Clutter might make you cringe and sigh, or you might be sort of oblivious to it most of the time. However your reaction, clutter has been proven to have an affect on the way we live and the way we feel about our houses.

Too much clutter tends to make people feel overwhelmed and out-of-control, leading to frustration, apathy, and even depression. House cleaning can seem like a monumental chore when you are surrounded by things.

With a deep breath, a little bit of guidance, and some persistence, though; you can get through the mountain of clutter and come through on the other side!

The biggest problem when you’re starting on clutter is knowing where to start, but there is a secret: there’s no wrong place to start. Find a place and jump in, but work in very small areas at a time. Otherwise, you might end up with a spread out pile of clutter you’re too tired to clean up! 

Once you start, here are the important things to remember:

1. Make a plan. Before you touch the first item, decide where things in your home are going to go from now on. Where will books be kept? Your clothes? Important papers? If you don’t know these things ahead of time, you might end up with a pile of clutter that moves from place to place.

2. Throw things away immediately. Don’t start a pile that you’re considering throwing away. Bring a trash can to the area with you, and the minute you find something to throw away, put it in the trash.

3. Get the donate box out the minute it’s full. It’s great to have a donate box, especially if you’re sorting clothes or toys, but if you don’t get rid of it immediately, you might be tempted to stick the box in the corner until you get around to it. Avoid the temptation! As soon as the donate box is full, take it to your car, and plan to drop it off the very next time you leave the house.

5. Follow the six month rule. If you come across something you haven’t seen in six months, you don’t need it. If you needed it, you would have looked for it until you found it or you would have already bought something to replace it.

Once your house is clutter-free, reward yourself! Let maids services come in and clean your house to make it look wonderful and stay healthy for you and your family.