We all know what clutter is, it’s the stuff, the piles, the things that get in our way. Merrian-Webster defines clutters as: a crowded or confused mass or collection. Clutter is the thing that gets in the way of us being able to do the things. It’s usually unimportant stuff or stuff we just don’t have the energy or time to deal with.
Clutter can lurk anywhere in the house, but today I want to hang out in the main living areas. If the main areas where we do life are full of clutter, it will be hard to live the way we want to live and be in relationship with the people who live under our roof.
Here are 3 ways to get control of the clutter in our homes today.
Clear a surface and keep it clear.
We all have, on average, 300,000 items in our homes. I’m wondering how much of that stuff is clutter? When I look from where I’m sitting on the couch, I see mostly clear counters, but then I see an unused Kleenex on the dining room table, papers on the bar counter from the mail today, and the kids’ cars and toys still scattered on the rug from before nap. These things aren’t bothering me because my main surfaces are clear. Eight years ago in our old house where we lived without kids, the surfaces were full of decorations, kitchen gadgets, mail and random papers: all things we had to move if we wanted to sit down and have a meal together. Today our island counter is a clutter free zone. Currently our Easter tree is sitting on it, but the rest of the space is clean. It’s where I prepare meals and where we eat together, so it just makes sense for that surface to stay clear.
What is one surface you use daily where you have to move things to use it? Focus on that specific surface. Make it a goal to have the surface clear each and every day, except for when you need to use it. I had a friend tell me a few years back her dining room table was where her family spent the most time. She put a tablecloth on it and kept one small napkin holder in the middle of her table. Every night she cleared the table and left only the napkin holder. It made her feel good to see the surface clear and allowed her family to use the space in a way that served them. Having one designated clear surface where you can work, eat, and live makes a difference.
Go through the mail everyday.
We all get mail, some of us more than others. One thing that has really helped me eliminate clutter on our surfaces is to go through the mail as soon as it comes into the house. I don’t sort it and put it in envelopes or cute storage containers. I open it right away, sort it, and recycle the junk and deal with the rest. If it is a bill that needs to be paid or a letter from a friend, I open and read it right away. Letters and notes are read and placed in a special basket while bills are looked over and either paid right away or put by my laptop and put on my to-do list for the next day. I try and not let mail sit unopened on the counter if I can help it. Usually Kevin has a few things, so I put them in a pile where he lays his briefcase and he looks at them when he gets home.
Agency Sales Magazine reports that we never use or look at 80% of the papers and information we keep. If you’re anything like me, I am more likely to ignore a big pile of papers than a small, manageable pile. A study done by Dr. Ferrari of DePaul University in Chicago even backs this up, saying procrastination is closely tied to clutter. If we tackle the mail everyday, we will eliminate clutter.
Keep fewer toys out.
If you’re a mom and have kids with toys, this could work for you. I have spoken with so many moms who have the problem of keeping toys out of the main living places. And I get it because I have had the same problem.
Our kids are part of our families and we want them to feel our home is a place they can play and be themselves. I enjoy watching the kids play on the rug in my living room while I’m cooking dinner or cleaning up the kitchen. The problem always comes when it’s time to pick up because there are a plethora of toys out and who wants to pick all those up? Not me and not my kids.
What I have found to work is keeping fewer toys at kids’ fingertips. The fewer toys they have to get out, the fewer toys strewn all over the house and the fewer toys to pick up. I am not trying to deprive our kids here, but less toys can sometimes mean more engagement and definitely less clutter. British research found the average 10 year old owns 238 toys, but plays with only 12 on a daily basis. My kids are not playing with all of their toys everyday anyway, so why not cut back on the toys at their fingertips?
Currently, in our living room there is one basket of manga tiles and one small basket of toy cars. These get played with on the regular. I rotate wooden blocks and mega blocks to switch things up.
We have a small playroom/school room off our main living area that houses the rest of the shared toys. There are some books, a play kitchen, and a bookshelf with 4-6 baskets of toys. These toys get rotated every month or so from our toy closet.
A couple advantages for keeping fewer toys out:
- Kids get to play with ‘new’ toys every month or so when toys are rotated.
- There are fewer toys to pick up and less toy clutter around the house.
If you are ready to get the toy clutter under control, I think the first place to start is the main living area. Only keep a few toys there that are played with often. They can be stored in baskets or an ottoman so the living room doesn’t look like a playroom. Wherever the rest of the toys are housed, only keep about one third of them out. Designate a toy closet or a bin where the rest of the toys are kept. Every month or so rotate toys out so kids have ‘new’ toys, but less mess to pick up. I can’t stress enough how this has saved my sanity!
What is one thing you can do today to remove clutter in your home? According to the National Soap and Detergent Association, eliminating clutter would also eliminate 40% of the time spent cleaning the average American home. Yes, please. That statistic motivates me every time I read it.
Tell me, how do you take control of the clutter in your home?
