10 Ways to Eliminate Clutter

Clutter may be more than an aesthetic nuisance. Studies have suggested that a cluttered home leads to cluttered thoughts and a lower quality of life.

In her book Fit to Live, Dr. Pamela Peeke discusses the link between health and organization. Peeke contends that messy living and work spaces lead to distressed minds, which can lead to "toxic lifestyle" habits such as overeating and overdrinking.

Eliminating clutter is easy to do once you have the will and tools. Here are some tips.

1. Find a Place for It. Clutter is usually stuff we don't know what to do with. Peter Walsh, an expert in organizational design, suggests at Oprah.com that you develop a system for storing possessions and creating obvious spaces where items belong. Clean off a shelf. Empty a drawer. Find a closet. Buy a bin. If magazines go in the rack by the couch, then it's quick and easy to put them where they belong.

2. Reshop. Retail stores have a clean-up method called reshopping. Employees go around the store collecting items found on shelves where they don't belong. Then the employees group all the items and return them to the departments where they belong. Try a reshop in your home; use a laundry basket or box to gather items that are not in the correct place.

3. Try Teamwork. If everyone is making the mess, everyone should help clean it up. TV host and author Martha Stewart suggests that whenever anyone in the household leaves a room, the family member should pick up something that doesn't belong there and put it away.

4. Set Aside a Cleaning Day. Get consensus with your family on the best time or day and schedule a regular cleaning session. Don't be vague in your plans. Set a specific day and time.

5. Clean as You Go. "Make your bed the minute you get up," says syndicated columnist Marni Jameson, author of House of Havoc and The House Always Wins. "After you put on your makeup and do your hair, put away all your beauty products and hair appliances. Guys, wipe up your shaving mess." It takes less time and less stress, she says, to clean as you go than to tackle a pile of laundry or a sink full of dishes.

6. Follow Through. If you start the laundry, finish the laundry. Don't leave wet clothes in the washing machine to finish later. Don't leave dried clothes in the dryer only to get wrinkled. Commit to a cleanup project and don't stop until it's done.

7. Create One Clean Space. Pick one space to be perfectly clean, such as the dining room table. Once that space is designated a clean zone, you will feel encouraged and determined to clean one more space, then another.

8. Donate to Charity. Collect items that are no longer used or needed, but that are still in good condition, and donate them to a women's shelter, church, Goodwill or other charity. In many cases your donation may be tax deductible.

9. Have a Yard Sale. Get rid of your unwanted items and make a few dollars at the same time. "Whether giving away the goods or saving them for a sale, package them now in clearly marked cardboard boxes that can be stashed in the attic, a dry garage, or your basement until yard sale season commences," says Julie Mihaly, a columnist at GoodHousekeeping.com.

10. Don't Buy It in the First Place. Don't let the clutter through the front door. While shopping, take a moment to think: Do I need it? Where will I put it? Can I live without it?

Read more: How to Create a Zero Waste Home and One Couple's Simplicity Makeover