6 Tips to Tackle Clutter

Household clutter is a never-ending problem for most homeowners. At LTC Home Cleaning Service, we can clean around the clutter, but we know that your real goal is to have a beautiful, clean, clutter-free house. Here are a few tips when it comes to combating the clutter.

1. Have a dedicated donation bag or bin
   If you are buying new things, there must be old items in your house that you no longer use and can get rid of. Start a donation bag or bin and commit to taking it to a local, convenient charity at the end of each month. You’d be surprised how much stuff you can accumulate, but it will make you feel great to know that your unused stuff is going to a good home.
2. Group things together
   Put office supplies like pens and paper in the same spot, cleaning supplies in another spot, etc. If you don’t do this, it’s likely that you won’t find what you need when you need it as everything is spread out all over the house. Then, you’ll need to buy more and the clutter will continue.
3. Open mail daily
   There are only 2 types of mail – junk mail and actionable mail. Get rid of the junk mail right away. Have an area for “actionable” mail and be sure to clear that pile by the end of the week. If not, you’ll be living under a pile of paper and unable to distinguish what is junk and what is important.
4. Tackle the closet
   If you haven’t worn an item of clothing for 2 years, you need to get rid of it. Not sure what you wear or don’t wear? Start the year off by hanging all your clothes hangers the opposite way (from the back) in your closet. As you take things out to wear them, put them back normally. You’ll start to notice a pattern – it’s likely you wear only 20% of your clothing. As you buy a new item of clothing, put something you don’t wear in the donation bin. You’ll be surprised how quickly the donation bin will fill up!
5. Go digital
   There are many apps and programs that will help you organize your papers and receipts once you’ve scanned them. At that point, shred and recycle to be rid of the mountains of paper!
6. Sell your stuff
   There are things that are harder to part with, items that you’ve paid a lot of money for that you don’t feel like you can donate. Luckily, it’s as easy as pie to sell your stuff using tools like eBay, gazelle.com for phones and tablets, letgo.com and various Facebook and online groups that like to sell, swap or trade. There’s no excuse for that beautiful lamp to remain in the attic when you can make a bit of money and clear some extra space.

Let us know if these tips for work for you. Remember, cleanliness is next to godliness and LTC Home Cleaning Services is here to help you with the cleanliness part!