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Have you ever heard of four-box method decluttering? This is one of the most effectively methods you can use to clean and organize your home. It helps you to focus while you are going through your things, and figure out what you really do and do not need. It also helps you come up with a specific plan of action for the items you find, instead of being tempted to just set them all in a pile to deal with later (which is exactly how clutter forms in the first place, isn’t it?).

How do you do the four-box method? To start with, you will need to purchase four large plastic bins. You can then label them as follows:

• Recycle: These are items you cannot give away, but do not wish to keep. They will be thrown away.

• Give away: These are items that you are going to either donate or gift.

• Keep: These are items you are going to put right back where you found them (or perhaps elsewhere in the room, but still in the same general space).

• Relocate: These items are going to be moved to storage somewhere else in your house, for example a hall closet or an attic.

As you go through your things, you put each and every one of them in one of your large plastic boxes. If you get stuck a lot doing this process, you may want to come up with a simple flow chart that tells you logically exactly where items should go.

While doing this exercise, you may actually discover that you need a few other plastic bins! Some great suggestions I have seen from other people using the four box system include additional boxes for selling and filing. You could also substitute two boxes for the “give away” box—one for donating to charity, and another for gifting to friends or family.

The benefits of the four-box method (or six or eight boxes, or however many you actually end up using) are many. First off, this method keeps you from skipping over items. Secondly, though, it actually makes the organization process after decluttering much easier! Everything you are going to recycle is already in one neat pile in the recycling bin, and ready to go out to the recycling bin. Everything you plan on thrifting is ready to go to the charity shop; all you have to do is throw the bin in the back seat of your car and go. Items that need to be relocated can be carried in their bin to another part of your house. Items that need to be put back can all be put back right away.

The four-box method makes decluttering and organizing much easier and faster! It is one of the most powerful techniques out there for getting your home in order quickly and effectively. Give it a try. You will probably be surprised by just how much you achieve!