- 1). Make a plan. Decide how many hours or days you want to spend decluttering your home and how long you will work at it each day. Break down the job to avoid burnout, which leads to failure. Think of each day and time frame as an important appointment you can't miss, and write it on your calendar.
- 2). Set goals. Decide exactly what you wish to accomplish. Determine if you will declutter and organize your house from basement to attic or just tackle specific rooms. Divide your space. Organize one room or area in your home at a time. Write down your goals for that space and check each one off the list when you have reached it.
- 3). Remove daily clutter from wherever it collects in your home. Gather old newspapers, mail, backpacks and homework. Sort through them and distribute them to their proper places. In a clutter emergency, such as unexpected houseguests, throw everything into boxes and put them away for a more thorough sorting later date. This a temporary fix; when the houseguests have gone home, take out the boxes and sort through them.
- 4). Sort items into four large bins or piles labeled "keep," "throw away," "sell," and "donate." At the end of each sorting session, put the trash in your garbage can or take it to the dump. Take the things you are going to donate to the closest donation center or call for a pick up. Put the things you will sell into an area in your garage to ready them for a garage sale. List other items on online auction sites or post them in the newspaper.
- 5). Create storage. Build or buy shelving units. Hang cupboards. Corral items in baskets of all sizes in every room. Repurpose furniture pieces such as dressers, trunks and armoires to store seasonal clothing and linens. Use storage cubes and ottomans to banish clutter in your living room while providing extra seating. Return everything it to its place after you have finished using it.
- 6). Eliminate piles of paper by transferring their contents to your computer. Pay your bills and do your banking online.
- 7). Pick up clutter. Take 10 minutes each day to sort through accumulated clutter. Decide what is important to keep and what can be thrown out.
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