Keep On Top of Your Clutter

Houses, especially those with kids living in them, are hard to keep clean. Both children and adults collect "stuff" that sits around the house, unused, cluttering tables, counters, shelves, and even floors. Two of the main solutions are first, to be willing to throw things away promptly, and second, to provide everything worth keeping with an appropriate and tidy container or shelf space. Here are some specific tips to help you eliminate some of your clutter.

• Dispose of magazines and newspapers often, keeping any magazines you really want in baskets or magazine racks in your living room or bathroom.
• Place any recipes or articles you want to save in notebooks or binders labeled by subject.
• Set out bedside baskets for late-night reading material. This way books and magazines won't clutter your floor or nightstand.
• Place a small bowl or dish on your dresser to collect loose change, jewelry, and other pocket items.
• Provide stackable plastic boxes or shelves for CDs, videos, DVDs, and games in rooms where the family relaxes. Insist that users return these notorious clutter culprits to their "homes" after using them.
• Take old medicines to your pharmacy for disposal.
• Take old clothing, appliances, and books to local secondhand stores to donate, trade, or consign.
• To keep bathroom shelves tidy, install boxes or drawers for extra supplies and any items that won't fit in medicine cabinets.
• Keep a large plastic garbage can or other large container in the garage or backyard for outdoor playthings.
• Install pegboards with hooks in your garage or tool shed for gardening supplies and sports equipment.
• Utilize your attic space for seasonal decor or things you won't be using for several months or years, like paint, carpet patch pieces, seasonal clothing, or hand-me-downs for a younger child.
• Gorilla racks are great for storing sundry garage and yard-care items, and bicycles can be stored hanging upside-down from hooks in the garage ceiling.

Above all, clean out your whole house, including the attic and the garage. Start in one room and move through the house in stages. Go through all of your possessions and throw away, donate, or sell anything that you don't use. Organize old photos into albums and keep sentimental items organized and available for use—even on display.