Effective Ways to Get Rid of Clutter for Busy Moms
As most busy moms understand, it is very difficult to keep your home clean and uncluttered while trying to juggle your everyday duties and tasks, especially if you work outside of the home as well. There are ways to de-clutter your home even while you are running errands, taking care of your children, and doing all the other things you need to do on a daily basis. How can you find the time to de-clutter? Realizing that the end result will be a neat and tidy home, you will get the incentive to make the time. Your life will be less stressful because it will be easier to keep your home clean. It will also be easier to find things you are looking for without having to go through piles, bags, drawers, or closets in search of what you need.
If you try to de-clutter your entire home all at one time, it will probably be overwhelming and you might never start. Decide which room you want to start with and set realistic goals. You also should think about what you are going to do with the things you find you no longer need or use. There are many charitable organizations who would be grateful to receive donations. You can also sell items that are in good shape online at places like eBay or Craig’s list. Another option is to have a garage or yard sale.
Yard Sale
If your home is filled with clutter-filled cabinets, closets, and drawers, holding a yard sale will not only give you the incentive to get rid of the clutter in your home, you can also get some extra cash. What you can sell at your yard sale is literally living right under your nose. First, you have to find it by going through every room in your house and your garage and finding things you no longer use or need. In order to have a successful yard sale, you have to plan it and advertise. You might even want to ask your neighbors if they would like to participate and hold a larger neighborhood sale. Spring is the most popular time for yard sales so why not start cleaning out your clutter during the winter months to prepare for a yard sale?
Kitchen
Have you ever wandered into a friend’s kitchen and been amazed because it is always so incredibly neat and tidy with not even a spoon out of place? Yet, when you go into your own kitchen to prepare a meal you get frustrated because it is messy and cluttered. What can you do keep your kitchen as neat as your neighbor’s kitchen?
- Keep your countertops clear of mail, keys, dirty dishes, and all other things you tend to collect and leave on the counter
- Use hanging baskets to store vegetables and fruits
- Put things where they belong such as dirty dishes in the dishwasher, perishables in the refrigerator, and other food in your pantry
- Clean up before you start cooking like clearing the sink of dirty dishes and emptying the dishwasher
- Give in to yourself and have a junk drawer for items that don’t necessarily belong anywhere else
- Get rid of appliances or tools you don’t use
And finally, don’t leave your kitchen a mess when you go to sleep at night. Clean up before you turn in for the night so when you wake up the next morning, you can start your day with a clean, uncluttered kitchen.
 Bathroom
If you feel like your bathroom is too small to house all your things, maybe you have too much in it, it is disorganized, or doesn’t have enough storage. Did you know that you could add storage and create a bathroom that works without having to do any renovation? That’s right. You can:
- Install great-looking hooks on the back of your door for towels or bathrobes
- Throw out old makeup and expired medications
- Store your miscellaneous items in divided organizer drawer trays
- Store hair care appliances in a file organizer
- Put your toothbrushes and makeup brushes in nice-looking jars
- Add a shelf where you can put extra towels or rolls of toilet paper
- Purchase attractive trays, boxes, and baskets to store accessories
Once your bathroom is de-cluttered and organized, you want to be sure to keep it that way. Make sure you get rid of anything you haven’t used in 6 months and be sure to put things back where they belong.
Don’t forget that you are not the only one who has created the clutter in your home so the responsibility to deal with it is not yours alone. Make it a family endeavor by giving tasks to your children. For instance, let your children help decide which games or toys they no longer play with or have outgrown. Not only you, but your entire family will enjoy the results of a tidier, cleaner, and less stressful home.
