Clutter control: this is one of the main concerns that homeowners have. Everyone likes a neat and well ordered home - it helps create a sense of organization and calmness. It may sound simple on the onset, but when you have a large family, or small kids, or pets in the house, living in chaos is usually more like the rule than the exception to the rule.
And the fact that tidying up seems to be a never ending ritual can also drive anyone to distraction. But you can enjoy an uncluttered household, even in busy families, without spending every waking hour picking things up or calling in a professional organizer to tackle your daily disorder.
Kids Toy Chest
Here are a few basic tips you can follow to ensure that your house actually looks like a house... even at the end of the day.
Make sure that you "appoint" specific areas or containers for the most common clutter in your home. A very good example of this would be a toy box for your kids' playthings. Tossing toys into a simple wooden chest can make tidying up a little easier. More importantly, you can instruct your kids (or anyone in your family, for that matter) to do this for you which should lighten your household chores considerably. Make sure that there is one single cabinet or cupboard or wall / flat surface or container for your cleaning supplies, tools, makeup, your crafts, your hobbies, pet toys, etc.
It would also be good to enforce the rules - family members need to put things away in their designated places when they are finished with them!
Segregate and remove items from out of your home. More often than not, clutter control means filling up trash bins, recycling piles and giveaway boxes with all items you neither need nor want. Instead of giving in to your desire to keep things until you need them (which almost always never happens,) or store items that have sentimental value (which you do not care for anymore,) it might be an idea to remove these from your premises immediately. Toss junk mails and broken items into the trash or rubbish bins. Recyclable materials should be sorted immediately into their piles (paper, plastic, etc.) which should make it easier for you when haul these out into the recycling center later on.
Try to sort out the stuff you have not used for the last two years either into a donation container or perhaps into a pile you can sell at a local flea market (you'd be surprised at how much money some people make doing this). The bottom line of this clutter control rule is to: clear out as much unnecessary and unwanted mess from your home as possible.
Clutter control control is actually a pretty big topic. I've written much more about it at my website, including some methods you can try that will drastically reduce the amount of time you spend every day picking things up and putting them away.
