What can I do to get rid of all my clutter? I have guests coming and my small place is cluttered. I want to...

Question

keep too many things. How do I decide what to keep and what to toss? What is your method for reducing clutter, managing loose papers and keeping stuff in contol?

Answer 1

Put stuff in boxes or baskets that slide under your bed. Get those large Rubbermaid or Sterlite plastic containers with lids (fairly cheap at Target) and put extra clothing, blankets, and stuff in them and stack them out of the way. You can cover a stack with a tablecloth and put a vase of flowers or something on it to hide it. Have a yard sale if you can get it together before guests arrive and ditch things you haven't used or worn for months. Use the trunk of your car for storage in a crunch, or rent a storeroom and haul boxes of goods over there - out of the way but still accessible. If you get bookcases, get DEEP ones and you can stack two rows of books on them instead of one so they do double duty. You can install hanging shoe organizers or clothing hooks behind doors, or there are sets of wire shelves that hang on backs of doors for more storage. For paperwork, get some Bankers Boxes and toss it in there - you can sort it later when you have time and meanwhile, it's all together. Store the boxes under your computer desk or stacked in a closet.

Answer 2

I have trouble figuring out what to toss as well. It's hard.
Mostly think about the future and what you plan on doing with some of your things. Ask yourself that if you need something, if you can toss it and buy it somewhere else ... or find it anywhere else... something that you don't need to keep NOW.. but can find elsewhere? I don't know if that makes any sense.

I have a closet or a shelf where I keep some things and organize it like that. And I also have 2 boxes that I keep at the top of my closet. One box for papers.... and the other box for little toys or Halloween things... just the random stuff.

Answer 3

It's a daily thing. I have learned the longer you let stuff go the worse it gets and the less you wanna deal with it.
Take for example mail...you get 5 pieces, 1 is worth something, 1 is maybe something, the other 3 junk. Well if you let all that sit for a week you have a mess. But after you get the mail take 2 minutes to sort it out then you have a much smaller stack of papers.
Try just doing a little bit of work each day...then staying on it. Don't let it pile up but just get to it and get it over.

Answer 4

I have a bad habit of throwing Everything away so I never really have any clutter but the one thing I don't throw away is receipts and mail..I wont even throw the envelopes away if they have my name and add on them...I just keep them in a box

Answer 5

Get some of those new Glad Big Bags and stuff your stuff in it and slide it under the bed. I did that very thing just today (well, Saturday) and for the same reason - guests coming. Out of their sight and out of my mind - for now!

Answer 6

Grammar. I know. Pain to do, but get in the habit of it. It's also a little confusing. Didnt I see this a couple of nights ago?

Answer 7

thow away or give away the stuff u dont use or need, and for ur papers whatever u dont need or isnt worth keeping throw away

Answer 8

go though your house and if you find something you have not used in 2 months it need's to be given away

Answer 9

toss everything into baskets, stow it out of sight and sort it out after the party.

Answer 10

if you can still use it, then keep it,
if you can't use it or you're hoping you can use it someday, then trash it...

use boxes to store stuff and for papers use folders arrange paper stuff chronologically... trust me its easier...