"Unclutter" Your Home

How to reduce clutter in your home: With so many opportunities to buy “stuff”, it’s almost inevitable that you will acquire more and more items that clutter up your home. If you’re starting to feel buried under your possessions, here are some tips to reduce clutter in your home.

1. Ruthlessly purge, one room at a time. Amidst all that clutter are items that you don’t yet know you no longer need or want. They’ve fallen into the background, unnoticed, unused. Start with one room and two boxes: one for items to donate and another for things you want to store. Look objectively at the items that are filling the room—decorative accessories, furniture, toys, books, and other things that aren’t essential. Be brutal, reminding yourself of your quest to reduce clutter. As you try to determine whether to keep, store, or donate, ask yourself why you want to keep the item and then decide how strong a reason that is. Create a place in your basement, attic, or garage for “Home Décor” and, when you want to change the look in your home, just “shop” from those boxes.
2. Creatively organize. There are many ways to organize the things in your home in an attractive and functional way. Home décor shops, craft stores, and retailers like The Container Store and Ikea are filled with ideas for turning clutter into home organization.
3. Keep things where they belong. Clutter can grow from disorganization. Simply putting away something when you’re done—keys, dishes, books, etc.—will help you maintain order in your home. Sort through your mail and organize it instead of letting it all pile up. Take the extra couple of seconds and save time later.
4. Make careful buying choices. Before you purchase anything, ask yourself if it’s something you need or just want. If it falls into the latter category, how long will it be desirable to you? Will you still love it in three months? Or is it going to become another “thing” cluttering your home?
5. Cancel junk mail. If you’re getting catalogs and magazines that you don’t read or want, make them stop. Cancel the subscriptions. Ask to be removed from mailing lists.
6. One in, two out. When you come home with something new, purge two other items so you’re not adding to your clutter. Feel the need to add more dishes? Which ones don’t you want any more?

The most important step in reducing clutter is to change your mindset. When you’re shopping, avoid the impulse to buy what you don’t need. Picture it as more clutter in an already cluttered space and your home organization will become easier.