Last week I began a series of tips on conquering the clutter in your home and work spaces. We started with the family room and today will focus on the kitchen. Please let me know if there are particular clutter challenges that you want addressed. Your input and feedback are always welcome!

As we did with the living room, begin by asking yourself: “What is my goal?” My general rule of thumb is that the kitchen be organized enough to find utensils and spices quickly and to clean working surfaces easily. This single guiding principle reduces anxiety and frustration and keeps the Board of Health at bay. Your kitchen does not need to be the gourmet chef’s dream unless you happen to be one yourself.

Herewith a few steps you can take to get there without becoming overwhelmed or panic-stricken.

1. Find boxes or bins you can use for sorting. Label each box/bin:
   

   • Give Away. Use this for family, friends, or an organization such as Goodwill.
     
   • Put Away. To avoid getting distracted, place items that go elsewhere in the house into this bin.
     
   • Repair. Use this bin only for items that are worth the time or money to have them repaired. Otherwise, use the Give Away box.
     
   • Mail/Papers. To avoid getting distracted or panicked, put all mail and papers that are not clearly trash into this bin. You will use another 15-minute block to sort this later.
     
   • Throw Away/Recycle. Have a garbage bag and your Recycle Bin handy for anything that is no longer of use to you or others.

2. Think in terms of 15-minute blocks. Set a timer - one you cannot tune out - and begin de-cluttering one small area, drawer, or shelf. Sort items one at a time into the bins. Use the OHIO principle (“Only Handle It Once”) to force you to make a decision about each item as you go.

3. If you have not completed a small area when the timer goes off, set it for an additional 5 minutes to get the area to a good stopping place. If you cannot get an area to a reasonable stopping place in a total of 20 minutes, you are probably working on too large an area. Set smaller tasks so you can finish each session successfully.

4. Take 2 minutes or less to distribute “Put Away” items to the appropriate room and return the empty bin to the kitchen.

5. Keep all the bins in the kitchen so that when you have 20 minutes you are ready to tackle another area.

Have fun! I believe almost any task can turned into a game, even organizing the kitchen! By playing “Beat the Clock” in a manner similar to what I have outlined here, you will discover how much fun it can be.

Maintenance: Once an area of your kitchen is fairly well organized, keep it that way by using the 2-Minute Rule . This can be done daily as you cook or do the dishes or every few days as you notice the clutter piling back up.