Sometimes I get so busy with work, and in the midst of all the activities, I leave quite a lot of clutter around me. Coupled with my daughter’s messy pile of toys and clothes, searching for missing items in the midst of all the mess can be an almost impossible feat. I remember almost pulling my hair out one time while searching for my bunch of keys. Just to make it on time for my meeting, I had to leave the search at a point. Eventually, I found the keys on my return. Ever since I made up my mind to always keep my spaces clean and less cluttered.
Have you ever found yourself in such a situation? I’m quite sure to get many YESes from busy mums like me. Picking up littered clothes and toys after your spouse and kids is a JOB in itself. However, clutter can be quite suffocating and to avoid it in the first instance is the best way to de-clutter.
Clutter In Home

Here’s an important rule to avoid clutter – every useful item should have a place of its own. Patiently train your kids to put things (especially toys, books and clothing) away after use. My daughter now knows that once she’s done with her homework or playing with toys, PACK is the word. She puts stuff back to their allocated places.
A major reason why tabletops and counters, especially in the kitchen and bedroom, get piled up is that we don’t assign specific homes to things. Items used frequently can be placed where they’re readily available while those used occasionally are stored up neatly. Now and then, make a mental note of things you don’t need, pile them up and give them out. There’re a thousand and one people who are just in need of this stuff wasting away in your store.
Are your rooms/drawers common dumping grounds for clothes, furniture, exercise equipment and other stuff? How much of the furniture in your living room/bedroom do you honestly need? Is your wardrobe over-bursting with clothes you’ve not worn in years? Sometimes we’ve got so much space and can’t help the urge to fill it up with all sorts. If pieces of stuff are not so often used, then they’ve got no business being there. Don’t you think you should take them out?
Feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin? All you need is a 5-minute start off at a targeted area with one rule in mind – anything not in use must be taken out. It might take several days, but as you tackle one area at a time, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll achieve.
Another way to easily get rid of the clutter is scheduling routine “spring cleanings”. This may not be so easy if you run a tight schedule but the air of freshness in your immediate environment – the look and feel of an organised home is sure worth the effort.
Helpful?