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How to SHOO™ Away Clutter
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4 Tips for Clearing the Clutter | Curb Clutter at Home
How to SHOO™ Away Clutter
by Jill Chongva
Description: Tips for clearing clutter in your home.
Decluttering is a simple-to-learn process, once you break it down in to
manageable steps. Tackling too much at once, or underestimating the
time and effort it will take to “get organized” can lead to frustration
and a “throw in the towel” stance that will further add to your clutter
and your anxiety.
By following the 4 simple steps of the SHOO© Away Clutter method, you
will map out a plan for success. Having a clear vision of what you want
(more time, more space, less clutter, fewer things) and applying these
4 simple steps will allow you to achieve your goal.
Since there are a myriad of things that one could organize, we will
follow the example of a bedroom clothes closet to illustrate the 4 steps
to SHOO© Away Clutter. The steps themselves are universal and can be
applied to every situation and circumstance.
Step 1 – SORT
This can be the easiest and the hardest step at the same time. By
breaking it down, however, the sort becomes simple and can proceed quicker
than you might imagine.
Have 4 large boxes or bags ready for your clothing. Label one box as
Keep, one as Trash, one as Donate and one as Other Home.
Use the “1-Touch Rule” – you touch it, you make a decision.
The Keep items are those clothes you wear regularly, love and fit you
properly. Don’t be tempted to keep clothing because it might come back
in style or because you may get back into them in the future. Keeping
things that don’t fit costs you space, effort and attention. If you do
need a diet incentive, keep one spectacular item and consider donating
the remainder. Think of the fun you can have shopping once you reach
your goal!
The things to Trash will be easy to identify – they are stained,
ripped, or missing buttons, zips or closures. If you do a lot of craft work
or painting, make sure you keep one set of “grubby clothes”. Please
don’t make the mistake of saying “I’ll fix it and can wear it again”. If
it’s sitting in your closet and is missing items, you are likely not
going to all of a sudden find the time to get it fixed. If you can
commit to getting the repairs done within 1 week of your purge, great – go
for it! But you must commit and give yourself a deadline.
Items to Donate include anything that you haven’t worn for the past 6
months (1 year for seasonal items like overcoats, winter boots, hats and
gloves), anything that does not fit properly (too big or too small) or
anything that you just plain don’t like. Make sure that your donation
items are in good repair.
The Other Home items are things that don’t, or shouldn’t, reside in
your closet. These can include sporting goods, children’s items, kitchen
items, etc. Put them all in a box or bag and distribute these items
WHEN YOU ARE DONE. Resist the temptation to return things as you find
them. Doing so takes your focus away from the task at hand.
Step 2 – HEAVE/HELP
Now that you have done your sorting, you can decide what to do with the
items you have designated as Donations and Trash.
Charities and “Dress for Success” programs are always on the look out
for good used clothing. Women’s shelters are another place where your
donation items will do an immeasurable amount of good for those less
fortunate. A quick look through the phone book or on the Internet will
garner you a list of possible recipients. Some organizations offer to
come to you home and pick up your items, so remember to ask if this
service is available.
This is also to time to bag up the Trash items to put at curb side on
your regular collection day. If you don’t have curb side collection,
put the bagged items into your vehicle and plan to take them to your
garbage depot on your next trip.
Step 3 – ORGANIZE
Now is the time to determine your storage needs. Since you have
eliminated your unwanted items, this leaves only the “keepers” that need to
be organized. You can now estimate how many containers you will need
and what sort of storage will best suit your items.
To make the most of your closet, invest in a closet organizing system
that will fit your space, or if you are handy, make one yourself. One
of the tricks of organizing is to go up and make use of the wasted space
at the top of a closet. Choose a system that supports double rods and
offers full length storage. This maximizes your closet space.
“Occasional use” items can be stored in either their original boxes or
in clear containers on higher shelves. A picture on the front of the
box will allow you to easily identify the contents.
Clothing can be hung according to color and item (all shirts together
with each color group together). Consider storing folded sweaters in a
set of canvas hanging shelves. This prevents stretching. Again,
organize by color.
Step 4 – OPTIMIZE
This is the final step in the process. Live with your new “system” for
a few weeks. See what is working and take note of what is not. Are
your most frequently worn items easy to access? Do you need to rearrange
some items? The optimize step is where you make the system work for
you, individually. Tweak the system to eliminate any hassles. This
makes the closet work best for the person who uses it most – YOU!
Reprinted with permission.
