https://www.bin-store.com/blog

One of the top reasons for clutter is that many people lack a systematic method of sorting new items that arrive in their lives. They receive gifts over the holidays or purchase items at a bargain at the store and do not have a plan for what to do with them next. So they end up crowding corners or drawers. Oftentimes, they are simply forgotten—except for the eyesore they create.

What is the best way to sort clutter? Rather than waiting for it to pile up, what you should do is have a system for immediately organizing or removing items as they come into your home.

Here is how to sort through clutter before it accumulates. Imagine that someone has just given you a gift. You need to decide what to do with it. Here are the steps you can run through.

1. First, ask yourself if you honestly are likely to use the item on a regular basis. If the answer to that question is “yes,” then you should immediately store it in a useful, logical location.

2. If the answer to the previous question is “no,” ask yourself if there is a deeply compelling sentimental or practical reason to hold onto it. It is easy to get carried away by sentiment, so be as particular as you can here. If the answer to that question is “yes,” then immediately put the item in a logical location.

3. If there is no vital reason to hold onto the item, then you should get rid of it. Ask yourself if there is someone else you know who could use the item. If there is, gift it to that person. He or she will be grateful for your thoughtfulness, and you will know that the item is in good hands.

4. If you were unable to think of someone who could use the item you need to get rid of, you should take it to a thrift store. Schedule regular runs to your local donation center, and have large plastic bins handy to store outgoing items.

If you are able to stick with this system, you should be able to get new items organized or removed from your home within a short span of time on a continuous basis. If you go to the thrift store once a month, that is the maximum amount of time that you will have unnecessary items on hand, and they should be neatly stored in your plastic bin during that time.

It does take some discipline to use this system, since you need to be willing to be pretty strict about what you keep and what you get rid of. But you probably will discover that the extra space and tidiness in your home are worth the effort. You will also end up saving a lot of time going forward. When you prevent clutter from accumulating in the first place, you have less decluttering to deal with later!