Your home is pretty. But is it also as healthy as it can be?  Stuff inevitably continues to enter our homes… nearly every single day. Consider decluttering. It will recover time, energy, and finances for the things that are truly important.

These are 5 easy routines that remove the clutter:

1. Reduce knick-knacks and decorations.  Remove objects that aren’t absolutely beautiful or meaningful. If you’re sure you cannot part with them for good, at least store them away. It may be fun to occasionally change your décor by swapping the tchotchkes in the storage with what was displayed recently. In the meantime, there is less dust and more air to breathe.
2. Remove 10 things from each closet. Be honest: how many of them just take up the space, and were not worn or used for years? They belong in two different boxes: Garbage and Goodwill. Your closet will breathe and if you donate the second box when you’re done, you’ll feel better about yourself too.
3. Keep flat surfaces clean. Kitchen counters, bathroom counters, bedroom dressers, tabletops… somehow attract receipts, coins, notes, old newspapers, and junk mail. Who knows how many hands had touched them? They should find right away their destination either in a file cabinet, wallet, or the garbage can, and the empty surfaces could get a quick swipe with a handy sanitizer after each use.
4. Take control of the daily incoming clutter. Watch the natural flow of mail into your home. Placing a recycling container prior to your “mail drop-off zone” can catch most of that junk mail before it even reaches your counter. The magazines and flyers that you decide to keep should be processed immediately: file, recycle, throw away – then wipe the surface
5. De-clutter your home office. A clean office helps to focus. A simple filing system should keep your desk empty. It also helps to find quickly what’s needed to complete the task at hand. The knick-knacks needed to keep the office functional can be housed in the drawers. You’ll be more productive and, the next time you’ll be invited to show up on a surprise ZOOM – you’ll do it without stress or embarrassment.