Top tricks to minimise clutter

Stop hoarding!

Have you still got Christmas cards from primary school? Are you holding onto sporting ribbons from little athletics? Have you got teddy bears, half-finished artworks and clothes you haven't worn for decades tucked away in special corners of your house? Prepare to say goodbye. If you want to minimise clutter, the first step is to clear out anything that causes clutter. So get your spring clean on…and be brutal!

Keeping up appearances

Sometimes what looks like clutter isn't actually mess – it's just oddly-shaped objects that detract from the appearance of straight, clean lines. If you fix the appearance, you fix the problem. So get your hands on some boxes and organise your items to fit into them according to theme – stationary, art supplies, scrap-booking etc. Boxes are easily stacked on top of bookshelves and cupboards, and can even make for designer pieces.

Home is where the clean is

A lot of clutter is caused when objects don't have a home. Misplaced letters, keys, toys etc find their way onto open surfaces and look awkward. The best way to get around this is to dedicate a spot for all of your things – particularly the little, well-traveled ones. Have a draw or box for keys, another one for screws, batteries and chargers and another for sewing kits, buttons, safety pins and so forth.

The "to do" dilemma

Don't you hate when you get letters and catalogues that you want to read, and bills to file away, but just don't have the energy to? Dedicate a spot to this "transient" clutter to keep your living areas mess-free. But make sure to check your "to do" spot regularly or it will overflow. Set aside some time each week and actually do the things you said you were going to do.

Get some help

Keeping a place clutter-free and looking like an IKEA catalogue is not easy – especially if you have to juggle cleaning with work, cooking and social commitments. This is why getting help is not a bad idea. Add a "clutter" category to the household chores, so once a week someone will scan each room for things that aren't in the right place and put them where they belong.