What is the best way to clean my house?? I have clutter in every room, stacked floor to ceiling. Help!?

Question

I live with three other roomates, as well as my self, in a four bedroom house. We all moved in together six months ago. We have tried to unpack our stuff, but it has just turned into chaos. In every room of the house is stuff. Just loads of clutter, some garbage, some important. Some mine, some theirs. It's all now mixed. We need to put it away nicely and cleanly. The problem is its everywhere you look!! In every room (Bathrooms to bedrooms to kitchen and garage) We have tried to tackle it, but its so overwhelming. Where do we even begin?? I'm thinking a written plan of action and a long weekend of work is in order. So, have you done this before and how did you sort through this? We are tired of being pack rats! We are tired are being filled to our eye balls in junk! O.o

Answer 1

Go to the nearest grocery store and get 12 large boxes and bring them home ,write this on your boxes.1.DONATE

                                                                        2.TOSS

                                                                        3.KEEP

                                                                        4.FILE

Make 4 sets of boxes.one for each roommate.put them in the garage each set in each corner with everyones names on them.take a sheet of paper and put your 4 names across the top of the paper and draw lines between each name down the whole paper and then at the very left of the paper on each line write,Monday 20 minutes sorting livingroom,on Tuesday 20 minutes sorting kitchen,on Wednesday 20 minutes sorting bathroom ,on Thursday 20 minutes sorting bedroom,on Friday 20 minutes sorting dining room.and continue every week untill the sorting is done.When finished sorting Toss everything out in trash.donate everthing in donate boxes.File everything that needs filing.After your done with that put all the keep boxes together .Go get another donate box and start seeing what you have kept that you have doubles of and donate the doubles.And now your ready to put away the keep stuff.Dont worry this may take you a few weeks but if you keep at it you can finish faster than you think.Good Luck!..P.S.remember if you dont use it lose it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

As stated, one room at a time.  A good rule of thumb is if you haven't used it, read it, wore it or seen it in a year - out it goes!  

Make it a game with your roommates.. see who can fill their designated "out" box the fastest... settle on a suitable reward ahead of time - maybe a cookie?

Don't try to do it in one weekend.  Make it a twice monthly game so you don't burn out... or eat too many cookies!

Answer 3

Very simple

Just do 1 room at a time ... little goals = big goal achieved without being overwhelming.

Start in 1 room. Designate a spot in the room for the rubbish/junk box and put all the crud in this box to dump when the bin guy comes around next. Designate another box for all the stuff that is agreed to go into another room, when you get to that room then you can put it away without having to sort crud out.

Have fun!!!

Answer 4

i fill one store bag a day and throw it in the garbage when i go to work..old paperwork..shed first