In today’s consumer society it is easy to find yourself buried in stuff. Whether it is clothes, linens, shoes, half-finished packages of food, or an overstuffed medicine cabinet, it is an almost constant battle to keep the stuff we use for our every day lives under control. By taming the beast of clutter you can simplify your daily routines by having less stuff to sift through, and you can restore a greater sense of peace and well being to your home in the process. Here are a few guidelines to getting the clutter out of your apartment and to getting some peace of mind back into your life.
The Kitchen
It is easy to acquire food, spices, oils,
condiments, plates, and cookware without having the proper storage to
accommodate it all. Generally, if you
have not used something—whether it is a fondue set, a blender, or that Thai
spice mix set you someday intend to use—get rid of it. One
way to ensure your kitchen stays manageable is by making a few smaller shops
per week, rather than one big stock up.
Buying less items more frequently keeps you in touch with what you do
have, and allows you to keep fresher ingredients on hand while preventing waste
through spoilage.
The Bedroom Closet
Clothes can be particularly tricky to
manage because of the sentimental value we often place upon them. A particular sweater, t-shirt, or coat can
live on in our closets well after it has ceased to be worn simply because it
reminds us of a particular time and place.
As a rule of thumb, if you have not worn a garment over the last year then
it is time to put it out to pasture. Once you pare down your wardrobe to a
manageable amount, be sure to arrange and present your clothes in a clear and
organized manner, so you can keep daily, visual tabs on what you have.
The Bathroom
Bathrooms are magnets for almost empty
bottles of shampoo and conditioner and old medications, combs, and tubes of cream
that never get used. Again, if you have
not used something in a year then it is good to go. Think of what toiletries you would pack for a
trip—i.e. what are the essential things
you need each day—and reduce your bathroom stock to only those items.
If you clean as you go, and keep your
counters, cabinets, and drawers free from becoming dumping zones, than a
de-cluttered apartment is easy to maintain. Remember, thrift stores, charities, and food
banks are always in need of good items, so pass your stuff along, and keep
yourself and your apartment organized and orderly.
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