Excellent Systems to Clear the Clutter

If you are inclined to spend time clearing the clutter, I would first suggest introducing brightness into dark, cramped spaces. And, if you are working in a garage or a closet, play some lively music to make it fun. Believe it or not, I encourage all my Southern California Clients tune into K-EARTH 101. Dress comfortably. Have plenty of water on-hand. Don’t work on an empty stomach, but do it with a positive frame of mind. Work in short periods of time and always reward yourself for your accomplishments.

People need to understand that the cleaner the décor, the more graphic elements stand out. You spend all this money and time to decorate your place, but when it’s cluttered up, you don’t see your beloved treasures.

Pick one very small area to start in.  Declare what that space is to be used for.  By choosing a small space, ie; a bookshelf, drawer or coat closet, you can generally finish within a few short hours and of course feel a great sense of accomplishment (more so than if you tried to tackle the entire garage at one time, for instance.)  Set up a series of boxes labeling them charity, give-way (to friends), purge, mystery, keep, relocate (to a more appropriate location) and repair.

Approach the area asking yourself:  "When was the last time I used this item?"  If it has been more than a year, give serious thought to purging the item (the Professional Organizer’s kinder, gentler term for trash.

If an item is used and you want to keep it, make sure the item is in an appropriate, accessible place.  If you don’t use it very often, could you borrow, rent, improvise or replace the item for the few times you do use it?

Is it out of date? Toss old food or things out of style.  Flush expired medications down the toilet (more on this in future posts.)  Do I value this item?  Put the item where you’ll use it, display the piece, or create a memorabilia box.

Was this a gift and you know you’ll never use it even though you feel guilty for throwing it out?  Re-gifting is an acceptable practice.

Decide what that room, drawer, closet or bookcase is to be used for and stick to it.  A drawer, bookshelf, or coat closet work best.  You can get a lot of bang for your buck, and you can generally finish in a few hours.

Or, of course, you can contact OrganizingLA and we'll tackle all the details.

Comments

[phillyscooter]

an oldy but goodie!

I miss party 93.1 south floridas pure dance channel

I find internet radio helps me orgainize my desk (after I spend time procrasinating, reviewing internet radio stations...lol)

[mike]

dont flush
What can you do now if you’re itching to clean out that cabinet? See if you have any environmentally sound options first. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if he or she can take back unused or expired medications. Call your city or state to see if they have disposal programs.

If you come up empty, don’t flush your drugs. A better, though still not perfect, alternative is to put them in the trash, according to Christian Daughton, an EPA scientist who has energized interest in this area.

Here are a few tips for safe drug disposal:

Keep medications in their original containers. Most drug vials or bottles are childproof and watertight. Leave the label on, but scratch out your name to protect your privacy.
Add some water to pills or capsules and flour or cat litter to liquids.
Put bottles or vials in an empty margarine tub, yogurt container, or paper bag so it ’s tough to see what’s inside.

[kate]

Definitely DON'T FLUSH YOUR PRESCRIPTION MEDS. Good grief. Who gives crap advise like that? Take it back to the pharmacy or be prepared to explain to your kids why there are so many infertile couples and two-headed frogs in the neighborhood.

[Cat]

The better alternative that I may say is to put the medications in the trash and keep them in the containers. Avoid children touching the meds and don't ever try to flush them.

[Bill]

You might want to check to see if there is a cross base under your garage. Most people completely forget about this space that can be used for storage.