In previous weeks you have seen tips on managing clutter in your family room, kitchen, children’s rooms, and laundry.  This week let’s take a peak into those disaster zones we call closets.  If thoughts of bringing order to yours bring on a panic attack, take a mini breathing exercise before reading further. 

The approach to clearing out closets is very similar to previous Clutter Buster projects.  Begin by deciding on your desired level of tidiness.  Level 1 means a tornado has just passed through.  Level 10 is a display ad for the Container Store. 

1. Grab those bins or boxes you labeled for de-cluttering your kitchen.
• 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 portion of your closet (e.g., shelf, drawer, 10 garments).  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 the small portion you selected when the timer goes off, set it for an additional 5 minutes to get to a good stopping place.  If you cannot get to a reasonable stopping place in a total of 20 minutes, you are probably trying to do too much in one session.  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.  If possible, delegate this task to another family member.

5. Keep all the bins in one place so that when you have 15-20 minutes you will be ready to tackle another section of a closet. 

Have fun!  Even cleaning closets can be fun when you have the right frame of mind!     

Maintenance:  Once a closet is fairly well organized, keep it that way by using the 2-Minute Rule.  This can be done monthly or as whenever you notice the clutter beginning to re-emerge.