A HOUSE OF ORDER
by Stephanie Stewart
Bringing order.com
Get rid of Stuff - sell it, donate
it, give it away, throw it away, just get rid of it
Don’t justify keeping stuff
Unjustified
stuff
“I like it” “It cost a lot” “I might use it”
“I can’t waste it” “I got that for…” “It’s memorable”
“It was a gift” “It’s cute” “I just can’t part with it”
YES, BUT
DO YOU USE IT, NEED IT?
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Justified
stuff
“I use it & I need it.”
GREAT! KEEP IT!
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All the time Stuff (have to keep)
gets
prime locations (top drawers, main cabinets & shelves)
Most of the Time
Stuff (need to keep)
gets secondary
locations (2nd shelf, higher up, near-by)
Some of the Time
Stuff (should keep)
gets “storage”
locations (closets, highest shelf, garage)
Keepsake
Stuff (want to keep - true keepsakes)
gets specific and
limited storage
Stupid Stuff
(stuff you don’t have to, need to or should be keeping)
gets NO space
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1.
Pick a spot (clutter area, junk drawer, crammed closet, kids
room, kitchen cabinet)
2.
Use 6 bags or boxes labeled: keep here, relocate, return, repair,
recycle, & toss
3.
Sort the stuff in the spot you are working on (dump it out, empty
it out, or sort it out item by item)
4.
Ask with each item “why am I keeping this?”– keep
all the “I use it and I need it” stuff
5.
Ask “what kind of stuff is this?”– keep “all the time and most
of the time” stuff
6.
Move the rest of the stuff into the appropriate boxes
7.
Put the stuff away in an organized way
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1. Give everything you own a “home” (a very specific storage spot)
§ this is your key to clutter
control
§ use a box, drawer, jar, closet, shelf, room, corner,
basket, etc
§ ie. batteries, cameras, keys, cell phone, purse, gift
cards, coins, scissors, homework, library books
§ you should be able to tidy up your home just by
putting everything away
2. Group Like Items – store similar items together or in the same
general area
§ similar kitchen items,
medicines/first aid, repair items, project/craft supplies, gift wrapping
3. Downsize and limit the space you give certain things (anything that you may
have too many of)
§ Think - Tupperware, sheets,
movies, clothes, books, crafts
§ Designate a limited space
and when items start out growing their space then downsize
4. Identify
clutter spots and create storage
right there
§ Notice areas that are dumping grounds and devise
storage solutions in that area for those things
§ Backpacks, shoes, papers, dirty clothes, papers
5. Store things
where you use them – don’t keep
things you need/use in one room – some place else
§ Watch and see if you go get something to bring back
and use it where you were and then take it back
§ ie. tools, shoes, kids art stuff, tape, cups, wrapping
paper, hairbrushes, broom, medicines, envelopes
6.
Make
Things Easy To Put Away – make things
easier to put away then to get out
§ If you have to open, move or take something else out –
it create steps and you won’t do it
§ hooks vs. hangers (coats, towels, backpacks), take
lids off bins, don’t stack items or put things behind
§ put hampers, garbage cans and necessary supplies everywhere
you might need them
7. Use containers – loose items become unorganized and cluttered
§ Use bins, baskets, or boxes to contain loose, bagged,
or small items
§ use containers in drawers, on shelves, in cupboards
and label them
§ ie. medicine bottles, kids toys/games, bathroom stuff,
kitchen drawers, garage tools, pantry
8. Eliminate the junk drawers –
don’t have any drawer be a “catch all”
§
assign your drawers (office supplies, sharps,
spoons and spatulas, baking drawer)
§
assign the space within the drawer as well
§
DON’T put anything else in that drawer unless
you make that its home
9. Designate a donation box – and use it
§ Think of how much stuff we
bring in – make sure equal stuff is going out
10. Establish
Temporary Storage Spaces - for things coming in and going out of your house
§ Set up inboxes and out boxes (for
papers, homework, mail, returns, gifts)
§ Use a bag or basket or shelf to
hold things that need to be returned to stores, library, friends
§ Create a place where you keep
library books and DVD rentals while you have them
§ Designate a place for you or your
kids to keep homework and projects being worked on
11. Create Work Stations – designate clearly defined work areas and store appropriate supplies
right there
§ Set up specific areas for doing specific things (work
zones)
§ ie. baking center, knives
and cutting, bill paying, wrapping, crafting, changing baby
§ things should be stored
there and used there
12. Multiples - have more than
one of frequently used items and keep them in different places
§ tools, scissors, garbage cans, laundry baskets,
bandages, stamps, wipes, hair brushes, toothbrushes
13. Use space
and storage creatively – look
for Wasted Space
§ look for short things in tall spaces, space under
hanging items, places you could add shelves
§ When you think you don’t have enough storage space,
look again
14. Don’t stack
or stuff – it makes it hard to get
things out and difficult to put things away 15. Pickup every day – maintain the order, it is easy when everything has a home and it shouldn’t take long
~
Everything you have takes up
space
Everything in your space
creates your environment
Your environment effects how
you live and how you feel
Remember this as you manage
your stuff
