Ask Erin | Get Rid of the Mess

by ERIN SHARPLIN LOVE
erinlove@panachebyerin.com

Have you tried to get organized only to end up back in a cluttered mess within a few weeks? If so, you are not alone!  Believe it or not, organizing is an extremely personal process that needs to be done in a way that can withstand time and distractions that will inevitably occur. As a professional organizer, I have found that each family is different and, therefore, requires different organizing and decluttering methods. Hopefully, one of my suggestions below will be the trick to get you on the right track. 

The methods below are for the decluttering part of the organizing process.  If you have any questions about the organization part of the process, please contact me or keep reading BayouLife for more articles in the future. 

1. Fill One Bag a Week  When I am helping a client through this process, I set up a clean trash can with a large black bag inside.  This can is placed in a central location that everyone in the home passes by multiple times a day.  The goal is to fill one bag a week with unwanted and unneeded items.  These items can include, but are not limited to, actual trash (minus food), socks with holes in them, broken toys, old magazines, junk mail, and dried up markers and pens.   It is fun to make decluttering into a game!  Fill up the bag by the next trash day.  The award will be in the transformation you will see happening right before your eyes.  The great thing about this method is that once you have completely decluttered, you can still use this method to maintain progress!

2. The 4 Box Method  If you want this job to be a weekend project, this method may be for you.  You will need four boxes or bins.  These bins should be clearly labeled with the following:  Donate, Store, Keep, Relocate.  You will then take all four boxes to each room of your home and fill them accordingly.  You must take action on the boxes once finished.  After all, if you fill a donate box but never donate it, you are wasting time, energy and space, and you will never get organized.  

3. 12-12-12  The 12-12-12 method is like the 4-box method, but is a little more specific for those who like to have a more definite goal.  In this method, you are challenged to find 12 items that need to go in the trash can, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to relocate.  “Relocate” items will be things like shoes, toys, and cups that are scattered around the house and not in their proper places.    The items in the trash bin should be put out for pick up on trash day in your neighborhood.  The other 24 items should be donated or relocated the same day.  Don’t procrastinate.

4. Toss One Item a Day  This is my preferred decluttering method and is perfect for those who are already somewhat organized,  but who want to stay that way!  If you have kids, things will come in and out of your home on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis and quickly lead to clutter.  To derail the mess, simply find one item a day that you can get rid of or trash.  This process is more gradual than the previous ones but will keep you clutter-free throughout the years.  

5. Never Leave a Room Empty Handed  Get into the habit of glancing around a room before leaving it to see if there is something that doesn’t belong.  There could be items such as plates and cups that need to be placed in the dishwasher or shoes that need to be placed back in the closet.  We adhere to this decluttering method in my home, too.  Well, let me restate that – I adhere to this decluttering method. 

So, which of these suggestions sound like the one for you?  I would love to know! Please feel free to connect with my on social media or via email – erinlove@panachebyerin.com.