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Clearing the Clutter
“There are
no menial jobs, only menial attitudes.” ~ William
John Bennett
When I set out to complete a “big home clean” (the
type where you don’t just
move clutter from area to area but actually solve the clutter
challenge), I
used the system I had learned from many books in my home library. Handle
each item only once and sort everything into one of four categories: Store, Sell, Give Away, or
Throw Away. However,
I found I had items that didn’t fit
in these categories, and I ended up doing the one hundred laps around
the home.
I
customized the system by adding two
more boxes – Put Away and Stow Away.
These unique additions solved the challenge of
working through my home
and its clutter efficiently.
SUPPLIES:
***Four
large plastic containers or
box
***Two
easily-managed cardboard
boxes
***Lines
paper
***Tape
***Pen
Label the containers as follows:
Cardboard
Box #1 – THROW AWAY
Cardboard
Box #2 – GIVE AWAY
Plastic
Container #1 – STOW AWAY
Plastic
Container #2 – PUT AWAY
Plastic
Container #3 – STORE AWAY
Plastic
Container #4 – SELL
BOX CONTENT GUIDELINES:
THROW AWAY – I won’t offer much explanation on
this one. The more
you can put into this box, the
simpler your life will become. As
we all
know, stuff uses energy. The
less stuff
you have, the less energy you expend taking care of it (dusting it,
washing it,
fixing it, etc.) and the more space you have for stress-free living. I use a box because a lot
of my throw-away is
paper, which I recycle. If
you have a “mixed
lot” of throw-away items, a garbage bag may be a better choice.
GIVE AWAY – Tape a piece of lined paper to the box. Anything you give to a
charity or church
should be tucked in here. When
placing
an item into this box, write the name of the item on the paper. When you take the box to
the donation point,
present the paper itemizing the box contents for validation. The organization can sign
the paper as an
itemized receipt of the contents for a charitable tax deduction. Some organizations will
give you a different
receipt. Staple the
receipt and
inventory list together for tax time.
PUT AWAY – Undoubtedly as we move through our
homes we will find items that
are in the wrong place. Perhaps
we were
too busy and never gave a new item its “proper home,” or perhaps Junior
has a
habit of bringing every toy into the kitchen and now you have plastic
army men
in your muffin-tin cups. Whatever
the
item, place it in the PUT AWAY box.
If
your home has a lot of stuff in the wrong place, consider making a
couple of
PUT AWAY boxes; for example, one for upstairs and one for downstairs.
STORE AWAY – If you find seasonal or infrequently
used items taking up valuable
space, reclaim space by carefully storing items in boxes and then
storing the
boxes in a garage, basement, or other storage area.
Seasonal clothes and tableware only used on
special occasions or during the holidays are a few examples. Make sure to label each
box thoroughly so
when the time comes, you can quickly find what you need. For my storage boxes, I
use a sheet of lined
paper and create an inventory. I
then
attach this in a plastic sleeve to the box.
I label all four sides clearly with big
letters to note the contents;
for example, “summer clothes” or “Christmas lights.”
SELL – Anything you choose to sell goes inside
this box. However,
there is a special rule for this
box. If
you will be selling items at a garage sale, the garage sale must occur
within
six months. Do not
hoard items for years
while waiting for the perfect garage-sale day.
Trust me – there isn’t one.
STOW AWAY – The stow away box is for items that
give you a headache when
trying to decide which box to put them in.
Instead of huffing, puffing, and blowing up in
frustration, put them in
the STOW AWAY box. Make
sure to tape a
piece of paper to this box and write down what you stow. Include the date you
create the box as
well. The
Stowing Rule – Once every six months, revisit each stowed box. Often when we look at
these items fresh, we
can easily decide whether to give them away, sell them, junk them,
store them,
or restow them. Thin
your STOW AWAY
boxes regularly.
Other System Guidelines:
***Begin
in the room of your
choice. Finish one
room completely
before starting another.
***Do not
wander off to put an item
away in another room; instead, place it in the “put away” box.
***When a
garbage bag or box is
full, immediately take it to your garbage area.
***Do not
let the boxes sit out for
days on end. Put
each box away within
twenty-four hours.
***Any
boxes marked for donation
should be taken to the donation point within thirty days.
TAKE A
STEP FORWARD:
Choose a
room (or an area of a
room) to begin with. Assemble
your
needed supplies, set a timer for twenty minutes, and dive in. Set a goal to work in the
area for twenty
minutes a day, five days a week until the area is clear; then move onto
the
next one.
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