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Community Corner

Ten Daily Clutter Busters to Ease Home Chaos

Eighty percent of people say they declutter weekly and that the home office and children’s bedrooms are the top two areas for accumulated clutter, according to a recent survey conducted by the green cleaning leader, Maid Brigade. With published research stating that clutter causes anxiety, confusion, and depression it’s no wonder that the survey participants say that an organized and clutter-free home is the number two factor influencing their overall well-being.

In my home, when clutter gets out of hand, chaos isn’t far behind. To alleviate stress, I tackle one room at a time and spend 15 minutes each day picking up. Just that small amount of clutter clearing makes a huge difference!

The playroom, kitchen and family room were also at the top of the clutter list for Maid Brigade survey participants.  These 10 tips from the green cleaning experts at Maid Brigade of Northeast Ohio will help you keep calm and conquer the daily clutter cleanup.

1.    Practice the "in-out” rule. For every new item, discard an old one.
2.    Spend 15 minutes per day picking up before it becomes overwhelming.
3.    Label four boxes or bags: Keep, Donate, Trash, Hold. (If you haven’t touched the things in the hold box in one year, their time has come.)
4.    Reward kids for cleaning up and sharing what they no longer use, to make it fun.
5.    Use baskets and bowls to collect mail, pens, and loose change that accumulate on countertops. Empty weekly.
6.    Handle mail and email once. Take any action needed as it arrives, then file or discard.
7.    Add furniture that does double duty such as a coffee table that also serves as a storage chest to contain items in the room where they’re used.
8.    Declutter drawers by emptying everything in front of you. Put only what you really use back and eliminate the rest.
9.    Create a "magic triangle" in your kitchen between the stove, refrigerator, and sink and keep frequently used kitchen items there.
10.    Avoid randomly buying storage containers to hold things you don’t use or need. It just adds to the clutter. And, those containers take up space.

Want to know more about how to manage clutter? Visit my blog at www.maidbrigade.com/blog. You can also read more about the Maid Brigade survey and its results at http://www.maidbrigade.com/survey.

For more information on Maid Brigade of Northeast Ohio visit http://www.maidbrigade.com/oh/canton.

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