Office Closets

Cleaning/decluttering books without complicated systems?

I have read the "Fly-lady" system and the "Messies Manual" and I know part of my problem is that I'm somewhat lazy. ;-) But, I'm wondering if there are any books or web sites out there to give me tips on keeping my home clean and uncluttered, without having to create these complicated systems of cards? Thanks. . .

Public Comments

1. I don't know of any books. But I think any book would be a waste of time. Instead of spending valuable time READING, why don't you get off the sofa and jump in and do it? Give yourself a WEEKEND to declutter. Do it ROOM BY ROOM. Start with the main rooms first, and don't get too hung up on...'should I keep it or not?' Make three piles in each room. One to put in storage, one for give-aways, and one for garbage. Don't spend time trippin' down memory lane and reading every little letter you run across, or it's going to take you forever and you will never finish, as you'll get sick of it before you're done. Just set a deadline, and DO IT!! The same thing with cleaning. Most of those books out there are a waste of time unless you are looking for something specific...like how to get pet odors out of the furniture, etc. For the most part, keeping your house clean is just a lot of good common sense...and a little elbow grease. Once your house is organized and de-cluttered, however, cleaning is MUCH EASIER!! So GET TO IT!! If de-cluttering is not something you can tackle on your own, get yourself a professional Home Organizer through NAPO. (National Association of Professional Organizers.) It would be a one time investment if you keep it up. And well worth it to shorten your cleaning time. Stop being so lazy!! Don't you want to live in a nice house?? Put down the books, and pick up the mop!! And that's my best advice!!
2. Well, what exactly are you wanting to declutter or organize? Just saying "my house" is a very broad word...here are some of the general organization/decluttering tips i have. I go through closets, toys, storage boxes, etc. about once a year and I have this thing where I think, ok if I have not even came looking for this in the last 6 months, I apparently dont need it. You can give old clothes and toys to good will or salvation army, or just put it all in boxes for a garage sale. If you have clothes you dont fit in, seriously think about it before you just hang them in the back of the closet for your "I can fit in this if I just lose 20lbs so I will save it" stash... someone else that is less fortunate can use them NOW and by the time you seriously get done losing that weight, it will be out of style and you wont wear it anyways. Any types of papers that you have piling up, get a filing cabinet (you can get a small 2 drawer cabinet at walmart for like $30!) and go through it all and put it into files that you label. Credit card statements, you should probably just put in the shredder or burn them. And when you get something in the mail that you NEED to keep, just simply open the filing cabinet and file it. Get vaccum bags to store out of season clothing and linens. You can easily fit them under a bed or into a closet with out taking up much space. It may be difficult to get it started, but once you get organized it will save time and take alot of stress off your back. Good luck.
3. I do 15 minutes every morning as hard as I can until my heart races. It really helps. Try that first