If you have a serious problem with clutter, how will you deal with it?

Question

the clutter is so bad it is impossible to be tidy, and yet the things are too important to throw out... what advice would you have?

So many excellent answers!!! thanks everyone for answering!

Answer 1

Some times you just have to be ruthless. Get rid of the clutter and make way for new stuff.

Answer 2

Time to get organized. As you get organized, work to cycle out the older stuff. I'm sure that in time, the importance of some of your things will diminish. When I find that clutter is a problem for me, it is usually because the old stuff needs to be cycled out and the cluttering stuff needs to be organized and put away into the new space I've created in the process. If it helps, get yourself some plastic bins with covers, label them if needed and put your things away. I also keep several groups of files. One is the immediate group that I need to access a few times/week. I limit myself to one nice (leather-covered), decorative file box. The next tier is stored further away (or put away somewhere) and those I need to access a few times/month. The final tier is stuff that is old but I can't part with -- those go into our storage room/basement and I rarely access them but, I am happy that I have them (I'm a recovering pack-rat!). If you have space, buy more 'storage' furniture where you can stow cluttering items. We don't have the type of space for more furniture, and I am constantly having to do the 'cycle-out' thing to maintain order in our house. Some people can throw things away easily -- not me! Good luck.

Answer 3

Check through all of your stuff to much sure there isn't any thing which you dont want and with any thing which you dont need out at hand to use but dont want to throw away put it in boxes and store them in a shed,garage or attic (somewhere safe out of the way) Then dont go and buy more things which will just clutter the place up again when buying things think to make sure that you realy need them.

Answer 4

Boy, speaking of clutter... It's like you're reading my biography...

I've got such a ridiculous amount of clutter that it's really hard to deal with. Well, actually I've been getting a lot better. I've finally started to realize that I don't need it all. I realized that I was kind of putting my own "values" on things that I had that weren't really there and they were just things that I didn't need to value or keep around me. I would just see stuff and bring it home and deem those things as "valuable to me" or pile books upon books that I couldn't get rid of because they were so great that I might keep rereading them or...

I finally decided that I needed to simplify and just start eliminating things. It's been hard to get rid of a lot of things, but I've realized that a lot of the things I got rid of that I was going to really miss... I don't really remember what half of them are now. I also had 5 cars for no reason and started selling those off, trying to be honest about what clothes I would never wear and donating them, and just cleaning up. I've still got another 3 years or so before I feel "uncluttered" but it's a start! Hope you start uncluttering yourself!

Answer 5

I go through the papers often that I keep and throw out lots, with clothes I go through them twice a yr....winter and summer and turf anything the needs mending or is stained or too worn, I hide much of my clutter in a spare bedroom and the junk drawer,but I try to keep ahead of most of it....most of what we think is so important really isn't

Answer 6

Start at one corner of the room and decide on a small area, about a meter by a meter, and just focus on organizing that space. Only do one or two "spaces" a day so you won't get overwhelmed. Try to find a place for each item and designate a laundry basket, box, etc. for items that you don't yet know what to do with. If you find something that you CAN get rid of DO IT. Throw it away, give it away, sell it!

Answer 7

my theory is there is a place for everything and everything in its place. If you havent used things for 6 months you are not likely to, so throw them away or go and do a car boot and make some money, I hate clutter, so if I havent got enough cupboard space for things I get rid

Answer 8

You don't say what kind of clutter! Find a way to get it organized and put in containers so it won't look so bad and so you can find what you need, when you need it. Try to get rid of other things that aren't as important. I love organizing things! (I'm not as good at keeping it that way though!) lol!

Answer 9

withdrawal* Did you quit the drugs cold turkey? This is especially problematic if you were abusing the drugs and taking too many. Your system needs to slowly come off any powerful medications, again, especially if you were taking very large doses. Coming down off a prescription drug can take months, even on regular doses. Whatever problems you were having in life were undoubtedly made more confusing and caused more turmoil by taking this drug improperly. You can ask for prayer, you can ask for God's help. You need to do what you can to solve this. You were made with a flesh and blood body, it functions on specific principles. Prayer will do nothing for you if your brain is jacked up. If you're going to come off the medication, do it right. If you don't want to screw it up with this girl, then get your life and mind in order.

Answer 10

Have you heard of either a yard sale or the FREECYCLE.COM web site.. This is the neatest site. It is a place to advertise what you have to give away. They email back through the site and you select who you want to give it to. Set up a pick up time and date and give them your address. With the price of gas this is a great way to get rid of things for free.

If You are not an organizer, Google organizing techniques and get some help.

Things you have not worn or used in a year or two, put out for a charity or Freecycle or a yard sale. We usually make $300 to $600. a couple times a year having a yard sale and the rest we donate, one way or another.

We have a line I use with the grandchildren when cleaning up and it is Put same with same. This is to help them put their things in the same place with other things.

If you have family memorobilia, get rubbermaid containers and store those things in a safe clean location.

Anything you own that you have not used or worn in a year or two, BE BRAVE AND GET RID OF IT. I put things in Black plastic yard bags. If I cannot see into the bag I will not be tempted to get things back out of it.

I have a charity "Purple Heart" that picks up from my front porch every month. They call and schedule a pickup. So even if it is a small box, it is worth it to get one box or more out of my house each month .

Only keep three years of paperwork, like bills. If you have excessive books, libraries will sometimes take books and ours takes puzzles and magazines. Recycle your newspapers, cans, bottles, plastics, styrofoam.

I wish I lived near you, I love to organize things. I would be glad to help. I hope some of my suggestions are helpful.

Good Luck.