(LS) — George Carlin once wisely observed that a home is just a place for your stuff. The problem is that many people keep on accumulating stuff, but they can’t bring themselves to part with any of it. Stuff just keeps piling up and piling up, and spilling over into garages and attics and storage spaces until something simply must be done about it. The following is list of helpful ways to cut down on the clutter in your home before you end up embarrassing yourself on Hoarders:
- Dispose of old clothes. I know that you could always lose weight, but the chances of getting back into those size 32 jeans from high school when you’re wearing 44s is pretty slim… if you’ll excuse the pun. In reality, if you haven’t worn something in a year, then it’s time to get rid of it. Furthermore, you can always donate the clothes to the unfortunate and turn de-cluttering into an act of kindness.
- When something breaks, get rid of it. For three years, I had a broken lawn mower sitting in my garage. I don’t know how to fix a lawnmower, and I own a better mower. Eventually, I put it up on craigslist, and ended up with enough money for a decent pizza. And, now there’s enough room in the garage for the kid’s bike.
- Hang bikes on hooks and tools on nails in the garage. It’s amazing how much less clutter you’ll have in your garage when the bikes are stored up in the air on hooks, and the tools are neatly in their proper place on nails.
- Recycle those old books. Both my fiancée and I were English majors in college, so our library multiplies faster than bunnies. The room is lined with bookshelves that are stuffed to the seams with books. Piles stack up at the feet of each one. Once a year, we cull the heard and take the rejects to Half-Priced Books for a little spending money.
- Get some file cabinets. A sad byproduct of adult life is the stacks of paper that can quickly accumulate – bills, receipts, and records. The only way to responsibly keep track of all of that stuff is with a filing cabinet. And, when the records get too old, recycle that paper. I assure you that you won’t miss the cable bill from 1996. You have a dish now, anyway.
- Outgrown toys must go. This is a tough one for many children. We know you loved Betsy Wetsy when you were little, Janey, but you’re 14 now. It’s time to give it up. Nobody is playing the PlayStation 1 anymore. When your children no longer use their toys, it’s time for a garage sale. If you can’t sell them, then put them by the curb. Somebody will come along and take them away.
- Thin out the medicine cabinet. There’s very little reason you’re going to need the allergy eye drops that were prescribed in high school but just can’t bring yourself to part with. When it comes to medicine, you’re not just getting rid of clutter, but you could be saving your life.
- Freezer burn isn’t your friend. Go to your freezer right now. Go. Stop reading this. Tell me you don’t find at least one frozen vegetable that’s been in there over a year and is so covered in ice you’d use it as a centerpiece for your table rather than a side dish for dinner. Throw it out.
- Sort through the linens. Any towels with frays – gone. The fitted bed sheet you tore with your toenail last spring – gone. The old comforter Fido used in his dying days – gone.
- Rent a storage space. You can’t just keep piling the stuff you don’t want in the house, in the garage, or up in the attic. The dry wall floors in most attics can’t handle the weight. And we know it’s hard for some people to part with the rotten old moose’s head you had on the wall in college. Rent a small storage space, and get it out of the house.
- Find a place for everything and put it there. When things are put in their place, the house is simply less cluttered. Of course, there’s a limit to this. Move the bottle of ketchup two inches to the left in my uncle’s fridge, and he’ll go move it back. You can take de-cluttering too far.
De-cluttering isn’t just about making the house more presentable for visitors, but when your house is less cluttered, you can keep it cleaner, safer and healthier for your family. It’s ok to have a place for your stuff, just not so much stuff you can’t see the place.
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