Several years ago, my family and I decided to pursue minimalism. Since then, we have tried to remove all of the possessions from our home that are not essential. In doing so, we have found new opportunity to spend our time, energy, and finances on the things that are most important to us.
Also, we became far more observant about how our things rob us of our precious freedom. We have learned that just like most families, no matter how hard we try to stop it, stuff inevitably continues to enter our home… nearly every single day.
So we work hard to remove any clutter that begins to accumulate in our home. Along the way, we have picked up (and try to practice) some helpful clutter busting routines to help those who are just getting started with minimalist living.
Here are 15 Clutter Busting Routines we have found helpful in our home:
1. Place junk mail immediately into a recycling bin. Take note of the natural flow of mail into your home. Placing a recycling container prior to your “mail drop-off zone” can catch most of that junk mail before it even reaches your counter. And as an added bonus, you’ll begin to look through less of it too (think advertisements).
2. Store kitchen appliances out of sight. Toasters, can openers, coffee makers… they all take up space. And while it may not seem like much space by looking at them, the first time you prepare dinner on a counter without them present, you’ll quickly notice the difference when you have a minimalist kitchen. If you think it’s going to be a hassle putting them away every morning, don’t. It takes less than 6 seconds to put each appliance away… once you’ve found a home for it that is.
3. Remove 10 articles of clothing from your closet today. Go ahead. If you are typical, it’ll take you roughly 5 minutes to grab 10 articles of clothing that you no longer wear and throw them in a box. Your remaining clothes will fit better in your closet. Your closet will be able to breathe again. And if you write “Goodwill” on the box when you are done, you’ll feel better about yourself as soon as you drop it off. Most likely, you’ll find yourself inspired to do it again.
4. Fold clean clothes / Remove dirty clothes immediately. The way I handle clothes these days is one of the biggest clutter changes I have made in my life. Unfortunately, I used to be a “throw-them-on-the-floor” guy. But now I handle each one right when I take it off. Dirty clothes down the clothes chute. Clean clothes back to the hanger or drawer. That’s it. It’s really that simple. How do the dirty ones magically appear clean and folded in my closet you ask… I’m not sure. You’ll need to ask my wife.
5. Kids’ bedroom toys live in the closet. Not on the floor. Not on the dresser. But in the closet. And when the closet gets too full of toys, it’s time to make some room. Hint, it’s usually safe to remove the toys at the bottom of the pile.
6. Kids pick up their toys each evening. This has countless benefits: 1) It teaches responsibility. 2) It helps kids realize that more isn’t always better. 3) The home is clean for mom and dad when the kids are in bed. 4) It’s a clear indication that the day has come to an end. Gosh, you’d think with all these benefits it would be easier for us to get the kids to do it…
7. Fill your containers for the garbage man. Use every trash pick-up day as an excuse to fill your recycling containers and/or garbage cans. Grab a box of old junk from the attic… old toys from the toy room… old food from the pantry… old paperwork from the office. If once a week is too often, do this exercise every other week. You’ll get the hang of it. And may even begin to enjoy trash morning… okay, I won’t go that far.
8. Halve decorations. No seriously, I mean it. Grab a box and walk through your living room. Remove decorations from shelves, tables, and walls that aren’t absolutely beautiful or meaningful. You may like it better than you think. If not, you can always put them back. But I’d bet my wife’s old high school yearbooks that you won’t return all of them.
9. Wash dishes right away. Hand washing some dishes takes less time than putting them in the dishwasher. This applies to cups, breakfast bowls, dinner plates, and silverware. If hand washed right after eating, it takes hardly any time at all. If however, hand washing is just not an option for you, be sure to put used dishes in the dishwasher right away. Nobody likes walking into a kitchen with dishes piled up in the sink or on the counter… and it’s even less fun eating in there. Practice kitchen counter organization to have a clutter-free countertop.
10. Unmix and match cups, bowls, plates, and silverware. Uniformity makes for better stacking, storing, and accessing. If there is a souvenir cup or mug that is so important to you that you can’t live without it, that’s perfectly fine. Just don’t keep 5 of them. Mom, any chance you are reading this?
11. Keep your desk clear, clean, and minimalistic. Drawers can adequately house most of the things needed to keep your desk functional. And a simple filing system should keep it clear of paper clutter. The next person who sits down to use the desk will thank you.
12. Store your media out of sight. Make a home for dvd’s, cd’s, video games, and remote controls. They don’t need to be in eyesight, you use them less than you think. And if you remove them from your eyesight… maybe you’ll use them even less.
13. Always leave room in your coat closet. There are two reasons why coats, shoes, and outerwear keep ending up scattered throughout your home rather than in your closet. The first reason is because your coat closet is so full, it’s a hassle to put things away and retrieve them quickly. Leave room on the floor, on the hangers, and on the shelves for used items to be quickly put away and retrieved. The second reason is because you have kids… but you’re on your own with that one.
14. Keep flat surfaces clear. Kitchen counters, bathroom counters, bedroom dressers, tabletops… After you clear them the first time, keeping them clean takes daily effort. Receipts, coins, and paper clutter just keep coming and coming… it’s just easier the second time around.
15. Finish a magazine or newspaper. Process or recycle immediately. If you’ve finished the paper product, process it and rid yourself of its clutter immediately. Good recipe in there? Put it in your recipe box and recycle the rest. Good article that your husband will enjoy? Clip it and recycle. Article that your friend will enjoy? Clip it, mail it, and recycle (or better yet, search for it online and send it that way). Coupon too good to pass up? Cut it out and recycle. Stacks of magazines and newspapers serve little purpose in life but to clutter a room.
Christy says
This is a great list. I have a question about recycling magazines, newspapers, etc. I don’t have a problem with ridding myself of these items when finished, but I often clip out inspiring articles and interesting design ideas/pictures when I’m really attracted to something. There really are times when a short article or piece of advice touches me in a way that I immediately want to incorporate that idea into my life (so I feel like it’s worth saving and re-reading). Where do you suggest storing these types of paper items? I currently have them in a folder in my desk, but sometimes I don’t want to look at them anymore.
Jan'et says
A loose-leaf binder with clear plastic pages was my solution for various articles on travel or hummingbird feeders or pruning crepe myrtle trees or a great zucchini recipe.
Living So Abundantly says
Excellent tips. Keeping our desk clear and clean is the hardest for some reason, but the clutter does make it hard to focus. That will be on my to-do list to get done today!
Matt says
Thank you for this practical information. What do you do with items that you think you might use down the road? Do you store them or do you consider whether or not you can purchase that item again later in life?
Carla Golden says
This is great info! Regarding #7, please don’t throw away anything that would be useful to someone else…donate it to Goodwill, a church or non-profit thrift or set it aside for the sanitation workers. They might like to take it home.
2manEkids says
Many items I leave on the street for bulk trash pickup invariably get picked up by the rovers who shop the trash of others. I feel very good about that. Good suggestion!
Susan says
LOVE THIS! I did get some new ideas – so my weekend will be very productive and I am sure I will arrive at Monday very happy! Especially am fond of handling mail IMMEDIATELY! I am a pro at that – keeping room in the coat closet, well everyone needs a goal!
Dove says
This is a great basic list. I’ve worked as a professional organizer (one of my many passions), as well as working more toward minimalism myself for several years now. How about a few more advanced tips? ;)
1) As a comment above indicated, make efforts to stop the junk mail. I don’t get that much myself, and it may be because I don’t use credit cards (very advanced tip, ha) and I don’t order from catalogs (although I do order online). No magazine subscriptions, waste of money and space. More fun to just browse the magazine racks, purchase as feel drawn as an occasional treat. Enjoy, tear out articles to save/read later–toss/giveaway the rest.
2) I’m not big on hiding things away. More often than not if it’s not easily accessed, it won’t get used. No need to have it, if it’s not being used. Coffee maker, toaster, automatic can opener. I don’t own any of those. I don’t eat toast (or bread) nor do I drink coffee. Neither of them are particularly good for one’s health. Try herbal tea, dandelion root is an awesome and very healthy alternative :) I use a manual can opener for the minimal can goods I use. Can goods, also not generally a healthful food option. Minimize and go manual.
8) I really like this one, and am working on this less-is-more decorating challenge :)
9) No dishwasher…and also no dishwashing liquid. I use about a quarter cup baking soda plus a squirt of white vinegar in wash water; then another 3 or 4 squirts of vinegar in rinse water. Saves time, money, gets the job done. We make washing dishes and many home chores MUCH more costly and complicated than they need to be. Thank you advertising moguls :)
14) (See my above comment on the psychological thing). This one is a great challenge for many of us. But it can be life-changing (like de-cluttering in general) if we work to keep our space clear and “open.” The clients I’ve worked with have invariably wanted to fill up that space as soon as I clear it. And I understand why, and I endeavor to convey this to them.
Here are two tips that may help: Make it a Number One priority for all flat surfaces to have at least SOME clear areas. Endeavor to never completely fill any shelf or flat surface–always leave an “opening.” That’s key for it to be life-changing. When you say, “Well, I don’t have much space, this is the only spot I have for it” as an argument for filing up that last bit of shelf space or flat surface, counter it with “Where would I put it if I didn’t have THIS space or place?” Pretend that you do not have that space. Then you’re forced to be creative, and come up with a new place and you maintain that valuable “openness” in the process. Yay ;)
Dove
Hector says
Sometimes I wonder if people are a little too obsessed with getting rid of clutter. The clutter on my desk, for example, doesn’t really bother me. I kind of like it. Check out this picture of Gary Panter in his studio:
http://img.metblogs.com/la/files/2008/05/jfr_panter.jpg
Looks like a minimalist’s nightmare; but it seems like a very happy place to me.
kiki says
i read your article, went straight to work hiding all my appliances, and my kitchen looks brand new! such freedom. it really is amazing. thanks!!!!
Lindsay says
@Sarah I had a similar problem with magazines. What worked for me was scanning in the articles that I wanted to keep or photos I liked for inspiration. It took awhile to get through all the old magazines I was holding onto but now that I have done that it takes no time at all because there are really only 3-4 articles per magazine I want to save.
just a thought :)
Sarah says
Pamela – I also had a problem letting go of things with sentimental value. Then I stumbled upon the idea of taking a picture of the said item and then getting rid of it. I call it memory transference. I’m able to transfer my memory associated with an object from the object itself to a digital picture that takes up no space at all. It has been wonderfully liberating! When I get enough pictures, I’m planning on making a digital scrapbook with all my memory pictures and write why each item was so meaningful. I have gotten rid of so many things using this method.
kiki says
that is a beautiful idea. could be the tool i have been searching for to help with my clutter/hoarding. thank you very much!