Blessings From Home » Clutter

The 4 Container Clutter Method

Fri, 04 May 2012 01:40:34 +0000

Have you ever tried to get rid of the clutter in your home? Haphazardly we walk through our homes searching for stuff we do not need. Oddly enough each item seems to call out to us with its greater purpose in the scheme of our lives. You have heard the phrase that clutter takes on a life of its own, well now it is time for drastic measures that give clutter a life far away from yours.

The Categories

Find 4 boxes and label them with the 4 categories.

Trash

Give Away/Sell

Storage

Put away

Trash- This should include any item that you do not need or want, but that is not worth donating or selling. Damaged and broken items should be included in the trash if they are not worth someone buying it and repairing it.

,a href=”http://housekeeping.about.com/od/getorganized/p/leftovergarage.htm”>Give Away/Sell- Be generous. Think about the uses someone else might get out of the items vs. the use it gets in your home buried in cabinets or closets. Consider the financial benefits of selling your stuff at a garage sale.

Storage- Put items in here that you cannot part with but do not need on a regular basis. Make an inventory of the items as you box them. Group similar items together. Remember one good way to clean out closets is to store out of season clothing.

Put Away- This should be your smallest category. These are items that need to be out on a regular basis. Monitor yourself by determining if you have a place for each item. If the items in this box will not fit into your home without cluttering an area up, try to reassess if you really need them. If you do need these essentials;, try to come up with a storage solution that fits into your home.

About.com Housekeeping: What’s Hot Now

5 Clutter Busting Questions

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:40:05 +0000

Maybe you have gone through the 4 Container Clutter Method and found that almost everything ended up in the “Keep” box. If every piece of clutter in your home seems necessary for your existence, it may be time to ask yourself honestly some questions about the items you can’t get rid of.

1. When did I last use this item?

If you haven’t used it in the last year, chances are your not going to in the next. Allow yourself to purge old items, interest, hobbies, and unfinished projects to allow room for the really important parts of your life.

2. Am I going to need this item on a specific date in the future?

If your best friend just set her wedding date for a couple of months away, it might be wise to keep your mint in the box punch bowl for future use. But if you are keeping a household full of furniture stacked in the garage for when your 5 year old daughter moves out on her own, it may be time to free up some space. If it doesn’t have a definite date of use, the clutter isn’t worth it.

3. Does this item have a legal or tax purpose?

Paper can be our worst clutter enemy and we often use the excuse of the legal and tax purposes associated with a thirty year collection of receipts. Go through your papers and keep only items that are really needed.

4. How hard would it be to replace this item again someday if I needed it?

If items are priceless emotionally or historically, they may not be the best items to toss. Consider how hard it would be to replace the item and get rid of things that are a dime a dozen.

5. In what way is this item making my life more purposeful or better?

If the items are not making you happier, healthier, or better, they are just taking up space and cluttering up your life. Removing these stacks and boxes of stuff will free up your home and your space.

About.com Housekeeping: What’s Hot Now

Canal House Boxes – the creative way to house your clutter

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 17:33:45 +0000

No matter how big their home, I’ve never met a parent without a toy storage problem. (Unless, of course, the kids have moved out.) So we at BabyG are always keen to find clever and stylish solutions. Voila! Cardboard canal house boxes from Tooko! They’re copious, they’re good looking, they’re eco-friendly! Though the design purist in me prefers them white, the DYIer is imagining all kinds of cool art projects with the kids. Decoupage anyone?

View full post on Babygadget

Canalhouse Boxes – the creative way to house your clutter

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 05:38:26 +0000

No matter how big their home, I’ve never met a parent without a toy storage problem. (IUnless, of course, the kids have moved out.) So we at BabyG are always keen to find clever and stylish solutions. Voila! Cardboard canal house boxes from Tooko! They’re copious, they’re good looking, they’re eco-friendly! Though the design purist in me prefers them white, the DYIer is imagining all kinds of cool art projects with the kids. Decoupage anyone?

View full post on Babygadget

Attic Organization Made Easy

Blessings — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:48:57 +0000

The attic is one of the areas that congregate most of the clutter in the entire household. We always dump our unused items right into the attic, making it a quick solution to clutter. Here are quick and easy tips for de-cluttering your storage attic and save your precious items.

Visit link:
Attic Organization Made Easy

Caring For Your Fireplace Mantel

Blessings — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:40:09 +0000

Once you have invested your time and money into selecting the perfect fireplace mantel, the next important step is knowing how to keep it clean. Fireplace Mantel Cleaning Basics: Ditch the Clutter. One of the first things the experts will tell you to help keep your fireplace mantel clean is to keep it as free of clutter as possible. While it may seem like the perfect place to display all of your family photos and collection of knick-knacks, a tidier mantel is not only easier on the eyes, but it is much easier to clean.

Read this article:
Caring For Your Fireplace Mantel

What is your most smartest cleaning tip?

Blessings — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:26:59 +0000

simplemiss71 asked:

Hi- I am a new stay at home mom. Have a good way to get rid of grime, dust or clear clutter? Please share it in 25 words or more. Best answer wins 10 points thanks