Managing Clutter Hot Spots: 5 Easy Action Steps

When clutter gets to the point of frustration, there is a good chance it is not isolated to just one spot - that would be too easy. There are likely multiple areas of the home that have become clutter zones.

The first action step to tackling the clutter is deciding where to start. Which area, if tidied and put in order would have the biggest positive impact on you and your family? The answer to this question is usually the area that is the most high traffic or most lived in space. In many cases this would be the kitchen or the living area - which in today’s HGTV era of open concept living is often one large area.

Looking at this area you are likely to notice specific hot spots where clutter accumulates. In my home this is the kitchen island. For others it might be the counter, a dining table, a sideboard or even a floor space.

The second action step after identifying your hot spots is to eliminate any obvious trash. This is the easiest step to decluttering. Empty granola bar wrapper - trash! Fast food trinket toy - trash! Junk mail flyer - trash (or recycling)! You get the point.

The third action step is to categorize the clutter. What types of things are always getting dropped or accumulating in this clutter hot spot? If it truly does not belong in the space then where does it belong? Does the place it belongs make sense? Do other people in your home know where it actually belongs? Put the items that don’t belong in this space where they do belong. This might include loading the dishwasher and putting away boxes of cereal that didn’t find their way back to the pantry.

The fourth action step is to organize and create a system for what is left. This is very dependent on what the items are and might take some low level detective work. Here are a couple examples of specific clutter and simple organization solutions for said clutter.

a. Jackets, purses, backpacks - hooks on the wall

b. Papers from school, bills, other mail - simple upright or wall file system with LABELED folders (bills to pay, to file, action, memory) in addition to a recycling bin nearby.

c. Keys, change, pocket items - hooks for keys, small bowl or basket for change, pockets items and keys

d. Shoes - basket or shoe organizer shelf

e. Devices & corresponding chargers - vertical file folder turned charging station near an outlet and/or drawer space for chargers not in use.

The last action step is the maintenance. Do you need to incorporate a daily “5 minute all hands on deck” to tackle the space every night after dinner? Eventually with repetition putting items in their specified home will become a habit, but it won’t happen overnight. In addition, as life and literal seasons change your systems might need some tweaking as well. Sometimes a little living will reveal a better solution and that is completely normal.

So there they are! Five easy actions steps to tackle your clutter. Identify the one area you are going to focus on, get rid of trash, categorize & relocate items, create a system for what stays, and maintenance of the space by only allowing what belongs to stay.

Happy Decluttering!