Clutter Clearing - You Can Conquer Clutter
Ranked #4,016 in Home & Garden, #48,963 overall
I cleared my clutter - and so can you!
You can conquer your clutter and clear it all away. I'm quite sure of this because I've done it. I had a huge amount of clutter - enough so that I needed an entire room to hold it. But over the course of years I've learned to clear it away and now my entire stack of clutter occupies only a few boxes at the bottom of one closet, and I'm still working at clearing that away.
Yes, clutter clearing takes time, and you won't conquer the entire stack of clutter immediately, especially if you tend to be a hoarder. But you must believe that clutter clearing is possible or you wouldn't be looking at this page, right? So cheer up. One stack of clutter at a time, it can be cleared away, you can do it, and it will be done.
Imagine a clutter-free environment
...a home of beauty and peace!
Imagine living in a lovely home with no clutter at all. Yes, close your eyes and imagine your home looking cleared and livable.
Think about buying things that decorate your home in a lovely way.
Think about being able to enjoy the new look of your home without worrying about clutter ruining the environment.
Imagine the peace a cleared and organized home will give you.
This is what I wish for you, and the reason why I'm writing about clutter clearing today.
Paper Clutter
...my nemesis!
Taming the Paper Tiger at Home
Amazon Price: $25.00 (as of 05/31/2012)
I got Barbara Hemphill's first book, Taming the Paper Tiger, years ago - about 1991. That's what started me on my clutter clearing journey. My paper clutter was the first thing to go. This book is extremely helpful for anyone with paper clutter problems.
Boxes for organizing paper
...you have to have a system!
When I started clearing my clutter
...I was a single mom with two very young children.
I kept all my clutter in a room at the back of the flat we lived in. We were in North Oakland, CA at the time. We lived well in the front of the flat - we had 2 bedrooms, a dining room, and living room. But that bedroom at the back of the flat haunted me. I knew I had too much clutter - things I wasn't even using, and I had to do something about it.
My children required constant supervision so my only time to clear clutter was at night while they slept, or at nap time. Reading Barbara Hemphill's book inspired me and gave me the ideas I used to get paper clutter under control. I wasn't too good at throwing things away so what I couldn't bring myself to toss got filed in a bankers box. I ended up with six bankers boxes in my filing system. A big filing cabinet would have held it all, but I couldn't afford one at the time.
Filing Cabinets
...what a life saver!
A good organizational system is essential for modern life. Paper clutter must be sorted, the trash discarded, and the essentials placed carefully in a trusty filing cabinet.
Are you a SHE?
...SHE = "Sidetracked Home Executive"
Sidetracked Home Executives
Amazon Price: $24.82 (as of 05/31/2012)
This is a classic for clutter clearing. The most memorable story in the book, for me, is when one of the two SHEs asked a born-organized friend what to do to become clutter free. The friend went into the kitchen, looked around at the mess, picked up a teabag and tossed it in the trash. That was the lesson... I guess I've learned that one! Every time I get tea (several times daily) I'm reminded that it isn't that hard to put the teabag and the little paper it comes in directly into the trash when done with it. My living partner (a prospecting man) hasn't learned this yet, and it always makes me happy that the tea trash on the counter isn't mine.
More clutter clearing advice
...from home organization experts.
Clearing clutter
...the Feng Shui way.
Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui
Amazon Price: (as of 05/31/2012)
This is another decluttering book I found extremely helpful. Very much recommended. Whether you believe in Feng Shui or not, the book is inspiring for someone needing more peace and happiness, and less clutter in their home.
One box or stack at a time
...you can clear your clutter!
If clutter has become a problem for you, take it easy on yourself. Make steady progress, one area at a time. Don't expect immediate results after years of cluttering. Get a kitchen timer and set it for ten minutes, and see how much you can get done. Make a game of it. Decluttering can be a lot of fun and you will love the results.
Your comments are welcome
...I love to hear from people who have read my pages!
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JJNW
Apr 6, 2012 @ 12:05 am | delete
- Oooh - me too, with paper. I like the timer idea. Thanks! SquidLiked by a Giant Squid.
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jenniferteacher
Apr 3, 2012 @ 5:29 am | delete
- I love the timer idea. I think I first got it from the Fly Lady. I just put on a song and see what I can get done for that song. Then, I put on another... :-)
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siobhanryan
Mar 11, 2012 @ 7:23 pm | delete
- You have inspired me to start decluttering.
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veryirie
Jan 14, 2012 @ 4:31 pm | delete
- I too use a kitchen timer when I find clutter starting to build up. It's the best tool ever. :)
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scarlettohairy Jan 13, 2012 @ 6:54 pm | delete
- I've gotten better but tend to clutter up my place then do a mass purge when it becomes too much! Great tips here.
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Upon-Request
Dec 31, 2011 @ 8:50 am | delete
- I've used the timer trick many times to get the clutter under control.
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jadehorseshoe
Dec 27, 2011 @ 2:27 am | delete
- Great Lens! Useful Tips.
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favored1
Dec 13, 2011 @ 9:40 pm | delete
- I don't have a single problem with clutter if you get rid of my table, the countertops, shelves and basically any furniture that can hold anything:) Merry Christmas.
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ViJuvenate
Dec 12, 2011 @ 10:43 am | delete
- I've just gotten hooked on "Clean House" on Netflix. LOL Your lenses remind me of the show. :o) Decluttering makes me happy!
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WriterJanis
Dec 11, 2011 @ 1:39 pm | delete
- I admit it. I have clutter. Really good ideas.
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Frischy
Dec 10, 2011 @ 7:08 pm | delete
- Good advice! I have pockets of clutter throughout the house. I am working on it. I am always working on it! Congratulations on conquering yours. I would love to get mine down to a few boxes. That would be amazing!
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DeclutterDiary
Dec 10, 2011 @ 7:15 pm | delete
- I have to admit - it wasn't easy... and took a number of years. But now that I can look around at a room with no clutter boxes I'm very happy and excited about it. Keep trying, because it is so totally worth it.
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burntchestnut
Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:19 pm | delete
- Clutter can really make you hate your house and not want to invite friends over. You're right about hiding your clutter until you can get it organized. Keep the main part of your house comfortable and liveable.
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DeclutterDiary
Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:51 pm | delete
- Yes, it is a strategy for sanity... I'd rather have boxes in a room than all around me where I work or want to relax.
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Joan4
Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:13 pm | delete
- On my goals for the new year for sure! I have been working toward decluttering for about 5 years now. I am making progress, but I need reminders like this one to get back on track!
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DeclutterDiary
Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:50 pm | delete
- One room at a time. We can do it, Joan!
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jptanabe
Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:01 pm | delete
- Love the Bankers Boxes - I have a stack of them filled already! Great job inspiring us to declutter. Blessed
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DeclutterDiary
Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:50 pm | delete
- Thank goodness for bankers boxes! I love the organizational opportunities...
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Gerald_McConway Dec 10, 2011 @ 5:54 pm | delete
- This is perfect time of the year for a lens like this. Easy to get lost in all the presents getting stacked up for Christmas.
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DeclutterDiary
Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:49 pm | delete
- Christmas tends to bring on the clutter, that's for sure. Have a plan for removing wrappings before the gifts get unwrapped... to stay on top of it all
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vallain Dec 10, 2011 @ 5:47 pm | delete
- With New Year's coming up, this is always on my list of resolutions to get my clutter under control. Most of the house looks decent, but it is my desk that gets overloaded.
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DeclutterDiary
Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:48 pm | delete
- New Year's Day is a great day to start clutter clearing. After you watch the Rose Parade, what is there left to do?
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I'm a formerly overly-cluttered grandma
...living in a little old cabin.
by DeclutterDiary
I own a Declutter website and love to write about household organization!
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