Page 15 - Indulge December 2017
P. 15
Bye Bye Clutter!
Pros share how to clearout after the holidays
By Beth W. Orenstein
It’s so easy for stuff to pile up in your Apply the one-in, Do a room at a time
home. Even more so, it seems, over the one-out rule
holiday season. Here are some great tips If your goal is to declutter your house,
from organizing pros for decluttering your You probably received lots of start small. Pick one room and a corner
home when the holidays are over and new items for your home as holiday of that room to boot. “If you look at the
everyone goes back to work and school. presents. You should make it a rule whole room or the whole house, you’ll be
that for every new item that comes overwhelmed,” Dunn says.
Box up your holiday in, one old goes out, Albright says.
decorations Having too many of the same item Stay in that room. Work your way
contributes to household clutter. around until you feel as though you’ve
Buy some big plastic bins to store accomplished what you set out to do,
your holiday decorations, says Donna However, you can’t just Dunn says.
Dunn of A Place for Everything in throw away electronics. Albright
Hellertown. Color code them so you recommends the website, earth911. Once you finish and rid the room of
know from the outside which ones hold com to find what places near where unnecessary items, you can move on to
what, Dunn says. For example, green for you live will take your old televisions, the next; but not before.
Christmas, orange for Halloween and blue microwave ovens, computers,
for Hanukkah. telephones and other items. Enter
your item and ZIP code and it lists
If you’re using boxes or bins from places that will accept that item for
last year, get rid of any decorations that recycling. Some places charge a fee
are in them that you did not use, says and others accept items for free.
Diane Albright, a certified professional
organizer in Emmaus. If you haven’t used If you have a household
something in a year, you’re not likely to gift or an item of clothing
and it’s taking up precious space. that you don’t want, don’t
hang onto it. Have a large box
You can give family “heirlooms” to marked “giveaway” that you
your children, donate other decorations keep in a closet or somewhere
that are in good condition, and trash inconspicuous and put unwanted
those that are old or no good, Dunn says. items in it not just after the
holidays but year-round, Albright
Dunn cautions not to make hasty says. “This will decrease clutter in
decisions when it comes to trashing your home.”
unwanted items: “You can have a bin
that says, ‘I’m not sure.’ Give yourself You also can “repurpose” if you
a season to hold onto it. Usually after received too many of the same item.
six months you’ll know what’s the right Were you given more coffee mugs
thing to do.” than you will ever use? You can put
one in the medicine cabinet to hold
If you store your decorations in an cotton balls or in a drawer to hold
organized fashion, it will make it not only paper clips, she says. And if you
easier to bring them out next year, but don’t have another use for it, think
also make you feel good about putting about donating it.
them away, the experts agree.
December 2017 • indulge LV | 15
