After ringing in the New Year now is as good as time as ever to stop and think about your clutter and how to manage it. When you have time on your hands you can make a dent in your to-do list. By the end you should have a clear and spacious space. Getting started is the hardest part sometimes so you need to have a plan and hopefully a crew to help you. By making a dent early and being able to see the fruits of your labor realized can help you find the motivation to continue throughout the year.
One of the best things you can do is to designate a box or area to gather your unwanted items that you have decided to donate. This way when the box gets full you know it's time to take a trip to your local donation center. When you come across something that cannot be donated be sure to throw it away or recycle it if at all possible.
When it comes to your kitchen and pantry there are a few things you can do to manage your clutter. If you find yourself not using certain small electric devices, dishes or cookware you should consider selling them or giving them away to family members. You can reduce your clutter by recycling or tossing reusable cups and take-out plastics. Worn dish towels should be tossed or reused as rags for cleaning. Try and make a habit of getting rid of expired food every week so that as you buy food you will have the space to store it. By placing the newer purchased food at the back of your cabinets and older at the front you can make it easier to reduce how much you toss by using it before it even expires. First in, First out!
Now that you may be using your home office more it is wise to straighten it up as much as possible. By sorting you papers and filing them as needed and shredding or recycling the rest will help reduce your clutter. If possible, sign up for paperless bills and statements to reduce the amount of mail you receive. When the mail comes, deal with it immediately and file important items and recycle or shred what is unneeded.
When it comes to your closets it may be best to make sure what you have fits and can still be and will be worn. If you find things that are not being worn make the decision to fill a bag and donate it. This goes for your linens as well. Anything that is no longer usable should be removed from the linen closet. Don’t hold onto sheets and towels that are no longer used so now is the time to recycle or donate them. Now is also a good time to go through your medicine/bath closets areas to toss anything that is expired. Check for dates on products and be wary of anything that may have been exposed to conditions that are not appropriate and be sure to get rid of anything that has been compromised.
These are just a few things to get started on while life takes a little pause and we are able to spend more time in our homes catching up on perhaps some work that may have gotten away from us.
