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Ask Unclutterer: Simple baby-proofing solutions

Reader Liz submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

My husband and I recently bought our first house, and we’re really looking forward to all the space, especially with our 20-month-old son! However, we have an issue I haven’t seen addressed here (or anywhere for that matter) — what is a good computer set-up that can also be locked away to keep little fingers away from the keyboard, mouse, and tower? We’re looking for something relatively inexpensive, but we haven’t found a good solution that would also fit in a living room, since our computer/monitor also functions as our TV/DVD player. Any suggestions?

My eight-month-old son is about a week away from taking his first, unassisted steps. The past month has been a giant lesson in baby proofing our home as he has learned to pull himself up to standing and toddle along next to any surface that will support him. I wholly understand your dilemma.

We found that making items “invisible” is the best thing to do with the things that can’t be set on high shelves. If my son doesn’t see the breakable and expensive electronics, he has no interest in messing with them.

For cords and cables, we used Kwik Clips to secure them to baseboards, support beams, the desktop, and along the back of furniture. Not only are the cables secured, but they become “invisible” because they’re no longer obviously there. We also put down area rugs to hide our surround sound speaker wires and then ran the wires up through the speaker stands. For your computer table, a large mouse pad might work in a similar fashion.

For your electronics, you can hide these items by installing cupboard doors or screens to an existing desk or media center, or purchase a new storage system that already has doors. If the doors open, simply use childproof latches to keep them closed. If you’re buying something new, I recommend checking out the desks and media centers at Ikea. They’re inexpensive and you can easily unload them on Craigslist if you ever want to upgrade. At least in our area, there is a huge community of people always looking for Ikea pieces. Armoires are also great for hiding desks and equipment — check out Mark Coggins’ office that we featured as a Workspace of the Week. Using a closet might also work, and you can simply shut the closet door when your son is in the adjoining room.

If you want to make your own screens to use with your existing furniture, I recommend purchasing art canvas frames or large picture frames and then stretching a material similar to panty hose across them (check your hardware and fabric stores, there are a few different fabric styles available). This way, your child can’t see the electronics, but your IR remote can still communicate with the hidden devices. Once your child loses interest in pushing buttons, you can permanently remove the screens.

I’m sure that there are other solutions out there that our readers have used, so be sure to check the comments for more baby-proofing solutions. Thank you, Liz, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Mar 19, 2010 | 23 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Putting away laundry

Reader Kelly submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

Your advice on doing the laundry is fantastic. I’ve employed several tips with great success. In particular, I’m a fan of clothing items that need little care (e.g. no ironing, dry cleaning, etc.). However, I’m unable to find usable suggestions on HOW TO PUT THE LAUNDRY AWAY. One mantra of simple living systems is to touch things only once (mail directly from the mailbox into office without setting on kitchen counter first and while throwing away junk mail before you even bring it into the house), but I’m unable to find a laundry system that doesn’t result in piles and piles of clean laundry that needs to be put away. Getting it into the washer and dryer is easy — how can I get it to put itself away? My kids are 2 and 4 years old. I do one load of laundry a day. It ends up sitting in our enormous rolling laundry cart in the laundry room, where we all gather in our underwear looking for clean clothes. Please help.

I laughed aloud when I read your description of your family gathering in the laundry room looking for clean clothes because I have done exactly that on numerous occasions. My guess is that anyone with a washer and dryer at home has done this, but maybe around a couch, dining table, or wherever clothes are folded. And, I don’t know why, but I’m usually standing on my tippy toes, quickly shifting my weight from foot to foot, on a mission to locate clean socks. You’ve just described the human clean clothes hunting ritual!

To find a solution to this problem, start by making sure you don’t have more clothes than storage space. If drawers and closets are cramped, you might be avoiding putting clothes away because you can’t easily do it. You shouldn’t have to push down on clothes to shut drawers, and you shouldn’t have to use your elbows and exert upper body strength to cram clothes into a closet. Also, check out your closet and make sure that whatever method you’re using to organize your clothes is simple to maintain. If your closet organizing system is too convoluted, you might be avoiding the chore for this reason.

Although your rolling laundry cart is really cool, it might not be the best tool for your family. You may be better served by having four labeled, stackable, laundry baskets or a rolling, 4-bag, laundry sorter. Each night after dinner, you and your husband can take five minutes to put away the clothes in your designated bin or basket and then spend another five minutes helping your kids with theirs.

Challenge everyone to a race, play upbeat music, and/or make the new routine as much fun as possible. After a few months, it will become second nature and putting away laundry will no longer be an issue. As your children get older, they’ll be able to put away their clothes without help (around age 5 or 6) and eventually even do their own laundry (usually around age 10, 11, or 12). I’m definitely looking forward to these milestones in my house!

Be sure to check out the comments for even more suggestions from our readers for ways to help get clothes out of the laundry room and into their proper storage spaces.

Thank you, Kelly, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Mar 12, 2010 | 79 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Food storage containers

Reader Carla submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

After too many episodes of struggling to find a top to match a Tupperware in my mother’s kitchen I’ve decided to buy her a new set of food storage containers. Can you recommend the best type of food storage containers? The requirements I’d like to fulfil are:

a few different size containers all with the same interchangeable lids

stackable

high quality

I seems to be difficult to find all of these qualities in one product. Do you have any recommendations?

Food storage containers, until recently, were some of the most ridiculously designed items for the kitchen. Additionally, they easily stained, warped, and lost their lids like socks lose their mates in a dryer. Research now shows that some were even made of plastics that leeched chemicals into the food — yummy!

Thankfully, food storage containers have advanced quite a bit in recent years. Today, if I were replacing my food storage containers, I would buy Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lid Containers. They’re BPA free, the lids all snap together and to the bottoms of the containers so you don’t have a giant mess in the cabinets, and many of the lids can be used for different-size bases. Plus, $11 for 24 pieces won’t be too painful on your pocketbook.

I know that not everyone loves plastic storage, but based on your qualifications it’s pretty much the only option available to you. There aren’t any glass or stainless steel brands right now that have interchangeable lids (at least not that I have found). Also, they’re not usually stackable. If any of our readers know of a brand of glass or stainless steel food storage containers that hasn’t yet made it onto my radar, please share that information in the comments.

Thank you, Carla, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column, and good luck taming the kitchen clutter!

Posted by Erin on Mar 5, 2010 | 46 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Auto office

Reader Jim submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

My wife uses her mini van as an office for her process serving business, and a shuttle bus for taking our children to and from various events plus all the household shopping. Her process serving business involves carrying multiple files that need served and ones that have been served. She also uses duct tape to post papers on doors, flashlight, mace, and a gps. She uses a plastic grocery bag over one of the arm rests for a garbage bag and she carries all the coupons in her van since she never knows when she will need one. All of these items are kept in between the front seats, door pockets and overhead visors. Needless to say the van can get cluttered quite quickly. This drives me crazy when we use her van for family trips. What suggestions or gadgets have you come across for organizing a vehicle? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The same rules you use to keep your home uncluttered should apply to your car. Specifically, I’m thinking of the Unclutterer motto: “A place for everything and everything in its place.” The reason the car is becoming cluttered is because none of your wife’s items have a “place” in the car.

I recommend that you and your wife look into getting an automotive mobile office. There are many different options, so find the one that works best for her specific needs. I like the AutoDesk Standard Efficiency model because of the additional storage space behind the laptop surface:

The prices might initially seem a little steep (most are between $100 and $200), but when you compare them to the costs of traditional office furniture, they’re incredibly less expensive. And, it is her office. Just because she works in a car doesn’t mean she has to sacrifice all of the benefits of a conventional office.

A coupon organizer would be a great solution for her coupon collection and could be stored in the auto desk unit. And, a large litter bag would also be a nice addition to keep trash under control.

As far as posting papers around the car, you might consider using sticky tape to adhere a cork or metal strip to the front of the glove box. Then, either with thumb tacks or magnets she could hang the papers there instead of using duct tape throughout the car.

Thank you, Jim, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Feb 26, 2010 | 21 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Cell phone cleanup

Reader Erik submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

How do you keep your cell phone uncluttered? I occasionally realize I have contacts I don’t even know who they are or never call and aren’t sure whether to keep or delete them. My text message inbox also fills up quickly and I can’t delete all of them as I like to keep some. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks for all you do!

Oh, Erik, I know your pain. I currently have four cell phone numbers for my friend Stephen, even though he only has one cell phone. So, read this advice knowing that I try to follow it myself but am far from mastering it.

If you regularly sync your contacts between your phone and computer, set the controls to prompt you before merging the data. Even if you don’t have conflicts in the data sets, it’s still a nice opportunity to review the contents of the files.

When entering new contacts into your phone, capture as much data as you can. If the data is incomplete, be sure to enter notes that will prompt your memory. One of the contacts in my phone is “Veterinarian, Dr. Judy.” It’s not accurate, but it serves my needs. I’m not even sure that I would know she was our cats’ vet if I used her actual last name.

As far as deleting is concerned, I vote for doing it whenever you come across someone you don’t remember or no longer talk to on a regular basis. Create an Excel file on your computer of names and numbers that you’re deleting if you’re worried that you’re deleting in error. My thoughts are, though, that unless you are the only person in the world with someone else’s number, you can always find a number again. A quick e-mail to a friend of a friend, or a call to 411 is usually all you need to do.

Unused and irrelevant contact information on your phone increases the chance that you’ll misdial or text the wrong person. And, in my case, it means that I never call my friend Stephen because I don’t remember which number is actually his.

I delete text messages right after I read them if they don’t contain any information I want to reference later. When I sync my phone with my computer, I also have an option to download my text messages. If you have this option, you might wish to consider doing it and getting the messages off of your phone. If your phone is ever lost or stolen, do you really want a stranger or thief to have access to all of your personal correspondence? If you don’t sync your text messages with your computer, you could also take a picture of the text message on your phone’s display. Then, you have the memory of the text message but it’s not taking up space on your phone.

Thank you, Erik, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Feb 19, 2010 | 22 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Credit card clutter

Reader April submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

My husband and I have one credit card that we allow ourselves to actively use. By actively I mean it is the one we use to buy airline tickets, etc. but we pay it off right away BUT we have several credit cards going way back to our time before we met….most of them don’t have balances but a few do. The balances are the result of the old game of moving balances around to get a great rate until we can pay them off. So there are NO new purchases on these cards at all ever, just balance transfers. So how long do I need to keep those statements? I have so much paper from these cards. What the heck do I keep and what can I shred?

I want to begin by laying out my financial principles before delving into specific answers to your questions. These are the fundamental guidelines I follow for uncluttered living:

Do not carry consumer debt. The only debt you should ever consider acquiring is a home mortgage and student loans (and, I’m not really in favor of student loans). Everything else should be purchased outright, including automobiles. Live within your means and you will never have to worry about debt cluttering up your life.
If you must, use a charge card, not a credit card. For conveniences like purchasing airline tickets and renting cars, you may want to have a charge card. Pay this balance in full every month. Never carry a balance for more than 30 days.
Save as much as you spend. If you have a steady paycheck, set up with your human resources department to have your salary automatically deposited into three accounts each month. After taxes and your retirement savings are pulled out by your company, have 50 percent of your take-home earnings deposited into your checking account, 40 percent into an emergency savings account (to cover things like large medical expenses if you should ever suffer a severe illness or injury), and 10 percent into a savings account for big and/or fun future purchases (vacations, cars, etc.). If you don’t have automatic deposit with your company, make these three deposits yourself. Once your emergency savings account becomes more than $5,000, talk with a financial planner to see if this money should be moved to a better performing investment. When you have saved half a million in emergency savings (and I’m no where close to this amount yet), you may wish to consider adjusting these percentages.

As I just said, these are the guidelines I have chosen to follow. Living this way is the only way for me not to worry about money or financial issues. You may be able to live with car loans and consumer debt and not be distracted by worries about having enough to pay your bills or what you would do if you needed a large amount of money in an emergency. I can’t live that way, though. If I have debt, I think about it, and I don’t want that kind of clutter in my life.

Knowing this about my financial guidelines, I think the first thing I would do is cancel all of the credit cards that don’t carry any balances. You don’t need them. Having them active runs the risk that someone can steal them and incur thousands of dollars of debt in your name, fills your life with paper statement clutter, and is a spending temptation. (Cancel them on a schedule, per Vida’s advice in the comments, if you are worried about your credit score. Also see “How and when to cancel a credit card” on Get Rich Slowly.)

Your next priority should be to pay off all of your balances on your not-current cards. Dave Ramsey suggests paying off your smallest balance first so that you get a relatively immediate satisfaction. I recommend paying off your highest interest balance first since it is the card that is wasting the most money. Choose whatever system works best for you, but pay off the balances. Once the balances are gone, cancel the cards.

Pay off the balance on your “actively used” card, cancel the card, and open a charge card account with someone like American Express. This way, you won’t be tempted to carry a balance from month-to-month, but you can still accrue awards points for the charge card purchases you do make.

After you cancel the cards, keep your statement that acknowledges you canceled the card and closed the account with a zero balance. You have no need to keep any additional paperwork once you have this statement from the financial institution.

As for your charge card moving forward, when the statement arrives each month you need to reconcile it with your receipts. If all charges are correct, file the monthly statements in a folder in your filing cabinet and shred any receipts you don’t need for tax or legal reasons. When you receive your annual statement, reconcile your monthly statements with the yearly statement to make sure that everything is correct. Under the advisement of my accountant, I keep monthly statements for three years and annual statements for the life of the account. However, I know some accountants suggest keeping monthly statements for seven years and others say get rid of them after you receive and reconcile your annual statement. Talk to an accountant and follow the advice he/she gives you for compliance with your state’s laws and practices.

And, remember, this is what I would do. I am sure that our readership has significantly different opinions and suggestions, so definitely check out the comments. Also, you may wish to check out Regina Leeds’ book One Year to an Organized Financial Life and Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover for even more ideas.

Thank you, April, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Feb 12, 2010 | 75 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: My mother may be a hoarder

Reader Anonymous submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I am hoping that you can give my brother and I some advice. Our mom is getting worse each year and refuses to believe she has a problem. In addition to her bringing other people’s garbage into the house, she also has a number of cats who use the house as one large litter box. When my brother and I attempt to clean, she yells and screams, and takes the rubbish back in when we put it out for the garbage truck. Unless we physically rent a truck to take it to the dump ourselves, it never leaves the house. We are so worried because it’s getting worse and she is approaching 70 and are at our wit’s end. She won’t go to counseling and when we clean anything it just gets disgusting again. There is food rotting as she doesn’t have a working fridge anymore and when she buys food she forgets about it and it gets compacted with stuff she puts on top of it. The piles of garbage are growing and we can barely get the front door open now. We have threatened not to come and visit and she said fine don’t. Nothing seems to work or get through to her. What can we do as we don’t want to see her die in this. Please, can you help us? Please don’t publish my name.

Only a doctor can give an official diagnosis as someone being a hoarder, but, since your mother is refusing to seek treatment at this point, that diagnosis is going to be difficult to acquire. I think that you will be okay if you function under the assumption that she is one, however, as it definitely won’t hurt her or you if you do.

Hoarding is a psychological illness. Your mother is not a bad person or a bad homemaker, she’s suffering from a mental health condition similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder or clinical depression. As much as she doesn’t want treatment for her condition, she desperately needs it. You and your brother can clean her house a million times, but it will always return to its current state if she does not get the medical care she needs. Cleaning her house against her will might also lead to her cutting off communication with you — and that is not something you want to happen. Keeping the lines open with your mother is extremely important.

Start by learning as much as you can about hoarding. There are many resources available to those who love and care about people who suffer from this condition. The Children of Hoarders website may be specifically helpful to you, and I recommend checking out their resources section.

Unless you believe your mother is endangering herself or others, you cannot force help upon her or commit her against her will to a mental health facility. Nagging, negative and judgmental statements, and disrespecting her stuff will only exacerbate her hoarding behavior. Learn as much as you can about her condition, be supportive and encouraging, and find non-threatening ways to encourage her to seek help. Best case scenario: She decides to seek treatment and finds a healthy way to live with her condition in a safe home environment.

Thank you, Anonymous, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. My thoughts are with you and your family. It is admirable that you and your brother are worried and care so much about your mother.

Posted by Erin on Feb 5, 2010 | 27 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Messy mail

Reader Sandra submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

Could you please do an article on how to keep mail organized? I considered myself pretty much clear of clutter, except for my mail. It’s driving me crazy. Even thought I toss everyday the junk, some how I have not been able to follow a good system to get rid off my mail clutter on my desk (these are payed bills, insurance stuff, etc). Now it’s taking over my son’s desk. Please help. Love your blog!

Sandra, I love your question!

I want to start by saying that I have every system imaginable in place to handle mail — and there are still times when it all falls apart and I find mail on my dining room table. It’s the constant incoming stream that makes it such a difficult issue for the home. I hope that the following advice, however, keeps these breakdowns in your system less severe and less frequent.

First, start by reducing the amount of mail that comes into your home. Sign up for services like Precycle (formerly GreenDimes and Mailstopper), which stop junk mail before it ever arrives at your door. Try to get as many utility and monthly bills as possible switched to automatic electronic payment. If mail doesn’t come in, it can’t pile up on any desk.

Second, create and use a mail processing station near the door where you get your mail. It should include a trash can, shredder, recycling bin, and pen/pencil. Each day when you come inside with the mail, immediately shred any items that include personal information that might be tempting to identity thieves (a few seconds of shredding can prevent weeks/months/years of fighting legal battles). Toss into the recycling bin any junk mail and mail you only needed to read once (announcements, etc.). And throw into the trash anything that can’t be recycled.

On the items that still remain, write actions on back of envelopes (Pay by 2/10, Complete and return by 2/05, File in Tax Forms folder) and disposal dates on the fronts of catalogs and magazines (Read before 3/1/2010). Nothing should come into your home that doesn’t have a specific to-do note appearing on it somewhere.

Third, since you live with other people, you will also want to have mailboxes of some kind for the other people in your home. These can be cubbies, pockets, baskets, or even file folders. If the mail isn’t for you, you need a place to store their correspondence so they can easily find it and process it themselves.

Fourth, once you’ve put away all of your other items and set things so that they’re ready for the next time you leave (keys on a hook, coat hung in closet, lunch bag out of briefcase), pick up your mail and head straight to your office. Immediately schedule to-do items on your calendar. Store magazines and catalogs in a place where you will read them before their disposal date. File documents that need to be filed, and take care of any action items that can be completed in less than two minutes. Treat your mail the same way you handle your other work.

This routine might take you five minutes from start to finish, but handling your mail in this way will keep you from turning your son’s desk into a mess. Remember that everything in your home needs a place to live — and that includes each piece of your mail.

Thank you, Sandra, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Jan 29, 2010 | 32 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Processing the possessions of someone who has passed

Reader John submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

So my father recently passed away … Mom has been busy taking care of dad for the last 2 years (and in some ways 43 years) and now has a house in disarray that needs work and help. Dad had plenty of things that will need to go and I am being enlisted to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

I am concerned that mom is going to be overwhelmed and I want to make sure I do not push my opinions, etc., onto her.

Any help or advice you can give will be cherished.

John, please know that you have our condolences. We are very sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all response for how to handle the possessions of someone who has passed away. This is why I recommend contacting a professional organizer who specializes in exactly these types of cases. An organizer can help identify what to keep, what to donate to charity, and how to handle the process so that it’s not emotionally overwhelming. They also have knowledge about your community and organizations that could use clothing, etc. Additionally, it’s nice to have a neutral third party present to be supportive and caring for your family’s needs at this time (especially since you don’t want to “push my opinions, etc., onto her”).

Interview a few organizers and choose the one who will work best for you and your mom. They likely will need your muscle strength, so plan to be a part of the activities.

Based on the worth of your father’s items, you might also want to bring in an appraiser. Now is not the time to make rash decisions. The more information you have, the less likely you’ll be to have regrets in years to come. Also, if the process goes well, it will help significantly with the grieving process.

If hiring a professional organizer and/or appraiser isn’t in the financial cards right now, I strongly recommend reading the book The Boomer Burden by Julie Hall. Julie has worked with many people in the same situation as you, and her book is full of valuable information and insights. I also recommend the book to anyone who is helping his or her parents downsize from a family home.

Thank you, John, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Jan 22, 2010 | 36 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Coat control

Reader Stacy submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I live in Brooklyn on the top floor of a Brownstone and have NO coat closet, which is killing me this winter because our coats just end up all over the kitchen table. Do you have any ideas/suggestions for coat/hat/gloves/boot storage for a small apartment? Also, I’m broke. Thanks!

I’m sure you have figured out that the reason your coats, hats, and gloves are winding up on the dining table is because you don’t have another place for them to be stored when you’re home. You need to determine a location and create a space for these items to live, and it should be near the main entrance of your apartment.

You can repurpose a decorative container you already own to hold hats and gloves. Wrap a cardboard box in decorative contact paper that matches your decor if you don’t already own something that will work.

You have many options for coat storage, but probably the easiest is to install hooks near your front door. For just $1.66, you can relive your elementary school days with these simple Coat and Hat Hooks:

If you can’t put screws in your apartment’s walls, consider an over-the-door hanger for less than $13:

As far as boots are concerned, get an inexpensive tray from your local home supply store and leave your boots out to dry on it. Since you live on the top floor of your building, you could even leave the boot tray out in the hallway. Your shoes are probably at little to no risk of being stolen, and it will keep their dampness and mess out of your place.

Thank you, Stacy, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. I hope this advice helps in some way!

Posted by Erin on Jan 15, 2010 | 20 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Is cozy a euphemism for cluttered?

Reader Beth submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

Can a “cozy” space be uncluttered without being just a synonym for comfortable? I hear “cozy” used sometimes as a polite way of saying cluttered, but also as a way of describing an uncluttered space as feeling warm and inviting as opposed to “cold and lifeless”…

What say you?

Where I live, euphemisms like these abound. “Charming” usually means a place is in need of repair and “cozy” means a space is extremely small. If a home is cluttered, the euphemisms are typically “eclectic” or “shabby chic.” My guess is that these phrases hold different meanings in different parts of the country, but I get the intent of what you’re asking.

More to the point, a dwelling doesn’t have to be sterile to be uncluttered. The ascetic, minimalist style works well for museums, but most people aren’t comfortable with this look in their homes. They feel at home when there are signs of life, a bit of reflection of their personalities, and something that delineates they aren’t their neighbors.

An unclutterer is someone who gets rid of the distractions that get in the way of a remarkable life. Therefore, clutter (a distraction) has a subjective definition. In my home, flower vases are clutter because I never have fresh flowers on display (my cats think flowers are tasty, tasty snacks). In the home of a florist, however, vases are likely used daily and not a distraction.

I prefer clean lines, and all I want out on display are the few items that bring me great joy. I don’t want baubles or knick knacks to obstruct my line of vision of these important pieces. I’m also pretty sure most people find my home to be a bit formal. Other unclutterers might be okay with more than two items out on display in a room. One definition of uncluttered isn’t better than another, it’s just a better definition for you.

Style your space the way that brings you the greatest joy, the least stress and distractions, and reflects the remarkable life you desire. Get rid of what you believe is cluttering up your space, thoughts, and time. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Let them use euphemisms like “cozy” to describe your home — their word choice doesn’t determine how you feel in your space.

Thank you, Beth, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. I hope I got to the point of your question.

Posted by Erin on Jan 8, 2010 | 29 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Specific donation locations

Reader Kristin submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

Loved your response to Miriam [last week] and how you focused on keeping things in perspective. Now, you mentioned taking old towels and linens to an animal shelter. Great idea! Do you have any other ideas for where to donate hard to place clutter items that still have some use left in them? Thanks a bunch!

A great question, and one that many people posed to me this week. Below are types of organizations I’ve had luck with in the past for very specific donations. As with all donations, be sure to call ahead to make sure that the group actually needs what you wish to give. Also, beware of getting caught up in getting specific items to specific agencies as a procrastination tactic. Follow your instincts, but get the items out of your home.

As I wrote last week, animal shelters very often need lightly used linens (towels, sheets). They use them for soft sleeping surfaces, bathing, and general mess cleanup.
Women’s shelters often need children’s toys and books, diapers, and female business attire. Shelters here also accept half-used bottles of shampoo and conditioner you became bored with half-way through the large container.
Hospitals and doctors offices may want your old (but from the past year) magazines for their waiting rooms.
Our local prison constantly requests academic books (great for those books the university didn’t buy back at the end of the semester and you lugged with you on many moves) and reference books.
Half-way houses and men’s homeless shelters are usually in need of men’s business attire and winter coats in cooler climates.
Groups that build homes (like Habitat for Humanity) need power and hand tools and unused supplies (still-in-their-original-package screws, nails, etc.).
Kitchen storage containers (like good condition Tupperware and Rubbermaid containers, not old margarine tubs) are often accepted by groups that provide meals to the needy (like Meals on Wheels).

By no means is this list complete. I hope that readers continue to add ideas in the comments. I’m sure we can create quite a wonderful collection of suggestions.

Thank you, Kristin, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Dec 18, 2009 | 37 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Drowning in clutter

Reader Miriam submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I’m overwhelmed by everything at work and at home. Have you ever gone swimming in the ocean and you look back at the shore and realize you went farther than you meant to go? The shore is sanity and I’m no where near it. There is clutter everywhere and my kids, my husband, and my colleagues at work don’t appear to see it. Help me, Unclutterer!

Miriam, my heart goes out to you and your situation. I’ve never swam in the ocean, but I know the feelings of anxiety you’re experiencing. I’ve been there, and I know that many of our readers have too — and some may also feel exactly like you.

The first thing to do is to take a moment for yourself and relax. Go on a walk around your neighborhood or find a quiet space and sit in silence for a few minutes. Take deep breaths and reflect on the positive aspects of your work and home. What are the things that make you happy? Underneath all the clutter and stuff, what in your life is most important to you?

After the rush of anxiety has subsided, you should make a plan. This plan will help you to feel less stress about your environment in the future. Make a list of specific areas of your life you would like to be less cluttered. Be detailed with the items on your list: “Sort through the towels and sheets in the linen closet; take to the animal shelter any that are damaged or unwanted.” “Spend 15 minutes a day filing or processing papers from inbox on desk.”

Once you’ve made a list, pull out your calendar and schedule every item. When you schedule the items, I recommend your first project be something small (nothing larger than a closet) and an area that you encounter every day. This way, your early success will help to motivate you to continue to get clutter removed from more difficult areas.

The harsh reality in all of this is that you cannot force another adult to be an unclutterer. You can guide children and give them chores, but you can’t do this for spouses and work colleagues. Take care of the clutter that directly affects you and that you can address, and stop worrying about the other stuff. You have no control of the other stuff and you’ll become a permanent anxious mess if you continue to let it get to you. On the positive side, though, your uncluttering will hopefully be inspiring to those around you and motivate them to join you in your endeavors. Feel comfortable calmly talking about your uncluttering efforts with others and sharing with them your successes. Also, seek out the assistance of a tidy friend or professional organizer if working with someone else will help you to achieve your goals.

As you’re working, focus on the reasons you’re going through the uncluttering process. When you’re finished, you’ll have more time, energy, and space to pursue the remarkable life you desire. You deserve to be free from the anxiety that is currently ruling your life. Good luck, and know that this type of change is possible. All of us are cheering for you!

Thank you, Miriam, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Dec 11, 2009 | 23 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Keeping cardboard boxes?

Reader Douglas submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I had a quick question about boxes. How long do you recommend I hold on to old boxes for things like TVs and computers? I have some big boxes, I’ve kept just in case I have to return the items. I’m not sure if it’s actually necessary for me to keep them though, because they take up a lot of space.

This is one of those questions that I answer so often that I thought I had already used it for an Ask Unclutterer topic. Apparently, I haven’t.

Most electronics purchased from major retailers have a 30 or 45 day maximum return policy for those instances when you simply decide you no longer want the item. This date is always printed on the receipt, which you’ll also want to hold on to if you are seriously considering returning the item. So, for items you think you may not want to keep, it is reasonable to hold onto the box for that amount of time.

In all other circumstances, I only recommend keeping the box IF:

You plan to sell the item in less than three years after its date of purchase, and
The original packaging improves the price of the product when you sell it.

For example, I sell my laptops on eBay when I upgrade to a newer model. After tracking laptop sales on eBay for many months, I found that people will pay a little more for the product if it still has its original packaging. So, I keep my laptop boxes to ship them in to the new owner. Granted, the boxes that laptops come in are relatively small and, since I only have one computer at a time, our storage space isn’t overrun with cardboard boxes.

If your situation does not meet both of the qualifying statements above, then you should recycle the boxes immediately or right after the 30 or 45 day return deadline. Keeping lots of cardboard in the house is an awful fire risk and it wastes a significant amount of storage space. There is also no need to keep the packaging because if the product is a lemon or has some other manufacturing defect, you don’t need the original packaging to return it. Additionally, if you move, you can wrap your electronics in towels or bubble wrap surrounded by packing peanuts and put them into traditional cardboard boxes.

Thank you, Douglas, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Dec 4, 2009 | 71 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Not yet dirty clothes

Reader Susan submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

OK, this may be a strange question, but it’s one I have not seen addressed anywhere: Where do you put clothes you’ve worn for a short time that are NOT dirty enough to go into the laundry basket or to the dry cleaner’s? I am talking sweaters, blouses, pants, etc. — not underwear.

For instance, I might put on a top & pants for a couple of hours to go to a luncheon, but when I get home I am not going to put those items in the wash (unless I spilled something on them, or they got sweaty due to hot weather, etc.) because they’re still essentially clean, and I can easily wear them again “as is” — but I won’t put them into the drawer or closet with other TOTALLY clean (freshly washed or cleaned) items, because that is an invitation to moth damage, among other things.

In an average week, I might wear several different tops and pairs of pants, but not long enough for any of them to get “dirty” or smelly or sweaty.

My family had no system for dealing with this when I was growing up — we just tended to toss stuff onto a coat-rack in each bedroom, which was far from ideal. For me now, when I take off a piece of “hardly worn” clothing, it gets placed into a neat pile on a chair or ottoman in the bedroom, & then I pull the item out again when I want to wear it. But there must be a better way, and I would love to hear suggestions!

Oh Susan, you have asked such a great question. I think that all of us deal with this issue from time-to-time. Let me start by explaining what it is that I do, and then I hope that others will jump in the comments section and describe how they solve this problem in their homes.

In my closet, I have a Skubb Organizer from Ikea. I have five of the Skubb Drawers in each of the shelves that hold various things (scarves, purses, pajamas, and sweats). The top drawer is labeled for things “Not Yet Dirty.”

You could easily use a dresser drawer in the same way. Once a week, I check the drawer to make sure that something hasn’t gone sour in there. Otherwise, it’s a fairly straightforward system.

Thank you, Susan, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Nov 20, 2009 | 89 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Working with a messy colleague

Reader Laura submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I know that several people have asked about living with a messy person but I have a question about working with one. I work in a fast paced coffee shop as an assistant manager with my direct boss that is completely disorganized. As a tidy person, I understand the benefits of cleaning and clearing on a daily basis, especially with paper work. She, however, seems so stressed out that everything gets lost. I am constantly amazed when she can meet a deadline because she is so all over the place. This work environment is starting to stress me out and break down our communication! How do I handle this, noting that it can be a tense work relationship? Is this something
that I should just get over and deal with?

Every employee brings something different to a business. In fact, the more diverse the employees at a company, the better the company is at responding to its needs. What your colleague lacks in organizing skills, she might make up for in people or management skills. For instance, I am bad at brainstorming, but amazing at follow through. If you want something to get done, you come to me. If you want someone to generate the next multi-million dollar idea, you talk to somebody else. You’re likely in the position you are at your company because your boss sees your organizing skills as highly valuable and complimentary to her skills. You have something she lacks, and she needs your organizing talents to do her job well.

Instead of being frustrated about her lack of skills, find ways to help her develop her organizing skills. Start by asking her if she wants some help in a nice, friendly “I genuinely want to help” manner. If she does, work together to find ways you might be able to streamline parts of her job to make things easier on both of you. If she doesn’t want your help, try your best to lead by example and maybe she’ll eventually change her mind. You can’t force her to become organized, but it never hurts to politely ask someone if they could use some help.

I’ve been the extremely disorganized employee in the past, and I would have loved for someone to have offered me help. I constantly felt like I was underwater and that I was letting down my co-workers. Your boss might feel the same way, and giving her a helping hand will likely make things better for her, you, and everyone else at your coffee shop.

Thank you, Laura, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. Good luck!

Posted by Erin on Nov 13, 2009 | 20 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Selling something with an unknown value

Reader Allison submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

This question may be slightly outside the range of uncluttering, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I have a wooden chair that was designed around (his picture is painted on it) and autographed by a well-known rock musician. It’s a really cool piece, but having a piece of furniture I don’t use seems really silly to me now.

I purchased it at a charity auction several years ago. I am curious about trying to sell it. The problem I have is that I can no longer find the certificate of authenticity. I suspect I didn’t keep it as I didn’t think I would ever EVER want to get rid of the chair. I paid a fairly significant price and if I sell it, I would at least like to break even. Do you have any suggestions for how to go about selling such an item? I’m concerned that people won’t pay much without some guarantee that it’s authentic.

The charity that sponsored the auction seems to no longer exist, but I am still trying to make a few calls.

Thanks for any advice you can provide!

Allison, your question is a lot of fun — and its answer is relevant to more people than you might imagine.

Irrespective of if you have the paperwork or get in touch with someone from the original auction house, you should take the chair to an appraiser who can check it out and let you know it’s worth. If you don’t know an appraiser, I recommend checking out the American Society of Appraisers website’s Find an Appraiser search tool. Even if you aren’t in the US, they have resources beyond our borders.

Contacting a reputable appraiser is always a good idea. Many Unclutterer readers contact me about being responsible for sorting through a loved one’s things after a death and wonder how to handle the estate. The first thing to do, before neighbors and siblings and extended family members start loading things into a truck, is to have an appraiser come in and talk to you about what is there. Appraisers are good people to know.

Thank you, Allison, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. I hope that you are successful in getting rid of your chair for a fair price. Also, I hope that in the future, you keep your hands on the paper documentation because the paperwork often improves the amount you can get for something and helps when having an object’s value determined for insurance coverage.

Posted by Erin on Nov 6, 2009 | 13 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: CD storage

Reader Christy submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I use iTunes and have burned all my CDs to iTunes. I also have a huge box in my basement of all the hardcopy CDs.

Is there any reason I would need to keep them (computer crash or something), or am I safe to start giving them away?

Christy, the idealist in me says that if you have burned all of your CDs in a lossless format and you have your computer backed up to a secure online location, you should be fine getting rid of your physical CDs. However, the pragmatist in me has to admit that there is a box of CDs in my basement and I wouldn’t even do what I just suggested.

Also, from a legal standpoint, you aren’t supposed to have a digital copy of a CD without also having the physical copy.

I guess when it comes down to it, my official advice would be to simply get rid of the jewel cases (they can be recycled in most communities) and store all of your hardcopy CDs in a CD Notebook. If you do this, you won’t have to pay the fees to store all of your lossless music data online and you’ll cover your arse if the RIAA ever comes knocking at your door.

Thank you, Christy, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Oct 30, 2009 | 60 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Overflowing child’s closet

Reader Miriam submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

How do I get a handle on children’s clothing (shorts, school clothes, skirts, pants, capris, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters…etc. etc)? I am awash in laundry with little closet space! And I’ve tried to think of it in terms of how many days of clothing (2 weeks) might be ideal yet am still overwhelmed (I’ve two girls who wear the same size!) … HELP!

I recommend starting this process by sorting your daughters’ clothing into warm and cool weather piles. Put all the summer-appropriate things in one pile, and the winter-appropriate things in another. You may also have a third pile for multiple-weather items, like jeans, socks, and underwear.

Assuming that your daughters are under 14, you can now get rid of all of the summer items and, if they’re in good shape, give them to charity. There is no way that your daughters will be wearing the same size next summer, so clear out these items permanently. If your daughters are high school age and have finished their growth spurt, sort the summer clothes into keep and purge piles. Put the keep items into pest-proof storage for the winter and, if they’re in good shape, pass the purge items onto charity.

Once you have the summer clothes out of the way, you will hopefully begin to feel a sense of relief and won’t be too overwhelmed with the rest of this process.

Next, immediately purge any items that are ill-fitting, damaged, or out-of-style. (Your daughters will be able to tell you what’s “not cool” in their closets, even if they’re as young as kindergarten.)

After this, look at what is left and decide if you need to continue. If you need to keep cutting clutter out of their closets, I recommend sorting by purpose — your kids might have school clothes, dress-up clothes, play in the mud clothes, and uniforms for clubs or teams. Once these purpose piles are created, bring each down to a manageable size. As you suggested in your question, two weeks worth of school clothes sounds like a good idea to me. Each girl probably doesn’t need more than three or four dress-up outfits, one or two play-in-the-mud pieces, and, if applicable, just one or two uniforms per club or team. Look at your family’s schedule, though, to get these numbers right for your needs.

Finally, it may be time to have your daughters start to do their own laundry. By fifth or sixth grade, children can be responsible for taking care of their wardrobe. If you can teach them how to take care of their things, you won’t be swimming in laundry any longer. Good luck!

Thank you, Miriam, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Oct 23, 2009 | 27 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Overwhelmed with clutter

Reader Jennifer submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

What is your advice for a seriously organizationally challenged family?

Our house looks like it should be on one of those messy house shows, the kids homework is all over, the daddy (coaches the boys baseball team) lost a check for $500 from a new baseball family, and the mommy (me) is just a hot mess.

I’ve ordered your book but I don’t know if our family can wait until November at this point.

My daughter’s birthday is in two days and I’ll have grandparents in my house doing that heavy sigh “at least they seem happy” thing … I guess I am looking for a band aid before the transfusion that is your book.

Thanks for being here, wish I found you earlier.

Jennifer, let me start by suggesting that you find a comfortable chair, take a deep breath, and close your eyes for a few minutes. You deserve some calm before the whirlwind birthday adventure begins, so go ahead and take it now.

Next, remember that even the most organized people in the world feel anxiety before their parents and in-laws come to visit. It’s natural. I know I regularly freak out before they come.

This visit, however, is a great opportunity for you. Let all of the grandparents see the mess. Don’t hide it, don’t try to find a band aid, just let it shine in its glorious disorder. Let them get a solid understanding of your “before” status, like the television cameras capture on the organizing shows you referenced. This way, after you get your home organized in the coming weeks, they will truly appreciate all of the hard work you did. They will know how far you have come, and they will be in awe of your “after.”

If letting it all hang out is too much and you still want to grab a cardboard box and toss some things into it before the majority of the party guests arrive, do it. Just don’t let this box become a permanent solution. But, if it puts your mind at ease in the short term, I don’t see the harm in it. Get your daughter to help, too. If she’s old enough to have a birthday party, she’s old enough to help with an emergency clutter pick up.

Also, try not to focus on the stuff and instead focus on your daughter and the people who come for her party. Clutter or no clutter, the people in your life are worth more than the stuff.

Finally, between now and when the book arrives, think about why you want to get the clutter out of your life. What do you want to permanently focus on instead of the clutter? Figure out what matters most to you, and this will help you significantly when it comes time to purge the clutter from your life.

Good luck and have fun! Happy birthday, too, to your daughter. Thank you, Jennifer, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Posted by Erin on Oct 16, 2009 | 34 Comments | Tweet This

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