Your home: Instead of letting clutter pile up

My grandmother passed away several years ago and it took her children a year to sort out all the clutter. I still get calls asking if I want something from her lifetime treasures. I loved my grandmother, whom I called Buppy, more than anyone. It's tempting to keep the artifacts of her life. The objects that filled her home are associated with happy family memories. They have sentimental value.

I just don't have a place or use for them. Keeping an uncluttered home is difficult these days.I found one reference in a book by Daniel Pink that said there are more storage facilities in the U.S. than fast food restaurants. Instead of storing stuff to make room for more, let's looks for some experts' ideas to reduce clutter in your home.

1. Take care of it immediately
In his book, "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity", David Allen suggests doing tasks that take under 2 minutes immediately. When mail comes in, sort through it and throw away junk before it hits the counter top. If you can pay the bill in under 2 minutes, do it. Instead of letting things stack up, tackle them immediately and get them out of the way.
2. Make rules
When my husband and I were dating he asked me to promise that I would not own more than 10 pairs of shoes. Coming from a country where people have many fewer possessions made him acutely aware of the contrast in America. Seven years later, I still abide by this rule. If one pair comes in, another must go out.   Set limits and stick to them.
3. Designate a place
Remember the mantra "a place for everything and everything in its place"? The experts agree. By having a designated space for objects you stay organized and you keep from letting what you have over-take you. I love books. I don't think I could own enough books. To keep from getting cluttered, I keep all of my books on a bookcase in my office. If they don't fit, something has to go. If your clothes take up three closets, perhaps it's a sign that you need to donate.
4. Become an anti-consumer
We have more than we've ever had before. Look in your kitchen. How many appliances do you own? Research says we have 48% more than our parents. Count your computers, televisions, and other electronic devices. How many do you need? When I met my husband, he owned two pair of jeans, two pair of shoes, and ten or fifteen shirts and sweaters. After nearly a decade in the U.S. his wardrobe has quadrupled. article on consumerism
5. Break cleaning into chunks
Go through one room and clean it up. Get rid of all the things you don't use regularly. I liked one organization expert who suggested turning your clothes inside out in the closet. If they aren't right side out in 6 months or a year, you know you can easily let them go. When the kids were little, we used to have 5 minute clean up time. The house was never immaculate but it was better.
6. Organize email clutter
I don't have to tell you the average number of email messages sent and received each day. You know. To keep work and home email organized you need a strategy. David Allen suggests keeping your inbox completely free of messages. Although I have never been 100% empty, I work toward this goal.  email clutter strategies
7. Have a garage sale
Why not make some money off the clutter? You can post things at online auction sites or have a good old-fashioned garage sale. Make a rule that whatever doesn't sell gets donated to make sure the clutter doesn't make its way back in the house.
8. Take before and after photos
Need some motivation? Take a picture of your kitchen junk drawer, or your closet. Clean it out and take another snapshot. The difference will keep you working room by room, surface by surface to get it all done.
9. Enlist a friend
My niece likes to collect things. Her room is filled to the brim with "valuables" she has tucked away. Her parents have little luck getting her to throw things out. Interestingly, when my daughter visits they work together to winnow the piles. The outsider coming to convince her to discard and donate is more successful than the insider. Do you have a logical and persuasive friend who can help assess what can go and what should remain?
10. Look for the reason have too much
Sometimes we keep things for reasons other than need. I was tempted to store my grandmother's knick knacks to have a piece of her life close by. The experts cite several reasons for amassing possessions such as low self-esteem, and a need to keep up with the Jones'. Extreme clutter can signify hoarding behavior. I am not sure if there are increasing numbers of hoarders or if this issue is more recognized and diagnosed. Either way, there are many avenues and options if you or a friend display hoarding tendencies. research on hoarding