Clutter happens. Sometimes we need to do major battle with it. Most days we just need to keep ahead of it.
I’m all about small, achievable steps here at Live Intentionally. The good news is that clutter can be fought one small skirmish at a time. Here are some simple ideas to fight clutter in small doable chunks. Take ten minutes and conquer one of them today.
Decluttering jobs you can complete in ten minutes or less
- Empty your purse. Only put back what needs to be there.
- Ditto for the the glove compartment in the car.
- Get rid of all the trash and other clutter in, on, and under the seats of the car
- Clean out the trunk.
- Clean off your night stand or dresser top.
- Go through your jewelry or accessories and pick five items to give away.
- Declutter the hall closet. The goal is to have room for guests to hang their coats.
- Sort through a junk drawer. Get rid of as much junk as possible. Tidy what’s left.
- Clear off all the horizontal surfaces in one room, such as the coffee table and tops of bookshelves in the living room. Put misplaced items back where they belong.
- Go through one cupboard and remove items you never use.
- Declutter one bookshelf. Say goodbye to at least two books you no longer need to keep. (More if you need to make room for the ones piled on the edge that don’t have a home.)
- Go through one pantry shelf. Discard all outdated food and any food you no longer eat. Put the stuff you forget to use in the front, so you’ll see it.
- Tackle the pile of papers sitting on top of the filing cabinet. Actually file anything worth keeping.
- Round up your magazines. Keep the most recent issue. Donate other recent issues to the library. Recycle the rest.
- Empty a shelf or two in the fridge. Wipe it down. Dispose of anything outdated or unidentifiable. Also dispose of anything you haven’t touched in over a year. (I know your mother told you not to waste food, but we all accidentally buy stuff we don’t like from time to time. You may toss yucky food without guilt.)
- Tidy the front porch. Get rid of half-dead plants and other accumulated stuff.
- Tidy the back deck.
That ought to be enough to keep you going. May you win the battle against clutter one ten-minute skirmish at a time!
What are your favorite quick cleaning ideas that help you keep ahead of clutter?
