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Decluttering Strategies: Box and Banish Method

Living in a house full of clutter? Looking for a way to get it all under control? Earlier I talked about the popular Four Box method. Another popular method which can work just as well, and which is especially helpful in a pinch, is the Box and Banish method. This is a quick and dirty approach to getting organized fast. It’s a great idea if you have guests coming over and want an instant improvement. It’s also an excellent choice if you are just really frustrated with your clutter.

How do you do the box and banish method? Begin by purchasing some large plastic boxes. How many you need depends on how much clutter you have. Then choose a room in your home, and grab all the clutter you see on the floor, tables, chairs, countertops, and other surfaces. Open up your drawers and closets and grab all the clutter you find in there too. Then put it all inside your large plastic storage containers. Do not get too caught up in what it is you are putting in the boxes. The idea is to get all the clutter.

At this point, you should be looking at a clutter-free room, since everything is in the large plastic containers. Again, this is perfect if you have people coming over who you want to see a clean house. You also can breathe an immediate sigh of relief. You do not have to look at the clutter anymore, either.

The biggest drawback of this method is one you probably guessed. It is easy to feel enthusiastic about decluttering when you are throwing all the stuff in the boxes. You see the progress around you, and it keeps you going. But after you are done with that part, you may look at the boxes and angst about going through them. If you let this go on too long and keep avoiding it, new clutter will build up around the boxes.

So make a vow before you start that you will go through each clutter box on a timely schedule. Maybe you could just tackle a box each week. Take out every item and decide whether to keep it, store it, or donate it. Make a trip to the thrift store once a week or once a month with the items you are going to give away. Call your friends and ask them if there is anything they need or want which you may have. Recycle any items which are genuinely unusable either to friends or strangers. Never throw anything in the trash unless you have to. Almost everything is useful in some way, shape or form, even if it isn’t useful to you.

Decluttering is not something which can happen overnight, but the box and banish method can help you feel that overnight sense of accomplishment. Just be sure you have a plan in place to keep yourself motivated after the initial payoff. That way you will make real progress, and not just the appearance of progress.