How to Declutter & Organize. The Harsh Truth.

I’m sooo not a hoarder. I think there could be a good chance that I would be a packrat, if we lived in the same house for years. Or had plans to.

But… we tend to move at least every couple of years, and the clutter… just doesn’t happen, because I don’t allow it to. So after years of decluttering, I wanted to share my decluttering tips with you.

How to Declutter & Organize:

1. Start with one room.

If that’s too overwhelming for you, start with one small space. I’ll admit, I usually have to start with a small space, and expand from there, because I will never start… if it’s overwhelming.

2. Let go.

People crack me up. We tend to hang on to things because we are emotionally attached, or we think it has sentimental value. Now don’t get me wrong, I hang on to things like, my babies first outfits… yearbooks from High School… etc. But that birthday card from your grandma on your 8th birthday that just says,

love, grandma

Toss it… would ya?

My all-time favorite greeting card. Now if you get this one… keep it. That’s just freaking funny.

3. Sort it NOW.

I once had a friend ask me why I don’t have “that pile,” of stuff sitting on my kitchen counter like she does at her house. I giggled, because I knew exactly what “pile,” she was referring to, that we all have. Well, I told her I didn’t have one of those piles, but not to worry… because I had a junk drawer that could scare a monster. But my rule of thumb to avoid that dreaded mail pile, is “Sort it now!” When I get the mail out of the mailbox, I throw the junk mail in the trash, and put the necessity mail in the designated basket on my desk. So even though the bills “pile up,” {since I don’t pay them immediately, every day} they still look organized.

4. Scan it in.

I’ve signed up for paperless billing, estatements, and whatever option I have when it comes to hard copied mail/receipts/etc. But let’s face it… some people & companies are still stuck in the 80’s, and want to do everything with paper. So when you get that hard copy statement in the mail next time, scan it in, and toss the paper! No more paper clutter.

Here are my favorite tools to achieve a paperless home:

Neat Scanner– They can scan in receipts, business cards, whole sheets of paper. Choose from portable scanner or desk. They’re MADE for organization.

Dropbox – This is an online storage system that has been a life saver! We’ve used this in my husbands company, and I even use it personally. I back up all of my photos to it, and everything else that I want to access anywhere, or store, in case my computer crashes. Go for the pro version. Yeah, it costs money, but what’s really annoying is when you have the free version, and it tell’s you, you’re out of storage when you’re trying to upload those pictures that you just snapped.

5. Designate a “Spot.”

If you read my post on “Secrets to a Guest Ready House in Minutes,” then you may be familiar with this little trick of mine.

Although I don’t encourage clutter, or a “catch-all,” sometimes we have “stuff,” that doesn’t have a home yet, and we don’t have time to make it a home just yet. You know? So my way of keeping it under control, is by designating a spot, and making sure it looks “cute.” (See the next tip to see what I recommend for cute.) Designate a spot for it, and when needed at the last minute, you can easily find those loose little toys that are constantly laying around, and those “things,” that tend to clutter up your house. Plus, the cutie-patootie bin that you’ve designated will just look like regular ole decor, sitting in your home. That “junk,” will never be noticed.

6. Buy Organizational Items.

I’m just going to say it. When I buy fun & cute things to organize with, I actually declutter and organize. (Bins/Baskets/Totes/etc.) Everybody is always out to save money, and I get that. But you didn’t click on this post to find out how to save money. You clicked on this post, to find out how to declutter. Am I right? It’s kind of like how we like to buy workout clothes, so we will exercise. 😉 My all-time favorite place to buy organizational items is The Container Store. They know how to make organizing fun & cute. For a money-saving tip though, if that’s more your style, you may get lucky and find small organizing bins/baskets from the Dollar Spot isle at Target.

Photo Credit: The Container Store

7. Enlist in Help.

When my husband and I are determined to clear the clutter, we know that it more than likely won’t get done unless we get some help. This could be your best friend {make it a girls night with wine and pizza. Just make sure you start decluttering and organizing immediately, or if you have too much wine, you may not get anything done. 😉 ) It could be a family member looking for some extra cash may be interested! This could be a good decision especially if you’re organizing personal paperwork, and you don’t want a stranger seeing your business. You can also hire a professional “cleaner.” This could be a house cleaner that your friend uses, a professional organizer, etc. Yes! There are really people out there that professionally organize for a living! No matter who it is, enlisting in help can give you the “drive,” to get the clutter conquered. (Especially if you’re paying someone. You’ll want to get as much clutter cleared while that person is there!)

Oh yes, the dreaded Saturday morning cleaning/organizing/decluttering task. This is my real kitchen, in just that… reality.

Now, if you want to see the “pretty,” unreal, version, check out my home tour, where I took photos of all of the rooms, that stayed clean for about 2 minutes:

My Home Tour