How to clear clutter: 5 rules that will help you eliminate clutter from the house

Clutter is a constant problem for many people. Stepping over things to get to the sofa or out of the way so you can eat at the dining room table is often tolerated, but not an ideal living situation. You can tell when clutter is not normal by the number of items scattered around and how long the house has been in this condition.

While clutter affects your physical space, the problem really begins in the mind. There are emotional reasons why you are surrounded by disorder. Sometimes it is minor and sometimes it is caused by a serious disorder such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). If you don’t have OCD, your clutter problems can be solved with a serious commitment to changing the way you relate to your environment and a little organized effort.

You are not destined to live the rest of your life in disorder. Follow these simple rules to get things back on track:

Rule # 1 – Use It Or Lose It – Do You Really Need All These Things? That’s the first thing to ask yourself after inspecting your messy surroundings. Sure, there are some things you absolutely need and must have, but there are probably a ton of other things you can live without. If you don’t have a valid use for an item, you are simply taking up much-needed space. Get rid of it.

Rule No. 2: Keep one and throw the rest away. Do you really need those five empty pickle jars in your cabinet? Why have a hundred plastic shopping bags when ten is enough? Duplicate items that take up space but do not have a current purpose should be discarded.

Rule No. 3: File It Or Shred It – Invest in a small 2-drawer filing cabinet and keep all your important documents there. Shred old bills and personal paperwork you no longer need. Write the due date on the outer envelope of current invoices and store in a labeled file box. Doing this will ensure that you pay bills on time and can quickly find important documents when you need them. Make sure to throw out junk mail right away.

Rule No. 4: Everything Has Its Place: All your important things should be stored in drawers, cabinets or storage containers. Each item you own should have a specific place where it is stored when not in use. Be sure to label all storage containers and boxes so you know what they contain. You also want to keep things that you will use a lot in a place that you can easily access.

Rule No. # 5: Take Care of It Now – Procrastination is a big reason for a lot of clutter. Clothes fell to the floor and were left for later, dirty dishes on the counter for later, papers and magazines for later, video games and music CDs for later, toys for later, cans and bottles for later, etc. If no one comes and picks up these things right away or in a reasonable amount of time, guess what? You have disorder! Get in the habit of picking up things and taking care of clutter quickly.