Combat Clutter and Get Organized!

It may seem like a hopeless situation when your home is a mess with things laying about and no organization whatsoever, but by putting a few clutter-busting strategies into place your home can be organized once again.

The first line of attack is to keep the clutter out. This means that you need to stop bringing 'freebies' and other unnecessary things home. A good rule of thumb is: if you did not pay for it, leave it behind. Stop taking those free tote bags, cleaning tools and other promotional items offered to you for free. Throw away items you do not need. Create designated areas in your home for the objects you do want to keep. Buy plastic storage containers and space saver bags for those items you do need to hold onto.

Clothing, shoes and outerwear is often a cause for disorganization. Remove old and unused clothing from the home and donate them to charity. Keep the closets organized by having everyone in the family put their clothes in a designated place. Regarding home office organization, buy files for loose papers laying around and purchase containers for pens, small desk accessories and for things like paperclips, rubber bands. It may be obvious but be sure to have a wastebasket in your office so that you are sure to throw away unneeded items.

In the garage, set aside a day on the weekend to throw away things you do not need as this is the first step toward successful garage organization. Get rid of unused toys, broken lawn furniture and tools you never use. Consider having a garage sale so that you can make a small profit on any items that may be worth something to someone else. Invest in some inexpensive storage cabinets and buy ceiling hooks for bikes. Purchase a peg board so you can keep tools well organized and within arm's reach.

It is very important that you come up with a regular, weekly cleaning schedule and stick to it. If you take the time to thoroughly clean your home every seven days it will become easier to keep the clutter at bay. While cleaning, toss away items you run across that are never used. If you have children living at home, get them involved with the weekly cleaning chores. You could implement a reward system wherein your kids earn special privileges for successfully doing their chores and keeping their rooms neat.