beginner's decluttering tips

 

How could a beginner declutter their home efficiently while still retaining the necessary belongings they need or want to keep around?

Get some paper and a pen or pencil.

Write the room’s name on top of an individual page.

Write the purpose of each room down.

Without looking, write down up to five things you want to keep in each room—anything else is fair game for removal.

Take a before picture of each room.

Working top to bottom and left to right, go through each room, trash the trash, relocate out-of-place items, and place items you no longer want or need in a donation box.

For future maintenance, place a trash can in each room and use it.

Remove and relocate items to their proper location immediately.

Group like items together and determine a maximum amount of that item. Donate the excess items.

Shop your closet—get rid of torn, tired, stained ill-fitting garments. Have a donation box or hamper in the bedroom. When you try something on that doesn’t fit correctly or doesn’t fit your lifestyle into the donation bin, it goes. Ask yourself if you would purchase a particular item again. Buy clothing that is forgiving of a few pounds either way. You don’t need to maintain two or three clothing sizes.

When all your clothing and linens are clean, they should fit into your closet, dresser, and storage areas.

Always trash out-of-date items for your safety—bathroom items, food, meds (return to local pharmacy), personal products such as lotions, makeup, sunscreen, etc.

Organizing a linen closet

 

What are some creative ways to organize a linen closet?

I watched a few Youtube videos on how to fold towels, hand towels, washcloths, bed linens, tablecloths, and placemats.

I have rolled them, used the new folding methods, and gotten creative with storage.

The bed linens are stored in the room they will be used.

I have a basket for table linens in my pantry.

The towels have two rows, the hand towels have one row, and the washcloths have a row in the linen storage tower in the bathroom.

Kitchen towels and drying cloths are stored in the kitchen near the sink.

No one method fits all when it comes to storage. You have to pick a method that works for you.