Emilie Barnes - 101 Ways to Clean Out the Clutter

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota

101 WAYS TO CLEAN OUT THE CLUTTER

Copyright 2008 by Emilie Barnes

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Barnes, Emilie.

101 ways to clean out the clutter / Emilie Barnes.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7369-2263-0

ISBN-10: 0-7369-2263-6

1. House cleaning. I. Title. II. Title: One hundred and one ways to clean out the clutter.

TX324.C58 1997

648'5dc22

2007028427

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 / BP-SK / 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Here, wherever it is, is your spot. This place should be expressing something of yourself. It should be communicating something of you to your visitors, but it should also satisfy something within you. You should feel at home here, because you have made it home with something of yourself.

EDITH SCHAEFFER

If youre like the women I meet, you long for a home without all the clutter that wears you out at the end of the day. Because so much of your time and energy are spent dusting, washing, waxing, and cleaning all your stuff, your husband, children, friends, and church may suffer.

With a little effort and a few helpful ideas, you can get control of all that stuff and learn to live how God intendedfree to enjoy His creation. I believe this balanced life is already there in your heart. I hope that the ideas in this little book will help you shine forth as you de-clutter your home and embrace a life that is simply amazing.

Emilie Barnes

W hat is it about your lifestyle that causes you to be surrounded with clutter? Search your self, your habits, your routines, your methods, and even your philosophy about stuff to see what might lead to all that clutter.

I find that organized people have a calmness and serenity about them that disorganized people dont possess. Are you harried or distracted throughout much of your day? Does this unbalanced state of mind make your home and maybe even your work setting off kilter?

Pick an upcoming day to be extra aware of what triggers that sense of chaos or unrest. Is it a lack of communication, focus, or a schedule that does it? Consider how a different response to each trigger could shift you toward a more peaceful lifestyle.

M ake sure everything has a designated place. One of my mottoes is, Dont put it down, put it away. Another is, Dont pile it, file it. If there is no place for stuff to go, its going to be piled. Make it a goal to prevent those piles.

I know it isnt easy to do this at first, but soon youll become hardwired to sift through mail, reports, statements, work, take-out menus, and whatever else is gathering on the counters and in the corners of your home. Either it is important enough to have a specific place or its perfectly suited for the trash bin!

If going through papers, magazines, or bills initially feels overwhelming, choose a pile to take care of each day. Spend only five minutes sorting so youll make quick decisions.

G et rid of all items you dont use. That means all clothes, furniture, bowls, cups, saucers, old records, old CDs, old videos, and so forth. It seems harmless to keep something around just in case, but unused items take up valuable space. They also demand a significant portion of your time and attention when you handle, dust, wash, fold, and store them.

If you struggle to eliminate a shirt you havent worn in three years, think how good it will feel to give it to a friend, a neighbor, a church, or a worthwhile organization.

Have you spent several rounds of should I give this away questioning on one particular item (or several)? That should be your cue to finally move it out the door. Youll feel lighter after you make these choices. Once you clear away a few items and experience the pleasure of uncluttering your life, youll want to go back to the closets, the drawers, the corners, and the nooks to clear out even more.

T o be orderly you need proper tools: bins, hooks, racks, containers, file cabinets, file folders, and maybe a lazy Susan. Evaluate what you have on hand that can serve as a good paper holder, book shelf, or clothes hanger.

When organization is done right and suits your personal style, it will lead to simpler living. Give yourself the benefit of the ideal tool. Once you have a system in place that works, you wont have to keep deciding what to do with the piles.

Make a list of the tools you have and those you would like to purchase. Keep this with you so you can select the right materials when you are shoppingwhether at garage sales, the Goodwill, or the local market.

I nvolve the whole family. Learn to delegate jobs and responsibilities to other members of the family. Work with the children to de-clutter their bedrooms and bath. Dad can also be a big help, especially when you begin to clear out all the unused stuff in the garage.

Set a date for a cleaning bonanza and purchase all the cleaning supplies in advance. As a surprise for your family cleaning day, purchase a fun organizational tool for each family memberone that suits their individual personality. Or plan a relay cleaning day. Designate several projects that need to be done and assign a person to each task. Set a timer for 30 minutes and start working. When the buzzer sounds, each family member rotates to a different chore station. This plan keeps the energy high and nobody becomes bored.

Allow your family members to choose the background music for the work day and promise them pizza when everything is done. You could also reward the hard workers with a movie night and a walk-through tour to see how the rooms look with their makeover.

U se lots of labels and signs. If containers, bins, drawers, and shelves arent labeled, the family wont be able to spot where things go. Use color coding to help identify items belonging to various members of the family; red bins for Christine, blue for Chad, and yellow for Bevan.

Keep your family involved in the process of simplifying the home life. You might be pleasantly surprised by how much they flourish in an uncluttered environment. Give your kids cleaning responsibilities at every age so that they get used to the benefits. Keep the tasks age-appropriate and be sure to acknowledge them for their efforts. Most of all, model the behavior yourself.

You will achieve grand dreams, a day at a time, so set goals for each day