Clutter can start to build up in most peoples’ homes from time to time, and it can quickly start to make the space feel smaller and less relaxing. You want your home to be a place you can unwind at the end of the day, and when it’s full of clutter, it can feel more like a reminder of endless to-dos. While you might need one afternoon of sorting through the clutter that’s already collected, one of the best things homeowners can do to achieve a more organized and peaceful home is to set up strategies to prevent clutter from accumulating in the first place. Here are a few of our favorite tips:

Assess

First things first, it’s important to know where the majority of your clutter is coming from. Are stacks of mail and paperwork piling up on your at-home desk? Maybe it’s things your children leave around the house? Perhaps you have a collection of things you might use someday, but rarely do. Whatever the case, getting an idea of your main sources of clutter can help you get to the root of the problem.

Give Essentials a Home

Clutter is often a mix of things we need and things we don’t. This can be particularly frustrating when those things we need are tough to find. This is why giving your essentials a home is a great first step. Separate out those things that you actually use on a regular basis from the rest of the clutter. Maybe it’s installing a hook for your keys or bringing in a little basket to hold the mail items you need to respond to in some way. By giving these types of things a specific home, they stop contributing to the clutter.

Question Each Item

To work through the clutter that’s already accumulated, it’s essential to question each item. Rather than focusing on getting the clutter out of sight, it’s important to look at it as individual items. As you work through it, ask yourself, ‘when was the last time I used this?’. When you get in the habit of asking this kind of question, you’ll get in the habit of getting rid of things before they turn into clutter.

One In, One Out

Another habit you can create to fight clutter is to let something go each time you bring something in. If you get a new item of clothing, maybe there’s one you haven’t worn in years you can donate. If you buy a new kitchen gadget, perhaps there are few that serve a similar function you can part with. While it might not always be a one-for-one trade off, getting into this habit of letting things go as you bring new things in can help prevent things from accumulating.

 

How do you deal with clutter in your home? Is it a constant battle or do you have some systems in place that keep things organized? I’d love to hear your thoughts!