Get rid of time sponges at home.

Posted by Swati S.

Clutter in the house really piles on the stress. A good way to reduce clutter in the house is to get rid of what I call "time sponges" -- these are things that you don't really need, or even use, but they are stored in the house, soaking up your time and energy. Here are a few common places where you can find these time sponges: 1. Garage: Make an inventory of all the things in your garage that you have not used in a long time. If it's in good condition, have a garage sale and make some money out of it. If you still can't get rid of it, just throw it out. 2. Refrigerator: When you come home from the weekly trip to the grocery store, do a quick cleaning-up of the refrigerator before you stock it up. Get rid of all food that has expired or things you don't expect your family to eat. 3. Medicine Cabinet: Periodically check out the medicine cabinet and throw away expired medicine or bottles which have hardly anything left in them. 4. Closet: Maintaining clothes in order is a tough call. It gets even tougher when you have to deal with clothes that are in good condition and you hope to wear sometime, but have not done so lately. My advice: If you haven't worn a something for 2 years or above, chances are that you won't wear it any more in the future. Its better to dispose them off. 5. Kids Room: If you have small kids, their room is probably full of toys that they have outgrown, but are still in a good condition. Instead of keeping these toys for sentimental reasons, it's better to make good use of them by donating them to a charity. 6. One very important thing to keep in mind: clutter piles up very quickly, but takes a lot longer to clear up. So, don't try to get the cleaning done overnight. Take one area at a time and do it at a pace that suits you.