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Community Corner

MapleWould Connects with the Clutterly Frustrated

Clutter meets its match in today's column!

Dear MapleWould,

Since moving here almost four years ago, I feel like we’ve accumulated enough junk to basically fill up an additional home. It’s not like I’m a slob or a hoarder, but between the kid toys, clothes and school papers I’m so overwhelmed with clutter that I don’t even know where to start.

Oh- and then there’s the garage that’s too full to fit a car…. How can I reclaim my home? HELP!!

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Clutterly Frustrated


Dear CF,

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I struggle with this one enough to know that the clutter issue is all about maintenance – and it takes discipline, work and, in my home, volume: 

There are two types of cleaning modes in our house -  "Regular" Mom, who asks the kids to ‘please straighten the playroom before dinner’ in a singsong voice, and "Crazy Clutter" Mom. The later roars like bear receiving an enema and is prone to threats like "if I step on ONE more Lego they’re ALL going in the garbage".… They prefer "Regular" Mom.

As for the garage, you’re also in very good company, I promise. Judging by the occasional glances I get into Maplewood ones, I think realtors should start calling the things additional storage units. (I’m guilty, too: the fact that mine’s too narrow to fit a modern car in it isn’t really an explanation for the fact that we’re storing an eight foot mahogany bar in it!)

For help in your particular case, I turned Maplewood’s own Organizational Guru, the impeccably together and terrifically talented of The Clutter Clinic. According to Christine, clutter can mess up much more than your house:

“I recently met a marriage therapist who suggests couples hire a housecleaner so they can stop fighting about whose turn it is to clean the toilet, and she said she was going to recommend that they hire a professional organizer too,” explains Muccigrosso. “It’s all related and if both of you in the marriage are disorganized people, complete mayhem ensues!”

To keep your relationships - and your living areas – in tip-top shape Christine recommends a three step approach to conquering clutter:

#1:  SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY

“Stop it from ever being a problem in the first place. I can’t emphasize this enough,” advises Christine. “People have too much STUFF (read: crap). It’s simple: get rid of stuff, stop buying so much stuff, do without worthless, needless stuff and most importantly, don’t hang on to everything your child ever drew/made/wore/played with! It will be much easier to get and stay organized and you will be much happier. Remember the memory is in the event, NOT the object.”

#2: DIVIDE & CONQUER!

“The piles didn’t magically appear overnight, and they won’t disappear the same way,” cautions Muccigrosso. “Instead of looking around at all of the piles and feeling overwhelmed and defeated before you even start, pick one area that is bugging you the most, set a time for 15 minutes.”

Once you’ve set your timer, set your mind, too:

“Shut off your cell phone, put the kids down for a nap (or get a babysitter) and start on that one area,” instructs Christine. “Sort into broad categories: Keep, Recycle, Donate and Garbage. Stop after 15 minutes and reassess. If you can’t possibly do it one more minute, put the sorted piles away, further breaking down the Keep pile into like items. If you’ve found that the first 15 minutes invigorated you to do more, DO IT! Then, rather than berate yourself for what you didn’t get done, reward yourself for doing such a great job on that pile and schedule yourself another 15 minute slot, soon!”

#3:  DEAL WITH IT NOW, NOT LATER!

“The number one problem I see on a daily basis is the pile of mail and 'important' papers that come into the house every day,” says Christine. “Most people just throw it in a pile on the dining room table or worse even, the kitchen counter. It becomes this huge pile that never gets attention and everyone avoids.”

The Clutter Clinic Solution? Show mail NO mercy:

“Open the mail AS SOON AS IT COMES IN THE DOOR,” directs Christine. “Unless you are the President of the United States or Oprah, you have the 2 minutes to deal with it NOW. Stand in front of the recycling bag and toss out all of the junk mail -including the coupons you think you might need, because you won’t remember where they are when you need them and they’ll expire before you can use them! Next, open all of the bills & important stuff. Throw out the outer envelopes that they came in and get rid of any extraneous pages or advertisements.  IMMEDIATELY deliver these documents to their ‘home’, whether that’s a file, a drawer, a basket or a clip.”

And what about the works du jour that arrives continuously via "back pack express"?  Become a brutal critic:

“Remember, when it comes to kid paper coming home, save only the best of the best, the “crème de la crème” artwork or poem,” says Christine. “Put it in a clearly labeled “memorabilia” box for each child.”

Need a little more motivation? De-cluttering can also save you serious cash:

“Follow these steps and you will NEVER lose a bill or an important paper, which in turn will save you hundreds of dollars in fees and endless hours of aggravation,” explains Muccigrosso.

Okay, Clutterly Frustrated, that should be more than enough to get you started, but do also know sometimes professional help is in order to help get things in order. If even the thought of conquering your clutter sets you reeling, you should probably reach out to a pro to get your started. You should also look for more serious signs that you need help:

“If the piles are causing any of the following: marital strife, kids acting up or having trouble in school, missed deadlines, accrued late fees, financial trouble or credit rating drop, your job or business is affected or replacing “lost” items is a frequent occurrence, call The Clutter Clinic: STAT,” says Christine.

You can reach The Clutter Clinic by phone: 973.493.7923, email: info@yourclutterclinic.com or website.

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