Magazine Clutter
Toss magazines older than 3 months. A new one will always come next month. If you never get a chance to read them, consider not renewing them. Instead of keeping the entire magazine, tear out articles you want to read, decorating ideas, items you wish to purchase, etc., and place them in reading, or “idea” folders that you can access later. If you must keep the magazines, such as cooking magazines for the recipes, put them in a magazine holder in a location that is easily accessible in the kitchen.
Clothing Clutter
Can’t remember the last time you wore an article of clothing? Turn all of your hangers in the opposite direction of the way you normally hang up your clothes. After you wear the item, hang it back up the normal direction. After 3-6 months you will have a good idea of what you are not wearing. It may be time to eliminate a few of those pieces and let someone else get some use from them.
Empty Boxes Clutter
One of the biggest space wasters in the garage are empty boxes – that are being kept, because you might need them “someday.” After a while the boxes will become dusty and could start to smell and then you will not want to use it anyway. You can always get another box and free up that space for something you really need to keep! If you are keeping the boxes purely for the information on the side, such as computer information, you may want to cut that section off and file it with your warranties, unless you think you may need to return the computer in the original box.
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Laura Leist, CPO, is a speaker, productivity consultant and the best-selling author of Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life. She founded the Seattle-based organizing services firm Eliminate Chaos in 2000 and is the President of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). Laura is a frequent guest on TV, radio and has been published in several national newspapers and magazines.
Copyright Eliminate Chaos. Reprinted with permission.
