Real Clever Moms

You only need to remember three words when it comes to de-cluttering your home: storage, storage, storage. De-cluttering simply boils down to finding a place for everything, making sure that everything is in its proper place, and getting rid of what you no longer need. It won’t happen overnight, so now is the time to being making a plan of attack.

First, get each bedroom area organized. Take a day to sort through clothes and toys in the kids’ rooms, and either sell, give away or throw away what isn’t needed anymore. Buy, make, or repurpose age-appropriate storage units (like these Natural Storage Bins), label toys, and teach the children to put their own toys and clothes away.

Next, get a laundry basket for each family member and start with the least cluttered room of the house, so you’ll see success more quickly and stay motivated. Put everything that doesn’t belong in that room in the baskets. Next, give each person a deadline to find a home for everything in their basket. Keep a big trash bag nearby for things you know need to be thrown away immediately (junk mail). Do this for each room of the house.

Once everything is in the correct room, evaluate each room and decide what kind of storage is needed to keep things organized. If there is very little clutter left in the room once the personal belongings are gone, then you’ve got less work to do. If the room still looks chaotic, decide whether the items really need to be in that room, relocated, stored or sold/given away. If you use the basket trick daily, going from room to room, it will be easy to stay on top of things.

Different rooms have different storage needs. What works in the family room won’t necessarily work in the kitchen. Take your time and research the options available to you, to find a system that works best for your family.