Hoarding is an extremely serious problem and can eventually make the Hoarder reclusive, lonely and often very sick.
If you have ever seen the home of a Hoarder, you soon realize that all the clutter did not appear over a few weeks or months, but more than likely over a period of many years.
If you are going to be able to help a Hoarder get their home ‘back’, then you will have to have plenty of compassion and patience.
I am going to tell you the true story of a hoarder that got me really interested in this subject after watching a TV program. I will call him ‘Peter’ for this article and he is around 50 years old, which is the average age of a hoarder.
The program took place in a really pretty rural village in England. The village residents were mainly a wealthy group, and took pride in their homes and gardens. They were entering a competition for the prettiest village in England. But, they had a major problem.
There was one home that did not come up to their standards. Unfortunately, these residents were not a very compassionate group and the house that Peter owned was an embarrassment for them, and would also mean that they could not win the competition.
Meet Peter, who needed a hand up.
Peter was a hoarder, and not just inside his home, but also in his very large garden. There were huge piles of rubbish all over the garden, and I mean huge, almost spilling into the road. So, did these residents try to help Peter?
What was the village residents’ solution?
No, their agreed committee answer was to put into a kitty and buy some cheap high fencing to screen off Peter’s garden from the competition judges. This was duly done and Peter became even more of a prisoner in his own home, as he just did not realize what he had created.
True story of a hoarder – enter the hero Steve
Now we come to Steve. He also lived in this pretty village, but was not this village’s normal type. He had moved there from East London and was a very down-to-earth type guy. He was a builder, and Peter’s way of life concerned him for all the right reasons!
He started to visit Peter and tried to get Peter to talk to him. Of course, Peter had been ignored by the villagers for many years and didn’t know how to cope with Steve at first, but slowly he started to trust him.
How would our hero get into the “castle?”
Steve couldn’t even see into the house at the front door, as it was literally blocked with rubbish. Piles of newspapers as far as the eye could see! Peter actually had to clamber over a 4 foot wall of paper to make his ways into his home. Inside, it got worse. He had a tunnel through his home to get into a tiny clearing in the middle where he had a chair, a tiny table, and unbelievably, a small gas camper stove. Here, he slept and ate. He was living on boiled eggs and bread every day!
Could the Fire Department help?
The villagers had called the fire department to ask them to visit Peter, as they were realistically concerned about the house catching fire, which was a real possibility. Three firemen arrived and had to follow Peter on his crawl to his living space. They were totally shocked and tried to explain to Peter what a huge fire hazard he had with all the rubbish, but they were finding it extremely hard to comprehend what they were seeing. Steve was around on this day and knew he had to do something to help Peter.
How did our Hero Steve help the hoarder?
He knew it was going to take a huge amount of patience, but he felt that Peter wanted to change but didn’t know how. He learned from Peter that his father had been very domineering, and his mother very doting. His father died first, and then when his mother died, he was left in the home on his own. He was obviously very depressed after the death of his parents and his home became cluttered.
Why did Peter start hoarding?
Then he started thinking of our society as a ‘throw away’ society and he couldn’t bear it. Every time he left his home, he would come back with all sorts of things he had found on his trip: an empty bag, a piece of wood, an article of clothing, in fact, anything that was laying around. As his house filled up with all this rubbish, it overflowed into the garden.
Steve and Peter become friends.
Steve spent hours just talking to Peter, and realized he was a very intelligent, educated and interesting man. Although, looking at him, he looked more like a tramp in old clothes, and unwashed. He started to suggest to Peter that maybe he could help him clear some of the rubbish. They agreed that the garden was a good place to start. Steve found a few more locals that were willing to help, but needless to say, not the committee members.
What was Steve and Peter’s agreement?
He had to initially bargain with Peter that if he cleared some of the rubbish, Peter could choose something to keep. For example, Peter wanted to keep the frame of an old umbrella as he was convinced it could be used some day. Tons of rubbish were moved from the huge garden, and unbelievably 6 vintage cars were found underneath!
The people helping Steve also realized that Peter was an interesting guy, not the idiot they had been told about, and enjoyed sitting in his newly cleared garden for tea and a chat.
Over the next few months, Steve helped Peter to reclaim his home and make it habitable once again. Peter started to eat properly and take a pride in his appearance, now that he had new friends.
How does the story end?
This story had a happy ending due to the compassion and patience of Steve, a remarkable man.
Hoarding is hard for most of us to comprehend, even though we are all guilty of a little cluttering once in a while. But you would be surprised how many hoarders are out there and need help.
Mimi Tanner’s long standing guide on controlling clutter in your home.
Declutter Fast Review
Have you just woken up to your precious free weekend after a long week at work ?
Then on your way to your kitchen, have you been overwhelmed with the amount of clutter laying around your home? Instead of enjoying your free time, you feel you must spend the weekend clearing clutter?
Well, you are not alone; there are too many people feeling exactly the same as you and it’s a shame, as your free time is precious and should not be spent decluttering your home.
Believe it or not, there is real and practical help at hand in the way of Mimi Tanner and her ebook Declutter Fast.
Why did Mimi write her book?
She was writing an email column for women and their relationships, but struggling with her own clutter due to her busy lifestyle. She tried all the remedies in the form of books and articles but realized nothing actually worked for her. This encouraged her to create her own answer to clutter and if you go by the letters from happy customers, then she certainly knows what she is talking about.
Mimi understands that clutter can be caused by many different scenarios: a busy working life, a mother with a family, bad relationship problems, or losing a loved one. Any one of these can lead to letting clutter take over your home. She also understands that you can be unfairly judged by your clutter.
Declutter Fast is exactly that. Mimi shows that a normal level of a cluttered home can be cleared in 1-2 days. You don’t have to throw everything away, you just have to get organized. For more serious cluttering, she makes it clear that you can declutter on your own terms, fast or slow.
Her 71 page decluttering eBook shows you how you can do an emergency declutter, say for when the in-laws are coming for lunch! Because we all know our Mother-in-law’s home is always immaculate!
So how does Mimi approach clutter?
Mimi’s theory is that there are 17 essential types of items that need a place in your home, and almost everything in the world comes under one of these essentials. She doesn’t want you to feel bad about your clutter, only to get on top of it. It’s no fun living in a home where you have to throw things off the bed just to be able to climb in to sleep. Or have to clear the sofa before you can sit down to watch TV.
Clutter affects so many of us in various different ways but Declutter Fast is an extremely sympathetic, practical and easy answer to managing our homes.
How much better to wake up on your free weekend and only have to think about what film you want to watch, or which book to read. Not, “Where do I start in clearing my Clutter?” I enjoyed presenting this Declutter Fast Review.
Click on the link below and soon you have plenty of time to have fun!
For your own sake, this is really important! Thanksgiving and Christmas come around every year, and do you always feel overwhelmed and get into a panic? Are you remembering the chaos and exhaustion of the last few years? Do you limp to the feast table with sore feet and fatigue? Well, you can prepare for many family and friends to join you and still enjoy yourself – as you should! The secret is early preparation, and I am here to give you 6 really practical and easy ideas for organization, so that you are ready and relaxed for your visitors.
6 Tips To Organize For Holiday Time
Start making lists now. It really helps to get all your ideas and needs onto paper; this then unclutters your life and mind. Start one list for shopping, one for guests, one for your menu, and one for what you need to do in the home before the great day! You can add to each list over the next few days if you suddenly remember another important point. As each job is completed, cross it off your list; this not only helps you keep organized, but mentally it is also a boost to see completed jobs. Decluttering your home will make you feel more relaxed.
Do all your shopping as early as you possibly can, just leaving fresh meat, vegetables and fruit until 2 days before.
Have a declutter around your kitchen a couple of days before your main cooking day. It really helps to work in an uncluttered area! Sort out all the main serving and cooking dishes you will need on the feast day and make them easily accessible.
The day before you are entertaining, try and have the children out of the house for the day if possible. Maybe arrange for them to go to grandparents or have a sitter take them to the cinema and pizza. It’s amazing how much more you can do without your little ‘Angels’ demanding your attention.
A great idea to organize for holiday time is to lay the dining table the day or evening before. It takes time to set up a lovely looking dining table and time is too precious on the cooking day. The set table creates the mood, and you will get a good feeling every time you walk past it and envision it full of your guests.
The day before you can prepare anything that will store over night: all your vegetables, salad dressings, fruit salads, in fact, you can bake your cakes and pies on this day, and prepare the stuffing. For all great feast days, the preparation of the food is the longest part. Remember to fill up your salt and pepper; it’s just the sort of frustrating thing to happen if right as you are about to take that first bite, you find them empty.
These are just a few helpful tips on how to organize your meals for Christmas, or any large gathering, and to help you get through the holidays in a more organized and relaxed way. You are part of the celebration, so be sure that you too get to enjoy your time with your family and friends. Happy Holidays!!
Is this your typical morning? You’re late for work, you’ve thrown 3 outfits on the bed that you don’t like, you can’t get into your closet without pulling everything on top of you, and you’re major stressed. If the answer is yes, then you need help getting organized now! I have a few easy steps to make going to your closet in the morning a joy rather than the usual nightmare.
Pick a weekend when you are not busy and dedicate it to organizing closets.
Start by completely emptying your closets of everything. Go through every piece of clothing and decide: Trash, Donate, Sell, or Keep. I have a one year rule and it works really well. If you haven’t worn it for a year, let it go. Obviously there will be a few exceptions, such as ski wear or evening outfits, but only a few! Remember, you are meant to be reducing clutter.
Once you’ve gone through this process, you can see what you really need from what you have left to wear. Now start sorting into seasons, ie: Autumn and Winter, then Spring and Summer.
If closet space is limited, then pack away the two seasons you do not need at the moment. Store them under your bed or other available spaces. There are some great vacuum bags available that once filled, the air is sucked out with the vacuum cleaner. They then pack down to nothing for great storage.
Give your closets a thorough clean inside and out. There is no point putting clothes back into a dusty closet.
Hang your clothes back into your closet with a system that works for you. Maybe all trousers together, skirts together, etc. Another way is to hang outfits in colors. This is a personal choice, so do what works best.
If storage is limited, invest in some baskets for your room. They are great for storing items such as handbags, scarves, hats and even chunky jumpers.
Closet Heaven
I know these few ideas for organizing closets if implemented, will help you. The certainly did help me! Once you reduce clutter and get your closet space under control, it’s so much more fun to be when you open your closet doors and see right away what clothes you have. It also reveals to you what you truly need to buy, saving you from buying randomly and wasting money. So, from now on if you are late for work, at least it won’t be because you couldn’t find the right clothes to wear!!
Usually I’m the person you ask for help when you want to declutter your home, but I’ve never been asked for tips to declutter a boat, until now.
Yacht Shangri-la
I was invited to stay on a friend’s boat for a few days and it was a real eye-opener. It was a motor yacht called Shangri-la and it has a great history. It previously belonged to the movie star Robert Mitchum, but now it belongs to my friend Allen.
It’s a beautiful, classic motor yacht, but it needed a little clutter clearing. It’s his home as well as his boat, so all his belongings are on board. Years and years of accumulation.
Boats are very cleverly designed so that storage is created where ever possible. You lift up a trap door on the floor and you find an empty space! There is storage under every bed and seat, and little cupboards wherever they can be fitted.
It’s okay if you are just using your boat occasionally, but a whole different matter if your boat is your home. I didn’t realize how many people do live on their boats full time!!
Boat organizer tips | Where do you start?
Well, I suggest you take one area at a time.
The Engine Room- Start by throwing away old containers of paint, varnish, etc, that are no longer useable. Put racking on the walls to hold tools. Label boxes and containers to make it easier to find things.
The Lazaret – (small storeroom within the hull at the extreme stern) This is not usually a big space, so store extra ropes and smaller objects that you need to get to easily.
Under the Beds or Bunks, store duvets and blankets. A good tip is to use the vacuum bags ( the ones you suck the air out of with the vacuum). They collapse to paper thin and so take up very little room. They can also be used to store out-of season clothes. In fact, anything that is soft can be flattened.
Be brave and Have a Good Declutter before you pack things away. If you haven’t used it for a year and are not likely to, let it go. I know that’s a slightly different rule for a boat, but I’m sure there are some things you no longer need.
Organize Kitchen Cupboards into different usage. Maximize galley space with a good clearing out of old food, crockery and utensils.
Sort Paper Clutter. Keep what you think is important, but throw away what you no longer need. It takes up unnecessary space.
After helping Allen to declutter Shangri-la and give it back its Hollywood Image, we relaxed with our cocktails on deck. I explained to him that I’d attached labels where ever possible and I gave him a detailed list of what was under each bed. (Shangri-la has real beds!) Now when he needs something he doesn’t have to go searching under all of them. He can go straight to what he needs. I really enjoyed my experience as a boat organizer!
Boats are wonderful to be on and so cleverly designed to create storage. It’s up to you to utilize it to the full and do lots of clutter clearing. Happy Sailing!!!
Organizing kitchen space can be a daunting challenge. They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. Definitely, everyday eating has become a much less formal and dining rooms are often reserved for special occasions. Because of this, kitchens have to be more organized, and look good. Hopefully, I can give you a few ideas how to easily achieve an organized kitchen.
Organizing Kitchen Space
1. Firstly, be brave and throw things out! How many empty containers have you kept and how many of them have you used in the last year? Not many, I bet! Just keep a couple and throw the rest away. They take up too much space. I call this process clutter clearing.
2. If any kitchen gadgets are broken, in fact, if anything is chipped or broken, throw it away.
3. Clear out cupboards a couple at a time and use Trash, Donate or Sell as your guideline. Work your way around your kitchen using this rule. If you have the space, do not put anything back into your cupboards until every one is clear. Then you can see what you have.
4. Give every cupboard a really good clean. After all this effort, you do not want to put anything back into a dirty cupboard!!
5. Take a good look around your kitchen and think of it as different working areas. Put pots and pans near the cooker. If there is little space, then buy a hanging rack to put over the cooker. This is a great kitchen organizer.
6. Arrange your work surface by putting crockery and serving dishes close to where you serve food. What I’m trying to let you see is that you can make the kitchen easier to use and suit your needs.
7. Clutter clear the drawers just as you did in the cupboard clearing. If cooking utensils are taking up a lot of space, put them in a large pot on the countertop beside the cooker, or on a magnetic rail by the cooker.
8. The same system works for all the foods in your kitchen. Place tins together, jars together, etc. There are great storage containers available for rice, pastas, tea, coffee, sugar etc, that you can have on show on your work tops. This frees up cupboard space.
9. Try and keep the work tops uncluttered and clean. It all helps to make the kitchen look more inviting.
Follow these few easy tips to organizing kitchenspace, and soon you will have a great working space along with a place to enjoy meals with your family and friends.
Did you jot that on your list of to-do’s for the day? Are you walking around your home this morning thinking you
Room By Room
really need help to get organized and clear some clutter? Homes get cluttered for many reasons?
Sometimes it’s just because there are lots of people in the home and there is not enough space. It could be you both are working and there is simply not enough time in the day! Occasionally there is a much deeper and more complex reason for a cluttered home.
Grief and Clutter
If you have had a recent bereavement, or another major upheaval in your life, it sometimes can leave you unable to cope with life, let alone the home. This is when it can become extremely cluttered. An plan to organize room by room is low pressure and avoids anxiety about decluttering.
Your energy is finished and you need help to get your home back to a comfortable, relaxing space and clear your clutter. I call it “Life Laundry.” It’s a hard thing to do, but long-term it will definitely help you.
Organize room by room – help for grief and clutter:
Firstly, you have to choose a close friend, or even a couple of close friends to help you organize room decluttering. They must sympathize with you as to why your home has gotten out of hand, but they will also have to be firm with you, so choose wisely.
Select a room to start with. I suggest your bedroom so that you can truly relax at the end of your day. With your friends, start bagging up what shouldn’t be in the room and also anything you do not need or use. My rule is Trash, Recycle, Donate, or Sell.
Do the same with your closet but not only follow the rule, also add the one year rule. If you haven’t worn an item of clothing for a year, then let it go. The only exception to this rule is ski-wear, evening clothes and vintage.
Give the room a really good clean. Wash the curtains and windows. Mayb
Was that your New Year Resolution? You’ve had lots of family visiting over Christmas and the New Year, and your home looks like a tornado has blown through. The Christmas tree has shed its needles, there is dust every where, and LOTS of clutter. What a great start to your New Year! But you can make it a great New Year by taking this opportunity to completely declutter your home.
A few tips on how you can have your clutter free home.
Start in one room, and I suggest the living room. This is where the whole family can relax together and enjoy each others company. First of all, find a large basket and put everything into it that doesn’t belong in that room.
Throw away old newspapers, magazines and any other bits and pieces laying around that are not needed.
If you have CD’s and DVD’s stacked on the floor or tables, get a couple of small baskets to store them. They look great and are really practical.
Give the room a thorough clean and polish, not forgetting to clean the windows and dust the plants.
Put some fresh flowers in the room and light a couple of candles to complete the feel of a newly uncluttered room.
Try to do the same around the rest of the house, taking one room per day, using the same principles.
Treat yourself to an “organize the closet day.”
Use my one year rule: if you have not worn it in a year, then Trash, Donate or Sell.
The only exceptions are sports wear, vintage and evening outfits. We all hold on to much more than we need.
Give your closet a good clean before putting your clothes back.
Treat yourself to new storage if you need it, such as vertical canvas hanging shelves. They are great for T-shirts, scarves and jumpers.
You can also find drawer organizers that are great for your underwear. The key is to organize clothes to suit your lifestyle.
Keep a basket upstairs and downstairs as your end of the day clutter. Just drop things into them and then you can sort them later when you have time. You will possibly never be clutter free forever, but this really helps
I’m a great believer that when you create a clutter free home, you also help to create a clutter free brain. We all have so much to think about every day without being amidst clutter when we need to relax. Once you’ve had a really good declutter, it is much easier to keep your home looking and feeling good. So New Year is over, the family has gone ,it’s time to declutter your home.
Home office chaos is pressing you to ask the question, “How can I organize my work space fast? Have you walked over to your desk to continue a project on a deadline and been unable to even find your keyboard, let alone the needed file? Are there bills and invoices and scraps of paper covering every available surface?
Have you knocked over a half cup of cold coffee whilst trying to find a pen when the telephone rings? Did you miss that really important meeting because you forgot to write the date on a calendar? As you likely answered “yes” to any (and probably all) the above, you need help!!! So let’s get started to declutter your work space.
I need a plan to Organize my work space.
1) First create space around your work desk. Take out anything you do not use or need. Straight away it will feel better.
2) Completely clear your desk onto the floor or another table. Shred or throw away any papers that do not need to be kept. Invest in a few new file holders for your drawers, along with organizers for pens, paperclips, staplers, etc.
3) See if you can fit extra drawers or shelves near your desk. All of us can use extra storage. If your work requires lots of books, then it is definitely worth investing in book shelves. They can be free standing or fixed to the wall and can double up to store other items necessary to your work. Label everything you can, from drawers to files, so that you can easily find anything you are looking for.
4) Hang a magnetic erasable white board or a bulletin board for every day use (remember to periodically remove information no longer required).
5) Hang a large calendar on the wall that also allows you to add notes.
6) Clean your desk and drawers thoroughly, then put things back with a system that works for you.
7) Tidy up cables with a cable cover
8) Place a good sized rubbish bin by the desk and use it!!!!
It’s so important to have a clean, organized home office space if you want to maximize your productivity. This unclutters your mind so that you can save your focus for your more important tasks. And, if you have people working for you, or even if you work at home around your children, you will teach them the organization you want them to practice by setting your good example! They might even ask you, “Help me organize my work space!”
Do you look into your closet with despair? You can’t find what to wear without having to first pull out half the closet? Well then, it’s time to Organize Closet clutter.
Follow these fast and easy tips and in a short time you will have all your clothes and accessories neatly arranged, and you will be able to dress and leave quickly. No more panicky searches for what to wear!
Help! I need a plan!
Clutter clearing can be overwhelming, but if you have a plan and go at it methodically, you will get order back in your life.
The first step is to have a major sort out. A good rule to follow is, if you haven’t worn it for a year, then let it go!! Obviously there are a few exceptions, such as formal wear and ski-clothes, and maybe a couple of vintage items. Otherwise, donate it or throw it away.
So, now you have ended up with piles of the clothes that you want to keep. Sort them into what can be hung up, and what can be stored folded.
Before you put anything back into the closet, give it a really good cleaning. There is no point doing all this work and then putting clothes back a dirty closet.
Buy some dual hangars that will take more than one skirt or pair of trousers. These really save space.
There are hanging canvas racks that can be fixed on to the hanging rail. These are great for jumpers, t-shirts or scarves.
Fix small racks or hooks on to the back of the closet door for belts.
If you have enough height within your closet, maybe add a second hanging rod. ( i.e. one above the other).
If you still need extra storage, invest in some covered baskets, as these are great to store items such as handbags They look nice in your bedroom and come in a choice of all shapes and sizes. You can lay a colorful throw across a large basket and it will complement your room decor.
Amazon is a really good place to find many of the items you need to Organize Closet Clutter. They are experts in this field.
Organizing your closet makes it a pleasure to select what you want to wear. It shows you quickly what is missing from your daily wear, so you do not end up buying unnecessary items of clothing or duplications.
Follow these tips and you will have a great organized closet. Not only that, you will feel much more relaxed when you are selecting something to wear. It will be like having your own personal boutique open day and night!
Do you have a spare room in your house that has just become a dumping site for anything and everything? It’s a very easy habit to get into. When you have something to store but it doesn’t have an obvious place, you think… into the spare room it goes!! This article shows you how to organize spare room space fast.
How would use your spare room space?
Did you at one time imagine your spare room to:
double up for the unexpected guest
become an office
or a room to sew?
Well, if anything I have mentioned rings true, then let me help you declutter and organize that room.
Firstly, decide how you want to use the room
if you can, do a small sketch to see if it works.
If you want guests to be able to stay in there, then invest in a sofa bed. This can be pulled out to sleep on but also used as a sofa.
You will also then be able to fit a desk or work table into the room.
Once you have planned the room, then it’s time to clear it.
Follow the three magic words:
Donate,
Dump,
Sell.
If you do follow this 3 magic word plan, then you will clear everything you do not need.
Once everything is cleared out, then give the room a really good clean (don’t forget the windows). If the room needs it, give it a coat of paint to freshen it up or give it a new look. Now you are looking at a clean empty room. How wonderful is that!!!
Create storage with shelving or cupboards so that the room can still be used to store those ‘cannot be thrown away items.’ Then put the room back together to suit your needs. Now you have a room to share, or call your own. Do not allow it to fall back into the ‘dumping room.’
A good tip is to place a large basket on the ground floor of your home. When you are clearing clutter from around your home, put it in the basket. You can then sort it at your leisure and decide whether to keep it or not. I bet you don’t!!
A clutter free home gives you a clutter free mind. It is so much more relaxing to walk around your home and not see clutter. So, don’t walk past the ‘dumping room’ anymore. Get started today and take your wasted spare room space back, as a real part of your home.
Click on the link below to get your home in order the easiest possible way!
I am an interior designer. and going into other peoples homes over the years has been quite a revelation. Often what I see is too much clutter in your home. Sometimes it is quite a straight forward job to create a nice living place. But often I have to create order before I can start designing.
It has made me really interested in why people compulsively clutter or hoard. For some homes, it is just the number of adults and children sharing the space and not enough help to stay on top of the clutter. With a little organization, this is easy to remedy.
But, in other homes, it is a much deeper problem. The reasons may be that they were deprived earlier in their lives, or have suffered a bereavement. They cannot bear to throw anything away, and I mean anything!!!!
Spare rooms have been turned into dumping/storage grounds for newspapers, magazines, empty boxes, old clothes, old paper work etc. When the spare room is full, it overflows all around the home.
Living in this sort of mess is not only unpleasant, it also affects your brain. You become stressed and cannot relax. This then affects your daily life. When you are reading this, is it making you think of yourself? If the answer is Yes, then I really want to help you.
Too much clutter can be cured!
I call it Life Laundry!! If your home is truly out of control, then you have to take back control. Firstly, be brave enough to choose one of your closest friends and ask them to help you – a friend who understands why your home is cluttered. It is much too big a task for you to handle on your own.
Also, you ‘will’ have problems throwing things away. Your friend must be strong for you. I wish I could be there to do it with you, but at least you know I understand and sympathize with your problem.
Okay, lets start to get your life back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Weather permitting, clear as much clutter as you can from the house into your yard. This not only helps you move around your home, it also shows you how much clutter you have accumulated. Then, with your friend, start bagging it all up as:
*Rubbish
*Donate
*Recycle
*Keep.
*Sell
Do exactly the same process with all your clothes. If you haven’t worn it for a year, then get rid of it!. If it doesn’t fit, get rid of it! No one wants to be reminded they have changed shape or size!!
Explain to your friend that they will sometimes have to be tough with you to make you let things go. (let them read this article before starting) When everything is sorted, then go back into the house and give it all a really good clean. Maybe even decorate a couple of the rooms to give them a new feel. Invest in different forms of storage to meet your requirements, i.e. baskets, and lidded containers.
You do not have to say goodbye to memories; just do not keep too many of the same. If you have had a bereavement, then create a memory box and only put the really precious items inside. Living in too much clutter will only prolong your healing. When you save those few treasures, then that person will know you loved and cared for them!!
If you have had a really deprived earlier life, then realise through the clutter, that you don’t any longer, and will never go back to those times.
This will a very hard and emotional process, but, once your home feels like a normal home again, you will feel so much happier and relaxed. You will have released yourself from the burdens of too much clutter in your home.
If you have made some money from a yard sale, then take your wonderful friend who helped you through this for a girlie day. Hair, feet and nails followed by dinner and a good bottle of wine. You both deserve it!! Curing your home and your life of too much clutter is exhausting physically and emotionally, but so worth it.
Did you go to your closet this morning, only to confront for the hundredth time a total lack of closet organizing?
Did you have to fight through the clutter to find what you needed to wear?
Did items of clothing fall to the bottom of the closet, or worse, onto your head while you were searching? Well, join the many others who have done exactly the same thing this morning.
But, that is not how it’s going to be tomorrow or next week. Once you read this article, organizing closets will be easy with a good plan to follow, and once you have completed it, no more chaos!! Restoring order to your closets is a quick way to declutter your home.
Follow this simple plan for closet organizing, and clutter clearing
1) Take everything out of your closet and put into groups, ie, all shirts, all pants, all skirts, shoes, etc., together.
2) Give your closet a thorough cleaning inside. There is no point putting clothes back into a dirty closet.
3) Try out the One Year Rule. If you haven’t worn it for one year, then let it go to Trash, Donations, or Sell. There are a few exceptions to this rule such as Ski Wear and Evening Wear, but it is a great rule.
4) If possible, store clothes out of season (this means summer clothes in winter) somewhere else. For example, in your bed frame if it has storage drawers, or under your bed in closed boxes.
5) Invest in a few large baskets to organize room space. They look great, and are really useful to store items such as handbags, scarves and hats. Look around for stacking baskets, as they take up less room.
6) There are clear shoe boxes on the market which are great, but if you are anything like me, you’d have to take out a second mortgage to buy the number needed. Use shoe boxes for special shoes, and store the rest of your shoes on racks at the bottom of the closet.
7) Belts can be hung on the backs of the closet doors.
8) Buy some drawer organizers. They work really well for underwear, tights, and socks.
9) Hang clothes back in your closet with a system that suits your lifestyle.
Now with these few tips, you will be able to spend a productive and powerful day closet organizing. Afterwards, you will no longer wake up with that feeling of dread of the struggle to find something to wear!! With a little daily attention, you can avoid your closet becoming a no man’s land again, and save yourself time and frustration, as you start your day in a happier mood.
Kitchen Organizer skills reduce stress and add free time.
Kitchen Organizer Tips
I don’t know about you, but in my family, we spend a lot of time in our kitchen. It’s a place to eat as a family and with friends.
We still use formal dining rooms but the kitchen is a more relaxed place to be. Because of this change, we want our kitchens not only to be functional but also to feel relaxed and uncluttered.
Tips to find the Right Kitchen Organizer for you
1. Have a day when you go through every cupboard and drawer. Sort out what you want to keep and what you have been keeping for ‘Just in Case!!’ You know what I mean, empty ice-cream cartons, jars etc.
2. Take a good look at your kitchen and think about if everything is in the right place to be useful. Could you benefit from a hanging rack over the cooker to hold pots and pans? Or a rail running along the wall to hold herbs and spices and cooking utensils.
3. A butchers block is a great idea if you have room. It becomes a work station without taking up any work top space. Also, they have built in storage systems underneath that is also useful.
4. Do you have a corner cupboard that is hard to access? Then try out one of the swing round metal racks. Fix it into the cupboard and fill it. It will swing right round out of the cupboard to enable you to access right into the corner. Brilliant idea!
5. There are many good storage ideas such as the pull-out drawer racks. They look like a cupboard from the front, but when you open them, they are a set of racks. Great for jars and tins.
6. Try and keep work surfaces as clear as possible. Find yourself some nice matching storage canisters for Tea, Coffee and Sugar. These are practical but also look nice.
Follow any of these tips and soon you will become a brilliant Kitchen Organizer in a way that fits your needs and removes stress from your daily chores. It will also be a welcoming place to share with your family and friends.
Declutter Your Home and restore sanity to your life!
Declutter Your Home
Do you walk down your stairs in the morning to have that much needed cup of coffee, and think “Did World War 3 come last night?” It didn’t seem that long ago that your home looked relatively okay.
Where did all the clutter come from? It doesn’t all appear at once. It builds up over a period of time. But what happens, is that you do not really see it anymore.
Then one day, something triggers you to really look. It could be you have made a visit to a friend’s home and come away realizing how uncluttered and calm their home felt. Or maybe, a friend has visited you and struggled to find somewhere to sit, or made a comment on the mess. Either way, it’s a trigger to declutter your home.
So, where do you start? It can be quite a daunting prospect! I think the best way to begin the process to declutter your home is to take one room at a time. That way, when it is finished, you have something to compare it with, and you have made real headway.
Okay, so you are standing in the doorway, to let’s say, your bedroom. Your restful haven, or it should be! Your place to escape for a good nights rest, or to take half an hour to read a book. But is it so chaotic you can’t find peace there?
How to declutter your home fast! Start with your closet.
Empty it all out onto your bed and then give your closet a good clean.
Then sort through your clothes and only keep what fits and is still in good condition.
Hang these items back in your closet and donate or throw the rest.
Put some shoe racks in the bottom for your favourite shoes.
There are some great storage ideas available for closets, such as drop down canvas shelving that attach to your hanger rail. These will hold clothing such as jumpers, t-shirts and scarves. (i.e. any smaller items)
If you have room, buy some baskets to use as storage. Maybe a larger one for handbags (especially if you are like me, and love handbags ).
Stacking baskets are great for all those odds and ends you want to keep, but do not use so often.
Once you have done all of this, really clean, dust and polish the room.
Add a bowl of fresh lavender, and hey, Presto! A beautiful, restful, uncluttered room!
Now, wasn’t that a sense of achievement?
Order Returns
Slowly work your way around the rest of the home, using the same principles. Once you have the house under control, explain to the family you do not want to fall back into being cluttered. Ask them to clear up after themselves. This is also good training for children, for when they leave home and have homes of their own.
If you can, choose one day of the week as your ‘Declutter Your Home Day.’ Use that day to collect discarded newspapers, magazines, toys, bits of clothing etc. This way, it stops the clutter building up again.
Another good idea is to have a ‘Clutter Basket’ on each floor of the house. Drop things in as you find them and leave the baskets to be sorted when you have time.
I truly believe that a cluttered home creates a cluttered mind. Life is hard enough without living in a cluttered home. So, lets get started to “Clear Your Clutter.”
I am sure if you look in a vast majority of people’s garages, you will see no car!!!
Just a mess of junk and equipment – everything that is not being used, or too big to be stored in the house, but they feel they must keep. We have all been guilty of that, I’m sure.
Do you want a clean and organized garage? To be able to keep your car there? If you do, then follow my tips.
It can seem overwhelming, and you may not know where to even start. But just get started, and begin with a plan for how you will work your way through the chaos to declutter this neglected but so useful space.
Step by step plan for your new organized garage:
Start by throwing out anything you really do not need, or will not use again: half-used tins of paint, broken toys, old furniture.
Declutter your home, then hold a yard sale to sell off bits you do not want, then use this money for your garage.
After this initial clean up, take everything else out.
Give the garage a really good clean; hoover, wash and maybe even paint the walls.
Another good idea is to seal the floor, as this makes it easy to keep clean and oil-free.
Decide what is going back into the garage and how you want to store it.
Use wall space by creating shelving and peg boards.
You can also use the ceiling to store items such as windsurfers, and fishing equipment.
Bicycle racks are a great way to keep your bicycles easily accessible, and from from falling over.
Use baskets or lidded plastic stacking boxes for the smaller items. You may have to invest a little money in the storage, but it is worth it!
Now’s the fun part. You have a clean garage, so you are ready to create an organized garage.
Fix any shelving and racking, then start deciding where you are going to put things.
Items you do not use very often, you need to store at the rear of the garage, and those you use regularly, keep handy.
Create a labeling system that works for all the family, so that any one of you can find what you need, and more importantly, put it away again!
And an essential part of creating an Organized Garage is to use wall space to hang and organize tools.
Last, but not least, get everyone in the family to respect the hard work and organization it has taken to create a clean and organized garage.
No more just dumping things inside the door.
Things taken out must be put back in their rightful place.
You do not want to be doing the same job 6 months later!
Now you have somewhere to keep your car safe and protect it from all weathers. And better, everything has its own place, and is easy to find. Enjoy!
Have you ever stood in the middle of your living room and thought, ‘My Lord, this room is a mess!’ I am sure you have, as in fact, I am sure we all have at some time. Maybe for some of us it is only after the night before with friends.
But, with lots of us, especially those with small children, it could be every day.
Piles of magazines, newspapers, CDs, remote controls, the children’s toys and odd bits of clothing. Am I describing what faced you after breakfast today?
If so, follow my tips and they will help you in clearing the clutter.
1. If possible, send the children to grandparents or friends for the day. You will accomplish so much more if you do not have to think about the little “angels.”
2. Label some boxes or bags and start filling them with rubbish, recycle, or give away.
3. Create some simple storage solutions for items such as newspapers, magazines, CDs, DVDs and remote controls (they always go missing just when you need them). Baskets are a great way to store any of the above and they look great either on shelves or stacked.
4. Put a large basket in the corner of the room by the door. This is an ‘End Of Day Basket.’ When the children have gone to bed, just collect up all their bits and pieces that have been left laying around during the day. That way, you can sort it all out the next morning. This way you start your new day in a clutter free home.
5. Once you have the room clutter free, give the room a really good clean. Hoover, mop, polish, and do not forget to clean the windows. If you have time, rinse the net curtains to give the room a really fresh, clean feel.
6. Light a scented candle or use a room spray to finish the effect.
7. Finally, make yourself a cup of coffee and sit in your newly clutterfreeroom and enjoy!!!!!!!
Once you have de-cluttered one room you will want to start on the other rooms in the house.
It is really important to create an uncluttered environment to live in. Who can relax in a cluttered room? The answer is no one, even if they do not realize it. Clutter creates stress. By clearing the clutter, you can clear the brain.
We are told our homes speak volumes about the people who live there. It’s an interesting thought, and I think, often true. An organized home usually shows an organized mind. A cluttered home can show a disorganized person.
But I know being disorganized can just mean a very busy life style – juggling a job , and a family, and not enough time in the day. You may have been meaning to declutter your home for some time now, but just feel overwhelmed about how to get it started.
Which type of home do you feel relaxed in when visiting friends and family? One where you can just sit down and have a nice visit, or one where you have to move newspapers or toys to find a seat?
If you need some ideas because you do not know where to start, then keep on reading for some helpful tips.
Tips to declutter your home
First, start by walking around your home with a notepad. Put down a heading for each room, listing anything you think needs to sorted. I find writing things down is halfway to finishing them. It clears your brain and it’s great to tick off the tasks when you have completed them.,Work from the top floor down. That way, after a busy day, you can relax when you go to bed.
Start with your bedroom. Empty your closet and only put back anything that you wear regularly and fits. Everything else, bag up as trash or charity. There is a good rule; if you haven’t worn it for a year, then let it go. Obviously there will be a few exceptions, but it’s a good place to start.
If you are short of storage, then invest in a few baskets. There is such a good choice of shapes and colours, along with stacking ability. Use them to store coats, bags, shoes or spare bedding. Next, give the room a real spring cleaning. Vacuum, mop, polish, and don’t forget to clean the windows. When you have finished, put a bowl of fresh lavender in the room. This not only smells wonderful, it is also very relaxing and helps you sleep.
The next room is the bathroom. Again, take a trash bag and be mercenary. Throw away all those half opened containers that haven’t been used for months. Give everywhere a really good wash down. Change the shower curtain if it is looking grubby. Pick up some new towels that match, not much if you shop the discount stores or sales. Again, baskets are a great way to store toiletries, toilet rolls or towels.
Next, welcome to the children’s room.Chaos reigns! There are so many great storage ideas available for children. Check out the discount and specialty stores. If the containers are fun, the children are more likely to use them.
Just use this same system in each area around your home and soon you will have decluttered. Don’t be daunted! Pace yourself to doing a room over a couple of days or longer. It’s not a race. Cross tasks of your list, it makes you feel good.
Slowly, your home will take shape, and, you and your family will feel much more relaxed. Once your home is how you want it, then pick a day for a ‘Declutter your home Day’ and use that day to check out each room and keep it under control. This really works!!!
Hi, my name is Jo Tempest. I am an avid believer that a “Clutterfree Home” creates a calmer life for all who live there. Over the years, I have helped many people clear their clutter. Now I am able to pass on all my ideas and help other people deClutter not only their homes, but also their lives. I hail from England, but I am well-traveled, and I find that people all over the world face the same challenges. I happily share all my advice and ideas here on my blog
Was that your New Year Resolution? You’ve had lots of family visiting over Christmas and the New Year, and your home looks like a tornado has blown through. The Christmas tree has shed its needles, there is dust every where, and LOTS of clutter. What a great start to your New Year! But you can make it a great New Year by taking this opportunity to completely declutter your home.
. They are experts in this field.
is to use wall space to hang and organize tools.
