Declutter on the Cheap

BY MARCI LAEHR TENUTA

Monday, February 26, 2007 1:16 PM CST

The Journal Times

Don't believe the hype. You do not have to pay a fortune for a professional organizer or a truckload of color-coded storage bins to declutter your house.

What you do need is a little gumption, some time and a plan. Elbow grease and the dollar store can help you do what some would have you believe is impossible: You can declutter your house on the cheap.

Here are 10 steps to help you get rid of the extra stuff in your house you don't really need:

1) Make a plan

Literally sit and write down what needs to be done, advises the Web site http://thefamilyplanner.com. List the rooms you want clean and the specific tasks it will take to accomplish that. Prioritize the rooms and tackle the toughest first. (This will motivate you to do the rest.) Schedule the time, whether it be an hour or three hours, to do the decluttering. Finally, set the date. Don't procrastinate!

2) Get busy

Here are a few tips on how to declutter the worst areas of a house from http://www.lifeorganizers.com

n Go through all your kitchen cupboards one at a time and determine what can be thrown out.

n Go through the bedroom closets. If you haven't worn it in a year, get rid of it.

n Check over your bookcases. If you don't plan on reading it, take it off the shelf. Sort through papers, magazines, knick-knacks and anything else that fills up your bookcases.

n If you have children, go through their clothes, toys, video games, etc. Separate the things they are still wearing and using from the stuff that no longer fits or that they are no longer interested in.

n The bathroom can be a clutter catch-all for expired medicines, old shampoo bottles and lotions that have gone bad. Go through the vanity and medicine cabinet. Toss the stuff that can't or shouldn't be used.

n How many towels are in your linen closet? If the shelves are overflowing, go through and take out the worn, discolored or stained towels and sheets.

n Get under your bed, and take a vacuum and dust rag with you. Clean out any junk you really don't want or need.

3) Spring clean as you go

As you start to purge your cabinets, closets and shelves of unwanted clutter, make sure to give them all a good wipe down. Dust the bookshelves. Clean crumbs from the kitchen cabinets and lay new paper. An uncluttered storage space that is clean and smells good will help motivate you to keep it that way.

4) Dollar store storage

Collections of CDs, magazines, art supplies and bath products don't have to be thrown away during your decluttering - if you use them. And you don't have to buy expensive woven baskets or wooden storage cubes to hold them. Many dollar stores sell plastic tubs, storage crates, small bins and the like. Use them to organize the craft supplies, cold medications and Matchbox cars.

5) Control your paper

According to the Web site http://www.flylady.com, paper can be one of the biggest clutter creators. The site lists these suggests to control the amount of paper you let pile up.

n Go through the mail as soon as you bring it in the house.

n Only open it with your calendar and garbage can at your side. (This cuts down on handling it twice.)

n Have one place for bills and put them there. Have a day for paying them and stick to it.

n Reconcile your bank statement the day you get it.

n Put sale papers, advertisements and catalogs by your chair, so you can look at them when you deserve a break. But don't let them pile up. Look at them the next time you sit down and have your scissors, grocery list, and garbage can handy.

6) Donate stuff you don't need

One of the biggest excuses for keeping old stuff you don't use anymore around is, "It's perfectly good." But you don't use it, so pass it on to someone who might. Clothes, small kitchen appliances, children's coloring books, bed linens, picture frames, movies and toys can all be donated to a variety of organizations in town. The St. Vincent De Paul Society will even come and pick your donations up. They can be reached at (262) 633-6468. Other organizations that accept donations include Goodwill Industries, HALO, the Women's Resource Center, Bethany Apartments and The Salvation Army.

7) Throw stuff out

There are, of course, some things you will find during your decluttering efforts that no one else will want: like that crusty, half-empty bottle of hand lotion. Get a box of heavy duty garbage bags and start purging.

8) Everything in its place

Once you have gotten rid of the things you don't want, you should now have more room for the things you do. Give everything a place. In the pantry, put cereal on one shelf, canned soup on another. Have your children help you organize their toys into specific plastic crates and storage bins.

9) Don't buy unnecessary stuff

Once you have your house decluttered, you might think it couldn't get disorganized again. It can. One of the best ways to keep it clutter-free is to stop yourself from buying more magazines you won't read, more kitchen gadgets you won't use and more knick-knacks to crowd your bookshelves. This doesn't mean you can't buy anything, just make sure the things you purchase are items you will actually use.

10) Do it again in a year

If life were perfect, your home would stay organized and clutter-free forever. However, that is sadly not the case. Things will probably not always get put back in their place. Paper will probably pile up on kitchen counters. Little toys will probably make their way into end table drawers. Unworn clothes will most likely begin to crowd your closet again. Instead of denying it, make decluttering your home an annual or semi-annual ritual.

Special Offer: Get 5 Weeks of the Journal Times for $7!