Tip of the week ... how to banish clutter

Toss what you can. Closets and common areas can become dumping grounds for busy families. Before trying to reorganize, see what you can get rid of entirely. For clothes, there’s a simple rule: “If you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it.”

Recruit a friend. ”A pal can really help you cope with the purging process.” You want someone who’ll force you to make tough decisions about what you actually need. “Listen to music or sip some wine while you sort.”

Give everything a home. Stock up on bins, boxes, and hangers. “Store your essentials at eye level,” on shelves or in cabinets. Most children’s toys ought to live in their bedrooms, but favorites can be kept in common areas. It will be “easier to enforce cleanup now that the kids know where things belong.”

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Source: Good Housekeeping