Clutter Awareness Week is the third week of March. Do you know where your clutter is?
Your reaction may be that you are already well aware of your clutter and its location. You may be surprised, however, to realize just how many places clutter can accumulate. Knowing where the clutter builds up can be the first step in dealing with it.
What are the first places you think of when you hear the word clutter? Junk drawers, closets, the attic and the basement are the most common.
You may have heard the saying “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Some would argue that their clutter has a place — in the closet or the junk drawer! These areas are common breeding grounds for clutter because they are the first place you think of to stash anything that does not have a home.
Clutter Awareness Week can be used to identify your hidden clutter collections. Realizing where you tend to collect stuff is a great way to attack your problem areas and modify your habits. Let’s take a look at a few:
1) MEDICINE CABINETS: Expired medicine, dried up tubes of creams/salves/lotions, boxes of band-aids that only have one or two left, odd pieces of gauze, old makeup — all of these items are clutter. If you have 10 minutes and a garbage can, you can organize your medicine cabinet!
2) COUNTERTOPS AND DINING TABLES: Piles of paper, unopened mail, magazines and catalogs — do you see this all over your kitchen and dining room? Yes, this is clutter.
3) YOUR PURSE: If you have a purse that weighs more than 10 pounds and could actually qualify as a small suitcase, then you most likely are carrying clutter with you. You should be able to lighten the load by putting things where they belong. For instance, have an umbrella and first-aid kit in your car, empty out receipts and notes on a weekly basis and remove change every day.
4) YOUR SOCK DRAWER: Hosiery, dress socks, athletic socks … yep! We all do it, we hoard socks. Most of us have our favorite pairs that we always try to find and wear. The rest just take up space. Pitch any that have holes, snags, runs or are extremely worn. Toss the singles, too — or add to the rag bag for use as small dust rags. (If the partner does miraculously show up, toss him too!) Any that you no longer wear — like those bright pink slouch socks from the ’80s — donate or toss.
5) YOUR VEHICLE: Glove box, trunk, back seat, center console — these are all breeding grounds for clutter. Take the opportunity to spring clean your car inside and out.
6) FILING CABINETS: Up to 90 percent of what we file is never referred to again. Need I say more?
OK, so now you are aware that you have clutter in obvious and not-so-obvious places. Is that all that Clutter Awareness week is about? It may seem too easy, but awareness is the first step toward change.
Clutter is a family affair. Since everyone helps to make a mess, it is everyone’s “job” to keep items picked up and put away, or sorted and discarded. To maintain a clutter-free environment, everyone needs to do a little bit every day. Share ideas of what is expected and acceptable. Divide tasks according to family members’ ages and abilities. You may need to teach children simple and effective ways to do the tasks assigned to them.
K-State Research and Extension offers helpful resources for tackling clutter issues. The fact sheet “Cut the Clutter and Get Organized” gives simple tips to organize and maintain a low-clutter lifestyle.
When clutter becomes excessive, the KSU fact sheet “Hoarders: The Impact of Compulsive Keepers” can give helpful insights into this problematic situation.
Both fact sheets are available at the Ellis County Extension Office, 601 Main, Hays, or find them online at the K-State Research and Extension website. Go to www.ksre.ksu.edu, select the Bookstore, and then use the search function to find each fact sheet by title.
Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.