Okay, so you have identified the problem areas in your home. Now it’s time to figure out how and what to do with all the clutter. This is an abbreviated version of several posts that I have on my blog Declutter It!. There, you can also read about the storing process and how to stay organized.

When it comes to decluttering your home, it is best to follow a process. What I mean by process is going through all the stuff in the room in an organized way and with a plan.

Here is the organizing process according to how I do it. It has worked great for me for years!

1) Sort – You need to know what you have, what’s worth keeping and what’s not.
2) Store – You need to store what you keep the right way. It is important to buy storage containers that are beautiful to you, match your existing decor and are efficient.
3) Stay Organized – Setting up systems that suit the way you think and live is very important. Also learn to manage your projects so clutter has no chance of accumulating.

Today we will talk about the first step, which is sorting. This is the step that takes the longest and is the most overwhelming. It’s this step that makes people stop dead in their tracks, throw up their hands and give up.

I always tell people that for the sorting process, enlisting the help of a friend, family member or even an organizing expert is a good way to make sure it will get done. Remember, most likely you have been accumulating some of this stuff for years. It’s going to take more than a day and you doing it alone, to get it done. It’s okay to ask for help.

The Sorting Process

1) Get 4 big boxes and one large heavy duty trash bag. Label the boxes: To Sell, To Donate, To Relocate, To Keep. The large trash bag is, well, for trash!

2) To start sorting, begin at one corner of the room and work your way around the entire room. Don’t bounce back and forth from one end of the room to the other because that will just get you confused and will make it take longer.

   As you pick up something follow the golden rule of organizing: OHIO – Only Handle It Once. Ask yourself these questions and make fast decisions. If you have to think about it too long, get rid of it.

• Is it garbage? – If it’s broken and has been broken for awhile then just get rid of it. If it’s in bad shape, get rid of it. You do not need to clutter your home with items that are broken and useless.
• Has it been more than a year since it has been used? If so, it goes! Put it in the to sell or to donate box.
• Do I use this item in a different room? If so, put the item in the to relocate box.
• Is the item actually used and enjoyed in this room? If so, put it in the to keep box.

After you are done with the sorting process, take everything that does not belong in that room out. Take the garbage bag to the trash. Take all the other boxes, except the to keep box, and put them in another room to deal with later. Right now you need to focus on this room and this room only. If you start distributing the items in the to relocate box, you’ll just get side tracked.

So there are some steps for you to follow to sort through the clutter in your home. For more detailed information, please visit Declutter It!.

Tomorrow’s topic is "Creating an Organized Closet". See you there!