*** VIDEOS I MENTIONED! ***

CLEANING HACKS VOLUME 1!
http://bit.ly/CleaningHacksVol1

CLEANING HACKS VOLUME 2!
http://bit.ly/CleaningHacksVol2

Half of cleaning is tidying and organizing, but this can be really hard to do if your space is filled with clutter. So, today I am going to give you five great ways to cut the clutter.

Tip #1: Reduce Magazines and Newspapers

Magazines and newspapers can pile up quickly because they have lots of interesting articles that you really want to read. These items not only look terrible in your home, but they are also a fire hazard. So here are three strategies to reduce the amount of magazines and newspapers in your space.

  1. Come up with a time when you are actually going to read the material such as during breakfast or before bed. That will help keep them from piling up.
  2. Clip out the items that you would like to keep and put them in a binder.
  3. Figure out who else might want to read the material. For example, you might be able to take magazines to your doctor’s office or bring them to work for your co-workers to enjoy.

Tip #2: Declutter Your Bedroom Closet

Over time, your closet will start to fill up. You buy new clothes and there are certain clothes that you stop wearing. To determine which clothes you can safely part ways with, hang them up with the hanger facing you. After you have worn an item, hang it back up with the hanger facing the wall.

After a few months, you can easily tell which items you are wearing and which items should be put in your giveaway pile.

Tip #3: Treat Decluttering as an Ongoing Process

Instead of treating decluttering as something you do once in a while, treat it as an ongoing process. One way that I like to do this is to have two bins in convenient but somewhat inconspicuous spots. One bin is designated for items that I know I am going to give away and the other bin is for items that I am not sure about.

If I have not used the items in the second bin after a few months, I know that it is time for them to go.

Tip #4: Dealing with Mail

If you live in a house – you get mail. If you have a business like I do – you have to keep some of that mail.

To deal with the paper, here are a few tips:

  • Put things you know you have to keep in its own bin. Then, when you have time, go through the contents of that bin and file it properly.
  • Put items you that you do not need and that do not contain anything personal in your recycling box.
  • If you do not wish to receive junk mail, you can put a sign up on your door and you can also call your mail carrier to find out how you can no longer receive junk mail.
  • If you get items that have your personal information on them but that you do not need, be sure to get yourself a shredder to destroy those items.
  • If you like using coupons, get yourself some digital apps that you can use so that you do not have to deal with paper coupons (that you may or may not lose before you get to use them).

Tips #5: Get Rid of Unneeded Kitchen Gadgets and Utensils

I do not know about you, but my utensil drawer is a bit of a freak show. If I need anything, I have to dig through a dozen other things to find what I am looking for.

So here is how I am going to solve this problem. I am going to clean out my utensil drawer and put everything in a bin. As I use items, I will wash them and put them back in the drawer. After 30 days, I will go through the bin and put back items that I use occasionally like the turkey baster. After that, everything that is still in the bin, I will get rid of.  

The nice thing about decluttering is that even though you are getting rid of things, it helps to make your life feel more peaceful and organized. Unlike dieting or exercising, you get instant results.

Use the tips above and start decluttering your home, and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on amazon.com.

Looking for a BETTER & EASIER Way to Clean Your Home?

Cleaning Expert Melissa Maker is here to help with her game-changing 3 Wave Cleaning System that will help you clean your house faster and easier than you ever thought possible!

Learn More About The 3 Wave Cleaning System

Melissa Maker is an entrepreneur, cleaning expert, founder of Toronto’s most popular boutique cleaning service, and star of the Clean My Space channel on YouTube (but she still hates to clean!). Every week, Melissa delivers new videos dishing expert advice on cleaning products, tools, DIY substitutes, and practical, timesaving solutions to everyday problems. Melissa has appeared on the Today Show, and has been featured in InStyle, Real Simple, and Better Homes and Gardens.

22 COMMENTS

  1. I’d like disaster cleaning. Not after a disaster though that might be good too. What I mean, is that my house is a disaster. My housekeeper moved on, I was workinging non stop, no weekends off, and then I was down for the count sick.

    Disaster cleaning! Puh-leez with a cherry on top, please.

    • That’d be a useful vid for sure. Most all of the vids make things easier, however working mass hours with no time to clean, a topic on that would be appreciated Melissa!

  2. Any chance you could show a declutter/organize project for an arts/crafts room? Every time I try to organize mine I become quickly overwhelmed with too many decisions to make and too many things to keep, thus, no organization or art created. Arghhh!

  3. I spray all of the filters in my vaccums with a nice perfume. Then, as I vaccum, a favorite scent wafts through the house.

  4. Even better than clipping articles from magazines is Pinning them! Almost all big magazines have the same content online. Just go to the website, find the recipe or article you liked, and add it to your Pinterest boards. No binders, no paper clutter and it’s searchable when you need it.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here