Photo by Spencer Dahl on Unsplash

There is no right way to start. But this is a recommended way that helps me. For house clutter, grab a trash bag. Walk through the house and collect all trash lying around that needs to be thrown out. This can include stuff in cupboards or drawers that needs tossing. It totally depends on how much time you have. If you have 30 minutes, just walk through the house and look around the rooms and collect anything that can be tossed in the trash bag. There. It looks better already!

Now, walk around the worst room and put away all the stuff that is out of place. If it all belongs in the same room, you can pile it up and walk it there in one trip. Otherwise, walk it there and put it away. Don’t worry about cleaning right now. You are just creating order. Clear off counters and tabletops to the degree that suits you best. Some people prefer nothing. I like a little bit. I often have way more on counters and tops than I want. Less is more. I’m learning that more and more.

I usually run into a lot of paper that needs to be sorted and I put it in a pile in a bin for sorting when I sit down. I sit near a shredder and trashcan and sort away. I shred what I need to and toss what doesn’t need shredding.

When you do these quick declutters, you will find that there are certain trouble areas that you want to work on so they don’t continue to cause you trouble.

Routines for yourself and your family

You will also have certain routines that keep you from having to deal with clutter. Things like making sure to end the day with a clean kitchen. Dishwashers help with this. We don’t have to have clean dishes. They just need to be in the dishwasher! Starting the day with a clean kitchen helps too!

The same goes for your bedroom. Just making the bed each day does a lot for making your room look neat. Make sure your bed is easy to make! Keep it simple is a great motto. Then, all you have to do is pull up the sheets and spread or quilt and you are done. Five minutes or less, and a large portion of your room is neat!

Starting that training for your kids early will help them and you. They will always have a bed to make. They will always have dishes to wash. They will always have laundry to wash. They shouldn’t ever have to feel that is something they are put upon to do! It is a life skill. Everyone has to do. As a family, you can share some of those jobs, of course, but they shouldn’t feel they are put upon to do them. They are part of life…forever!

There are community jobs as well such as cooking, laundry can often be one, cleaning bathrooms, and community areas. They don’t have to be done by the mom, even if she is a stay-at-home mom! It’s all in how she sees her job (manager vs. doer of all jobs).

Community jobs include not only vacuuming, dusting and polishing of public areas, but doing each person’s part to keep them decluttered and picked up. Now that my kids are grown, I’m even more convinced of the importance of the importance of having our kids realize this work is a part of life. It is not something for mom to do only.

So today, just get started decluttering. Starting is the hardest part. But starting is the most important part. With very little work, you can see a lot of bang for your effort and you will be surprised how the investment of 1 or 2 hours over a few days will show quite quickly!

An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31:10-12, 27 ESV

Please feel free to look at the whole story of this woman. I’m only touching on what we are talking about today. Feel free to read the whole passage of Proverbs 31:10-31 ESV. It definitely reinforces the idea that she is not just sitting home cleaning her house. She has many responsibilities and is a manager of her home not a micro-manager.