No matter how tidy and organised we think our home is, the majority of us will have one or two frustrating dumping grounds which we can’t seem to get cleared. I have yet to find a home which doesn’t experience this problem.
Here are a few of the most common ‘dumping areas’ and the type of clutter they attract:
– Hallway table: coats, jackets, mail, briefcase, handbags, keys
– Kitchen bench: mail, opened and unopened bills, papers, newspapers, kids’ school books and bags, toys, vitamins, boxes of tissues
– Coffee tables: remotes, books, magazines & newspapers, glasses
– Bedside tables: books & magazines, glasses, water bottles, tissues
All of these items create a cluttered look to any room. The first step is to clear everything off all furniture surfaces and then decide absolutely what needs to be there, and what doesn’t. For example:
– Kids’ school books, bags and toys go into their bedroom.
– Papers and bills can be contained in a file box which can live in your home office, or a spare room cupboard, as long as it’s visible and easily accessible.
– Mail ideally gets sorted when it’s brought into the home, otherwise use a container or basket to keep mail in until it can be sorted. Dump the junk mail immediately.
– Kitchen benches are working areas so keep these as free as possible.
– Decorative boxes or magazine containers can store books and magazines which can sit alongside a couch or beside the bed.
Once you’ve cleared the areas and created your systems for where everything is now going to live, make sure you show everyone in the family. A good clutter deterrent can be a vase of flowers on a hallway table, or a display of flowers and a bowl of fruit on the kitchen island bench. People will be less inclined to dump things on a surface where you’ve created an attractive display, and they’re not going to risk knocking over a vase of flowers by dumping their stuff on the table or bench.
And finally, do you have a dumping room? Lots of homes have entire rooms which have become major clutter areas. I find these are usually the guest room, garage and/or home office. These areas may need more hands on assistance – which is where I can help you. After all, how frustrating is a room that is unusable because it’s so full of clutter? Each room in our home has a designated function, and once cleared of the clutter a guest room and/or home office are such useful rooms. Even garages can have multiple functions, aside from parking the car.
I can help you declutter any area, including the garage, with my distance decluttering service which will provide you with a step by step work plan for you to follow. I also provide email and/or phone assistance and tips as you go through the process.
Have a wonderful month.
In Joy!
Angella Gilbert
P: 09 410 4166
M: 027 224 8937
E: angella.gilbert@xtra.co.nz
W: www.gioia.net.nz
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