Looking for ideas to keep "flat surfaces" in my house uncluttered.?

Question

Dining table, kitchen counters, coffee tables all seem to catch clutter. Any ideas to remedy this?

Answer 1

You need to retrain yourself, because horizontal surfaces can indeed be attractive magnets. Here's one tool I have found extremely useful: cut out a large "Stop" sign from bright red cardboard and place it on the first horizontal surface you want to practice keeping clear. Leave it there for at least a month as a visual cue to both yourself and others that the space is not to be piled upon. I would suggest focusing on one surface at a time for best effectiveness. In the meantime, think about creating alternate "homes" for the clutter that tends to collect there.

Members of my "Clutter Club" support group have used variations on the stop sign idea, being a creative group! One put a stuffed toy cat with a sign saying "Attack cat...no clutter here!" on her guest bed she wanted to keep clear; another stripped the dining table, put on a fancy lace tablecloth (another kind of visual cue) and put a bowl of fruit in the middle, then informed her family of the change. Anything left on the table would be put in a "discard" box, from which items could be reclaimed.

Answer 2

Use cute baskets.

It's almost impossible not to have items pile up on tables, etc. so rather than try to fight it, contain it in a stylish way. You can put decorative bowls or baskets on the surfaces so at least everything goes into one spot.

Answer 3

well what i do is clean every day. you should file all your bills, keep all unpaid bills in a holder until you pay. i will take everything that doesnt belong on the counters, tables and i put it all in a big pile and i sit in the middle of the living room and i go thru each and everything and i put it away. My motto dont use it get rid of it!!!

Answer 4

when I moved domicile below a 365 days in the past I gave away extremely quite some my books, cassettes, videos and so on. and am, at modern,, giving freely extremely quite some my outfits because I actual have lost quite some weight. i'm also dealing with my towels and bedding and performance wanting to keep in simple terms the extremely good ones because i do not choose everywhere close to as many now i'm on my own. ultimately i am hoping to don't have any baggage and containers on the floor in 3 rooms yet those issues can't be performed in one day devoid of regretting, later, having parted with something which ought to were kept. It changed into in simple terms even as i changed into unpacking the following that I realised in basic terms what percentage purses, shoes and sandals I owned. i don't think of i'd be parting with any of those although because they were bought to examine and that i have very awkward toes and ought to remorseful about parting with shoes. I shall in basic terms ought to not purchase any more beneficial until eventually they are extremely necessary.

Answer 5

Buy a pair of kittens.
oh.. alright...
Every time you pass one of these surfaces, pick up as much as you can carry that goes in the direction you are going and put it away. (or throw away). On the way back, pick up things going that direction. Do this especially first thing in the morning.
If you make this a habit, they will be clear.

Answer 6

choose one item that goes well with it's surroundings. I've found that in removing cluttered nic-nacs and placing one great item in their place looks very clean and classy. Simple is better.

Answer 7

make good use of the phrase "junk drawer" and put all the little stuff in a drawer until you find a long term place for it or throw it out.

Answer 8

if it is not your things but your childrens and husbands take their stuff and throw it out in front of them a few times of this will break the habbit but you must do it everytime you see sopmething or else it will be noneffective i have done it to my children and it broke the habbit good luck

Answer 9

clean