I’ve been “decluttering” my home this summer.  It’s quite a task since things have gone astray during the past school year.  But, with a determined stride I’ve taken on the tasks.

Three words to keep in mind when you decide to declutter your home…

Storage, storage and storage.

1. Make sure you assign a place for everything.

There’s one motto my dorm mom had when I was in college,  “A place for everything and everything in it’s place,” she often quoted.

Decluttering simply comes down to finding a place for everything and making sure everything is in its proper place.

And I know this next tip is going to hurt…

2.  Get rid of what you no longer need.

Some people determine what to get rid of by identifying what they haven’t used in over a year.

I try to decide if I really need it or if I can live without it?   Do I want it bad enough that I’m willing to pay for storage space?  After all, if you keep everything, you will indeed someday have to move to a bigger house or pay for some storage building.

3.  Make a plan of attack.

Don’t fret!  It won’t happen over night, but it definitely will happen if you take small steps.

First, get each bedroom area organized…

Take a day and sort through clothes and toys in your kids’ rooms.  Either sell, give away or throw away what isn’t needed anymore. Get age appropriate storage units, label things and help teach the kids to put their own things away.

Next, get a laundry basket for each family member and start with the least cluttered room of the house, so you’ll see success quicker and stay motivated.

Put everything in the baskets that doesn’t belong in that room. Then assign everyone  a deadline to find a home for everything in the basket, or you will (even if it’s file thirteen).

Keep a big trash bag nearby for stuff you know needs to be gotten rid of immediately (like junk mail). Do this for each room of the house.

Once everything is in the correct room…

Evaluate each room and decide what kind of storage is needed to keep things organized. If there is very little clutter left in the room once the personal belongings are gone, then you’ve got less work to do. If the room still looks chaotic, decide if the items really need to be in that room or relocated, stored or sold/given away.

Tip: Upkeep can cut down on future work.  If you use the basket trick daily, going from room to room, it should be easy to stay on top of things.

Different rooms will have different storage needs…

What works in the family room won’t necessarily work in the kitchen. Take your time and research the options out there and find a system that works best to help your family declutter your home.