3 Time-Tested Organizing Tips For Clearing Clutter

Clearing clutter is as easy as pie with these 3 time-tested organizing tips. Listen to your mother--she's always right.

Want to start a family fight over clearing clutter in your home? Today I am sharing a true experience. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent--not that anyone was innocent or that anyone needed protection. Never-the-less here is the story---

My daughter C and I were visiting my daughter J (see the name changes?) Daughter C prepared and cooked a delicious dinner for the entire family. In the process she threw away the lid to the PAM spray. Later J asked where was the lid? C said she had thrown it away as that is one of mom's (that would be me---one of my 'real' names, no protection needed here) tips on clearing clutter. Well J said she liked to keep all of her lids and she was a tad cross that C had tossed her lid. Did that mean some dumpster diving was in order to retrieve that lid? Maybe, but it didn't happen.

A word to the wise when clearing clutter in a family or friend's home; don't assume they have the same philosophy of clearing clutter as you do. It could start a fight. Now this non-incident didn't end in a fight but as a professional organizer I have been in a few homes where I had to diffuse some pretty tense situations over differences of opinions of what to keep and what to toss between family members.

As parents we often think we know best. (Is it because we do?) At the recent Oscar awards Tom Hooper was awarded the Oscar for best director. In his acceptance speech he told of his mother going to a reading of "The King's Speech" and after arriving home she called him and said she had possibly found his next movie and he needed to check it out. Then he said to the audience, "Listen to your mother". He not only won best director but the film won "Best Picture of the Year".

As mothers, just because we might know best it doesn't mean others will think our way is the best way for clearing clutter as illustrated in the story of C and J. Here are 3 of my tried and true tips for clearing clutter as mothers "know best".

1. Not cluttering the floor, tables or chairs with unread magazines. We have the tendency to look at a magazine and think we need to read it cover to cover or we are wasting our money by buying it. Get a basket and corral all of the magazines, cull them every three months. Consider subscribing to them on line or not taking them at all.

2. In the kitchen keep all spices together-alphabetize them to save more time. Keep all baking supplies together.

3. Take out all the plastic or glass storage bowls used for left over's and see if the lids fit the bowls. Remember to check the fridge and dishwasher. If they don't fit then put them in a plastic bag and store them somewhere else for 30 days. If you haven't found the matches in 30 days get rid of them or find another use.

I have a wonderful (well not that wonderful) plastic bowl that is about 8 inches tall and I had a hard time parting with it even though it wasn't useful because it didn't have a lid. I went on the hunt to find a use for it because I didn't want to get rid of it. After all, if I couldn't use it without a lid who could? In the garage I found the perfect answer. We keep a flashlight there and after it was used it would be placed just any ole place so when we needed it we couldn't find it. I placed "this wonderful" container on a shelf and designated it as the home for the flashlight. Since then it even has flashlight friends visit it from time to time. I don't know how that happens but sometimes there is more than one flashlight in the container. At least we can always find one flashlight fast in the garage.

Listen to your mother, clutter clearing is easy using these time-proven tips.