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Clean Out Your House for Success and Happiness
Author: Dr. Isabella Santorini  | Posted: 21-05-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 30 | Rating: (235)  (?) 
Are you tired and overworked? Do you have piles of papers sitting on the kitchen counter? Does it take you fifteen minutes to find your keys, or a pen to write with?
If so, you could probably use a good house clean-out. When a house is in good working order, it’s easy to maintain and it supports the goals of those who live in it. Suddenly there’s time to play and finish projects. And, it becomes a great place in which to relax.
The important thing to remember at the beginning of cleaning out your house is not to go overboard. We’re not discussing interior design. Painting, repair, color coordination all come later, so put those things out of your mind. Focus on the “stuff” in your house first. And be sure to give yourself several weeks to complete the clean-out.
When I work with people, I always have them start in the kitchen. If the kitchen is in great working order, it’s easier to prepare meals and eat well. It also makes the house look better immediately.
First, move all items out of the kitchen that don’t belong in the kitchen. This is a recurring theme that we’ll use throughout house clean out. Bedrooms are for bedroom things. Garages are for garage things. And kitchens are for food prep, storage, and cooking. They are not offices, mail centers, or storage facilities. So clear them out. Put everything you clear out into boxes and put them somewhere, anywhere other than the kitchen.
Clear off the counters and then go through each cabinet and drawer and take out everything you haven’t used in six months. Put the extra kitchen utensils and appliances in boxes. Store this somewhere where you can get to it if need be. I put my kitchen overflow into a plastic tubs and stored them in the garage. Wait three or four days and then, do this again. I guarantee that you’ll find more to put into storage.
When this is done, practice cleaning up the kitchen really well every day after each meal. You’ll soon get the kitchen into efficient order and you’ll see where you lose time when doing daily tasks. It could be that you need to revamp your plastic storage container collection, getting rid of odd sizes, so that they stack easily and quickly.
When the kitchen is done, move to the bedroom and do the same thing. Remember that the bedroom is for sleeping and relaxing. It’s not an office, or a place for doing projects. Clear out clothes that you don’t wear, books that you’re not reading, shoes that are falling apart, etc. If you want to keep it, that’s fine. Box it up and put it in a storage room or a spare bedroom or the garage if you have to.
After doing these two rooms, go through each other room in the house. The rule here is clean it all out. Houses are much easier to organize if everything has a place. So, move the extra stuff.
For getting rid of things that you can sell, there are some wonderful options. I have used Craig’s List to sell everything from a hot tub to computer monitors. Craig’s List is a free service that you can access on the internet. It is easy to use but be sure to use the precautions they suggest on the website. There are many donation places that are looking for used goods. The Salvation Army, Good Will, and Disabled American Veterans will all come out and pick up things that you aren’t interested in selling but are too nice to throw away.
Another good idea for getting rid of things is to recycle them. In our city, we have a Household Waste recycling center that takes anything from batteries, old medications, and cell phones, to paint, computer equipment, and power cords.
Once you’re done cleaning things out, go through every room again and ask yourself, “Does this room have anything in it that doesn’t belong?” If it does, think of another place to put it. This is where attics come in handy.
Most of the things in my attic are things that I won’t need for years, if that. I have family archives and spare carpet and financial records up there. But I also have organized it so that I have put holiday decorations up there. I only use these once a year, so it doesn’t make sense for them to be sitting around the rest of the year getting in the way.
Remember to allow plenty of time to get this project done. This can be a daunting task. When you find that you’re at a standstill, unable to move forward on a tough project, separate the task ahead of you into several different action steps.
For instance, when I was working in my garage, that was full of things that I needed to find a place for, I separated my actions into: 1) organization, 2) cleaning, 3) disposal, 4) shopping (for tool hangers, hooks, board for the attic, etc), 5) attic preparation—putting boards over the slats to give me more storage space, and 6) putting boxes into the attic.
When I’d go out to work in the garage, I would pick the most pressing action to do first. This was organization. Then soon, I was ready to dispose of extra things. Then, I prepared the attic for more storage and put boxes into the attic. Lastly, I cleaned the garage and then shopped for hooks and things upon which to hang rakes, bicycles, etc. I hung these things and I was then done with the project. Working this way, it took me very little time to complete a project that I’d been avoiding for over five years.
As you go along, remind yourself that the key is taking one step forward at a time. This task can be trying. You’ll succeed if you just don’t quit.
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About the Author:Dr. Isabella Santorini used to be a stressed-out doctor and a hopeless packrat until she and her husband began their family. Since then, she’s mastered the fine art of organizing her house for success. If you’d like to easily make your house a wonderful place to live, don’t waste valuable time and energy. Visit her favorite decluttering site at: http://mbguevara.inorder.hop.clickbank.net/
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