BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Organization Are you overwhelmed by clutter?

It's completely natural if you are. Check out the latest article for some step by step help on tackling clutter:

How To Declutter in 7 Simple Steps
Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Ready to be organized? Help is here! Learn how easy it is to declutter and get organized. Follow the 7 simple steps and you can free yourself from clutter for good.


Do you have any tips you would like to share for dealing with clutter? Or maybe you have a special challenge. Don't be shy, this forum is all about helping you get and stay organized. It's a place to share knowledge, as much as a place to ask for guidance.

You have to declutter something every day. I'm always looking round my house asking if I still want to give things house room. If I don't, then out they go.

It's important to have a system. I always have a box in the garage waiting for the next thrift store pick up. As soon as it's gone, another box takes its place.

You are right Tina. Decluttering is an ongoing task, not a one shot deal. I love that you always have a box ready to go off to the thrift store.

Personally, I am a huge fan of the one item in, one item out rule. I call it equalizing. If people only followed that one rule they would never risk being over run by clutter.

That's a great article! I enjoyed that a lot.

I am a strong proponent of the item-in, item-out rule. We try to follow that. Of course we just brought in two kayaks and appropriate gear so now we need to do some donating of other things

Hi Lisa. I'm glad you enjoyed the article. And I'm glad you are considering what to let go in light of the kayak acquisition.

People often forget that we only have 24 hours in a day. That means there is time for a limited number of activities. Keeping stuff around that we don't have time to use, even when we would potentially enjoy the accompanying activity, is not good stewardship. Far better to let an item go so others can benefit from its existence than let it sit unused.

I agree wholeheartedly! Items that I might "cling to" could be far better utilized if they were in a household where they were adored and used daily. I would be acting greedily by storing them on a dusty shelf where they weren't being used.

One of my favorite quotes sums up how we should deal with stuff we still like but don't have time to use. Here is it:

"Bottom line is, if you do not use it or need it, it's clutter, and it needs to go." Charisse Ward

Anyone else have a favorite clutter quote?

" If you cannot find it when you need it, you do not own it " -- Burt B.

Lisa, at this point I am afraid to give stuff to the thrift stores. I have been closely involved now with four thrifties in my town, and they all throw away perfectly good stuff. It's a tad frightening. Now I can't bring anything in.

It is definitely a shame that there are thrift stores which do not practice healthy stewardship of our land. It sounds like the libraries in Providence RI which threw away tons of books each week. They get into the habit and they don't even question it any more.

This could be a fun project. Have them set aside things they can't use. Then announce to your list where those items are. I bet they'll be taken and used.