8
Quick Ways to Control Clutter
by Karen Henke
1) Recycle the newspaper daily. In our house if it hasn’t
been read by 10 am I know it won’t be read. Tomorrow
another newspaper will arrive and the news will be fresh!
2) Open mail daily over the recycling bin. Distribute it to
family members via a bin, basket or by putting it in a designated
spot. The location doesn’t matter, but consistency does.
3) Deal with invitations. Don’t procrastinate. Decide.
Either you are going or you’re not. If you are, mark
the calendar and save the invite. If you’re not, phone
your regrets and recycle it.
4) Capture clutter. If you collect similar items together
in a container it looks more streamlined. Magazines look neater
in a magazine holder. Paperbacks look better in a basket.
In our kitchen, we collect soup labels, box tops, pop-tops
and milk-tops that we save for our church and school. But
they were unsightly! I stash these in a basket under a low
counter. No one notices the contents, it is easy to use and
keeps them contained.
5) Clear your kitchen counter. I first read this in The New
Messies Manual by Sandra Felton. I am citing her out of a
tremendous sense of gratitude. This is some of the best advice
I have received. Once I cleared my kitchen counters of canisters,
bread maker and toaster, my kitchen started to look cleaner.
I had more work space. Without all of the clutter it is easier
to maintain. I now stack 2 cake plates on the counter for
a plant and fresh fruit. Everything else is tucked away.
6) Clean as you go. There is a universal rule in cooking that
states that you should, clean as you go. I have resisted this
rule even though I have read it several times. I must admit
that I finally tried it because the kitchen was starting to
look like a biohazard zone every time I cooked. I am now a
big advocate of this technique. Pots and pans do clean up
easier and psychologically I feel more in control. Try it.
Fill up the sink with hot sudsy water and wash as you go.
7) Keep an underbed box for your children’s artwork.
Particularly in the early years kids come home with a tremendous
amount of artwork. The easiest solution is to let the child
decide what to keep and what to recycle. The only rule is
this, “If it doesn’t fit in the box it has to go.”
This helps children learn to prioritize and keeps the art
from taking on a life of its own.
8) Make your bed every day. Have your children make theirs.
This instantly makes everything feel ordered. Or sleep European.
Use a washable duvet cover over a fitted bottom sheet. When
it’s time to make the bed, you make it in a snap…literally.
Copyright
2006 Come2Order
Karen Henke is the owner of Come2Order in Minneapolis, MN.
Visit www.come2order2day.com
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