Easy Steps to a Clutter Free Home

When we first purchased our 30+ year old home in 2005, my husband and I were overly excited to finally have a place that we could not only call our own, but also “make” our own. Our new to us house was our blank slate, but being born a pack rat I was worried that it would turn into just that. We don’t live in a perfectly manicured home 24/7, but we do have organization set in place so it is minimal effort to maintain.

Easy Steps to a Clutter Free Home

Our home wasn’t always this way….remember I said I was a “born pack rat?”  I earned the title plain as day…both of my parents were so it was in my blood.  After being in our home for a year, I quickly learned all about the term “less is more.”  This is our new family motto and it has been a blessing for us.  Since home organization is a process, I have put together some simply ways to bring the “less is more”  motto into your home!

This step by step process will take more than a day or even a week to get everything to a manageable level, but staying organized will be so much easier when the ground work is complete!

Organizing Tips: Easy Steps to a Clutter Free Home

Remove it all & divide into categories

Take everything out of the cabinet, drawer, bookshelf, etc. and divide it all into categories.  You can use boxes or just the pile method, but be sure to have defined spaces for each category.  The categories include: Keep, Throw Away, Donate, and Relocate.

  • Keep – items you want to keep in the space
  • Throw Away – items you don’t need anymore and there is no life left in them to reuse or donate
  • Donate – items that still have life in them that someone else can use
  • Relocate – items that need to be in a different space in your home

After categorizing items, the process will be easier and less cluttered when you put the items in their new found home!

High Traffic Areas

The kitchen and living room are generally the most used space in your home and everything gets dropped on the counter or couch.  Spend a little time weeding through the school papers, clothes, keys, etc. and find a home for everything.

Storage Containers

Purchase containers that match your decor. Use them on shelves for books or on the TV cabinet for remotes and other small gadgets.  Place them under your side tables for mail and magazines when they come so you can easily grab it while your watching TV or relaxing in the evening.  Use larger containers to house toys under the coffee table for the little ones to play with while you are cooking dinner or when they have a play date over.

Label Containers

Label everything!  I recently found these erasable labels by Label Once that are absolutely wonderful!  You can use a permanent marker on them and if you need to use the container for something else, they erase right off so you can relabel them!  Genius…right?  Having labels on all your containers in a newly organized space not only helps you remember where items go, but it can also be used as a teaching tool for kids learning to read!  Win…win! :)

Even though this process may seem daunting and take some time to get everything in order, the reward of knowing that everything has a place to call home is worth all your hard work!

Do you have any other tips to live clutter free in your home? Share them in comments below!

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3 Comments

  1. AussieRemovals says:

    I totally agree with you, it is very important to make zones
    if you want everything in an organized manner. If something is out of sight,
    it’s out of mind. It also makes you less efficient with your time if you have
    to dig something out of your garage, wash it, and then cook with it.

  2. Mel Lockcuff says:

    I’m so trying to get our home organized; it’s really tough, but it must be done. Thanks so much for linking up to Inspire Me Wednesday!

    1. Getting organized is tough work, but well worth it in the end! Keep me updated on your progress and let me know if you need any help…I’m here even if you need support to stay on track! ;)

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