Let’s face fact here, people: the majority of the time we spend cleaning the house is tidying and organizing clutter that has just gotten out of hand. Sure, you’re vacuuming and dusting, but that doesn’t take too long in the grand scheme of cleaning – it’s the organizing of the constant clutter that takes a mind-numbing 45 minutes to get done. Your best bet? Keep clutter constantly in line so that when it comes time to bust out the big guns of the cleaning world, you’re free to clean your organized space. Unsure where to start? Try these five tips to keep your home clutter-free.

As much as we all hate to hear it, you HAVE to clean clutter before you can actually clean the house; that clutter will just get in the way of the actual cleaning process.

You know what makes that easier? Spoiler alert: the answer isn’t, “never clean my home again?”. The answer is to keep clutter in check.

How to keep clutter organized 24/7 is easier than you’d think, especially with these five tips to help you get started!

1. Magazines

Sure, they look harmless and small, but magazines can really add up. You eventually get this stack of Entertainment Weekly that you REALLY want to read, you just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Say hello to clutter, my friends.

Try scheduling a time that you’ll actually read said magazine, like over breakfast or on your lunch break. Then, to avoid the magazines hanging around, clip out anything you like.

For instance, I clip out fashion pieces I’d like to purchase and keep them on a bulletin board or in a binder. Whatever works for you to get those magazines recycled or given away ASAP.

2. Your Closet

The dreaded closet. Truthfully, the average person only wears about 20% of the clothes hanging in their closet, and yet the clutter just builds and builds.

So how do you keep your clothes organized and keep what you ACTUALLY wear at the forefront of your closet?

Simple. Start by turning all the hangers in your closet so the hook is facing out. Then, as you wearing different garments, hang them back up with the hook facing the wall. Gradually, you’ll start to see what you wear and don’t wear for each season.

3. Donations

If you’re trying to permanately get rid of clutter, unless it’s broken or damaged, you should be donating it somewhere. Throwing out perfectly good shoes or towels is just a shame when so many people need those household essentials and don’t have them.

Melissa’s tip? Keep two “donation buckets” in a somewhat hidden place, like the laundry room. One bucket is for things that are definitely going to get donated, and the other is for things you’re not sure if you want to donate or not. You can always take things out of that second bucket if you change your mind, but at least it has a home.

4. Mail

Few things build up with a vengeance like mail does. Whether it’s crucial mail or junk mail, it tends to turn into clutter.

Try a system with boxes. Have one box for important pieces of mail that need to be looked at and filed ASAP. Have a recycling bin where junk mail will go to be recycled. Finally, a third box for keeping any fliers or coupons, if you like to keep those kinds of things.

5. Kitchen Drawers

The trick to seeing if a kitchen is really clean is looking in the drawers. Utensil drawers, for instance, tend to be SUPER messy.

Melissa tried a brilliant trick in which she took everything out of her utensil drawer and put it in a bucket for 30 days. In those days, she would take something out, use it, clean it, and then put it in the utensil drawer. Whatever was left behind she went through and ultimately (besides a few specialty things) got rid of.

 

What do you think of these de-cluttering tips? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.