Dietary cleanses are all the rage today.

How about a Clutter Cleanse?

Step 1- De-clutter

* Choose an area to purge. Pick the room, the drawer, the shelf, that’s driving you the most

         crazy. Or choose a spot that you can deal with quickly so you can enjoy a quick victory.
 

* First you’ll need to gather supplies. You’ll need lots of large trash bags or a large lined

         trash can. The goal is to fill these several times.

* Next you’ll need a work space to sort stuff into or onto. A large bed, a large table or even

         a sheet spread on the floor will work. Another option is to use large containers 

         (boxes, tubs, laundry baskets) to sort into.

* Label the containers or the work area with these categories:

      – Trash/Recycle

      – Shred. Make sure you have a shredder that won’t burn up. If you have a large amount of shredding

         use a mobile shredding service.

      – Donate/Give Away

      – Put Away (these are for items that have migrated to the wrong space and belong somewhere else)

      – Repair (if it’s truly worth the hassle & expense)

      – Consign/Sell (I don’t think garage sales are usually worth the time and effort involved, but you

         might have things that are actually worth listing on Craig’s List or taking to a consignment shop)

* Sort your stuff into the above categories. Then deal with each category one at a time.

* Take trash and recyclables to the curb… good riddance!

* Take donations right out to your car so you won’t be tempted to keep them.

* Schedule a day to drop repairs and consignment items at the appropriate shop.

         This is the time to also drop off items that can’t be recycled at the curb.

* Put belongings away in the right room. If that room needs to be organized, at least those

         things are in the general vicinity for the time being.

* Take photos of items for sale and post on Craig’s List.

Wahoo! You’ve done the hard part… you let go of your stuff!

CLICK the NEXT PAGE arrow & learn where to start.