Accept Your Clutter Zone

I would venture to say that we all have a "clutter zone." That area in your home that, no matter how hard you try, various things accumulate quickly and before you know it, it is a mess. My clutter zone is in the corner of my kitchen. It is where the laptop resides, along with our "in" box, our diaper changing station, and our key bowl. It is a very central area in our home and the most convenient place to toss items that need to be dealt with later.

I have read several books and blogs on various methods of how to avoid a clutter zone. The key trick is usually to put things away immediately. In a perfect world, that concept may be possible, but life gets busy. Your hands are full, your kids are screaming, your dog needs to be fed or the phone needs answered. Putting things away immediately is not always as easy as it sounds.

So I have learned to accept my clutter zone. But this does not mean that I let it control me. Allowing clutter to accumulate becomes a natural event in many homes but if you let the clutter remain for long periods of time, it will grow and grow into an insurmountable chore that will overtake you if left to its own devices.

Here are some tips to motivate you to keep up with your clutter zone on a regular basis, during those times when the kids are napping, the phone is silenced and the house is calm:

• Make it central. Most clutter zones occur because they are in a convenient location in your home to toss things as you walk by so it is probably all ready in a central location. If it is not, I recommend relocating your clutter zone to somewhere you walk by frequently. This creates a constant reminder that it will need attention when you have a free moment.
• Make it obvious. Your first instinct may be to hide the clutter so you do not have to look at it. This may sound like a good idea, but then you will struggle with "out of sight, out of mind." In order to keep it constantly in the forefront of your mind, do not allow your clutter zone to be hidden. Shy away from drawers, cabinets, closets, or anything that can be closed. You want your clutter zone to be impossible to conceal.
• Make it embarrassing. My clutter zone used to be in my bedroom so when I had company coming over, I simply shut the door and could ignore it. That was a big mistake. Much like making it obvious to you, you must make it obvious to anyone who enters your home. This will motivate you to clean and organize it every time you are expecting company. Entryways, living room corners, and hallways are great places to locate your clutter zone because they are often frequented by visitors.
• Make it functional. Clutter does not have to exist in one giant heap. Attempt to have sections in your clutter zone. Set up an "in" box specifically for papers, a basket for small random items, or a shelf for books. You do not need to organize every item in your clutter zone, just try to toss items in specified areas to ensure that you do not lose important things. Even if you just toss papers on the left, your kids' stuff on the right and miscellaneous things in the middle, you are at least creating an immediate sense of functionality to your clutter zone.

By following these four simple steps, you can ensure that your clutter zone will not overtake you. You no longer have to try to fight the inevitable and can learn to let yourself have a clutter zone. It will help your sanity during those crazy and hectic times. Just remember to make it central, obvious, embarrassing and functional and you will control your clutter zone rather than having it control you.

For more great homemaking tips, check out: Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife, Organizing Junkie, A Slob Comes Clean and 5 Minutes For Mom.