Top Tips to Cut Home Clutter

• Look for the hot spots – Where is the clutter piling up? Are games, books, magazines and craft supplies being left out in the open? Are dishes and cereal boxes piling up in the kitchen? Who needs a reminder to clean up after themselves?
• Dump the duplicates – Do you really need two non-stick spatulas? Six hairbrushes or 15 unmatched coffee mugs? Tossing the duplicates is one of the easiest ways to de-clutter – and remember to toss out the old whenever you bring in the new.
• Add clutter control solutions – Add additional shelving to bedrooms, family rooms, and laundry areas to get books, hobby materials and other supplies off desktops and floors. Buy a few stackable clear plastic storage boxes. Strategically placed, they can hold bill-paying and stationery supplies, hobby materials, toys and games and more. In the kitchen, bathroom and linen closet, use drawer dividers, baskets and pantry turntables to organize kitchen gadgets and spices, hold incoming mail and brochures, and get soaps and shampoos and hair décor off the counter.
• Schedule cleanups – Assign each family member a living area (besides their own bedrooms!) and a day of the week to de-clutter it: get scattered supplies into bins and baskets, update the mail and bills, and clear magazines, games and newspapers off the tables.
• Go through closets – Getting rid of clothes and other things you no longer use will give you much-needed closet space. Be ruthless. Stop holding onto out-of-style or ill-fitting clothes that “you may want to wear again someday.”
• Beware nostalgia – It’s not easy for doting parents to toss out a child’s creation –whether it’s a drawing or a collage. Try taking pictures of the child with the item and let the photo be your remembrance. The same is true for 10-year old trophies and other outdated memorabilia taking up space around the house.