A new year is a good time to remove clutter, and enjoy a tidy home. Here are some useful ways to get started.
Get three big boxes. Label each box: Keep, Sell and Charity.
Set a time limit for the session. Set a timer and when it rings, make yourself stop, clean up, and take a break so you don’t burn out.
Make three piles on the floor, to match each of the marked boxes. Later, you probably will change some of the items, or move them to another box.
Tackle one room at a time. In each room make three piles on the floor, matching the boxes.
Find a place for everything. Keep the things you need in a place where you will find it easily. Make sure everyone in the family is aware to return things after they use them.
Clean and vacuum the room. Look around and enjoy the neat and tidy area. Scrub off grime from surfaces, remove cob- webs and repaint if necessary.
Sort through the keep box, aiming to put more into the charity or sale boxes. The rule of thumb is if you have not used an item in a year or more, it goes!
Take the box for charity to your car. If it is too much, call a charity of your choice and ask them to pick it up. Sort through and price items for your garage sale. Try to arrange the garage sale as soon as possible, so you will not be tempted to re- turn the items to your house.
Look around! No clutter, no mess, just a nice clean and nice looking house. Keep it that way on a daily basis.
Keep your living area and bedrooms clutter free by minimizing décor. This will not only look larger but cleaner. Having less décor means less to clean and dust.
Stop shopping! This is a tough one, but learning to not replace items that you have gotten rid of is an important one to follow. Also it is really important to shop well. It is easier to remember the items you spent more money on, and to treasure them above the cheaper things.
Set limits on things. Having eight cereals to choose from is not being realistic. Enjoy twotothreeitems,thenoncefinished,buy others. This will teach children to respect what they have and it will encourage a less-cluttered mindset.
Get used to having less. Once you de- clutter your environment, enjoy the space and the look of having less. Take up a hobby and distract yourself from items you probably do not need.
(source: http://www.wikihow.com)