Contain Yourself

I keep attractive baskets everywhere things tend to accumulate: one for mail and other papers, one for dog toys, one into which my husband can empty the contents of his pockets when he comes home, even one for our blankets. We still have easy access to everything, but the clutter is disguised as part of the decor.
Lee Anne Sanford
East Liverpool, Ohio

When I come home at the end of the day, I empty my purse into a small bin. This forces me to throw out used wrappers, capless pens, and other things I don’t need. It also helps me remember to file receipts and to charge my cell phone. And if I want to change purses the following day, everything is ready to go into another one.
Lynn Sessler
Appleton, Wisconsin

I tacked a table doily onto the wall and hung all my hook earrings from it. No more tangled masses of earrings in my jewelry box, no more hunting for the mate to that particular one — and I love the way it looks.
Jean Barnicoat
Collinsville, Connecticut

I use lazy Susans to organize clutter everywhere from my spice cupboard to my bathroom cabinets. With just one spin, I can see everything that I have — without having to dig through the whole cupboard and knock everything over.
Emilie Bugbee
Fenton, Michigan

Our family uses over-the-door plastic-pocket shoe holders to store odds and ends. One holds all our son’s small stuffed animals for easy play and cleanup. Another, in our linen closet, stores everything from extra toothpaste and soap to pain medication and Band-Aids. Everything is visible, and dangerous items can be kept in the top pockets, out of the reach of little hands. We can always tell when we’re running low on something, and our closets are clutter-free.
Alanna Goldberg
West Hartford, Connecticut

Rules of Order

I never leave a room without glancing around to see if there are any misplaced items that ought to be in the room I’m heading for. This is especially helpful in a two-story house — clutter never gets out of hand.
Marillyn Johnson
Walnut Creek, California

I approach every item in my home as if I were moving. I ask myself, “Would I want to pack that up?” If not, the object gets tossed, donated, or repurposed.
Lisa Cyrier
Athens, Georgia

Our kitchen table used to be a gathering place for junk mail, catalogs, and other things we thought we would look at later. So we came up with a 24-hour rule: Anything still on the table when the next batch of mail arrives is thrown away. Now the kitchen table is always clean.
Kathryn Nesmeyer
Jefferson City, Missouri

When I’m considering whether or not to keep something, I ask three questions: "Do I love it? Do I feel good when I see it? Do I have a place for it?"
Lori Rinehart
Omaha, Nebraska

I start each season by putting all my clothes for it on a hanger of a given color. As the season progresses, I hang the clothes that I’ve worn and washed on a different-color hanger. At the end of the season, I know what I have worn and what I haven’t by the color hanger they’re on, and it’s easy to decide what to donate.
Terri Guy
Huntsville, Alabama

I ask myself whether I truly like a given object or just the memories I associate with it. If it’s the latter and the item serves no aesthetic or useful purpose, I revisit those memories and revel in them, remembering that they are the real gift, then pass the item on.
Valerie Phillips
Berrien Springs, Michigan

When there are bags and boxes of donation items in the living room and my husband has started to leave tools in the kitchen, we know it’s time to throw a party. It gives us a deadline for cleaning up, as well as an excuse to spend more time with our friends.
Kae Beth Weingartner
Cincinnati, Ohio