You should now understand why excessive clutter is bad and the flawed logic we use to justify keeping all that stuff in our lives. But there is more to clutter, it’s not just simply junk and rubbish. Clutter can be broken down into different types, which in turn can be treated and processed differently. For instance, reference material can be filed and broken items can either be fixed or thrown out. However, don’t let this confuse or distract you. While it’s not practical to focus heavily on categorizing your clutter when you are working through it, it’s useful to be aware of the different types. It’s really all about common sense.

Trash

The most simple form of clutter. As the name implies, it’s basically just rubbish so put it straight into your bin or recycle it accordingly. It’s funny how trash can work its way into your home because at least when you dump something in a drawer or box you still feel it might serve a purpose in some way at some point in the future. Trash is just… trash right? You’d be surprised at how many old receipts, scraps of paper, sweet wrappers and old flyers can find their way into your home, further exasperating the whole problem of keeping your home organized and tidy. Keep it simple, keep it easy and just dispose of it.

Reference

Sometimes you are obligated to keep something, typically paperwork. It’s usually an old bill, some tax documents, a manual or a letter containing important information. They most likely won’t actually end up being of any use or you will never end up referring to them. However, typically for legal reasons, it’s good practise to keep them, especially if you are a business. It’s one the quirks of life that the one time you need such a file, it’s the one file you’ve dumped somewhere or lost and simply can’t find. Luckily a lot of this stuff has a limited lifespan so you’re not expected to find storage space for papers that are years old. Bills, for instance, can typically be disposed of after two years so create an effective filing system and store all your paperwork there.

Broken or out of date

You’d think we would do something with an item when it breaks but take a look through your clutter. You will probably find at least one broken item that you didn’t want to throw away. You will no doubt have thought about repairing it but you have never actually got round to doing so. If you’ve not fixed it already you almost certainly never will. If you really missed it or needed it you’d surely have done something about it. Or alternatively you might have bought an updated item or replacement and kept the original for whatever reason. By out of date stuff I don’t necessarily mean food (though it’s probably worth going through your fridge and kitchen drawer to check dates, especially on dry and tinned foods). What I am referring to is, for instance, when you buy a DVD player, but rather than getting rid of or selling on your VHS player you store it away. You never know when you might get a VHS that you need to watch right? Well, I’ve had my DVD player for a few years now and haven’t had the need to watch a VHS in all that time.

Collectables/antiques

Collections like antique plates and old comic books are potentially worth a lot of money, so it’s crazy that so many people just dump these investments away under piles of junk and clutter, left to get damaged and broken. Of course, it’s quite easy and common for people to over-evaluate the worth of their possessions but the truth is most stuff simply doesn’t hold any real value, especially with sites like eBay allowing easier access to second hand goods. If you have any doubts or honestly believe these items might be worth something, consider taking them in for a valuation to get a clear picture. If they have value sell them on or store them safely and securely. If not, they belong in a different category altogether.

Nostalgia

With this sort of clutter you need to decide your own acceptable level for clearing out nostalgic items because it can be more personal to some than others, and that overrides your normal decisions regarding processing your clutter. However, it’s important that you think rationally when processing items in this category. If you refuse to part with old letters from a past boyfriend who screwed you over then there are deeper issues to deal with. I know people who refuse to even throw away birthday cards from years ago, while others get rid of any gifts that have not been used within six months. While it might be comforting to have all those cards, do you honestly ever look at them? Nostalgic items are great if you actually refer back to them every so often, but if they are forgotten about in the back of a cupboard they aren’t really providing the nostalgic value you want.

Recyclable/resellable

If you are getting rid of your clutter and it is not trash, it may sometimes be easier to recycle the items or sell them on if there is any value to it. For instance, once I have read a book or listened to a music CD I will usually either sell it on if it has maintained its value, or give it away to friends and family. Clothes are often a good bet to give away too. That way none of it goes to waste and you can even occasionally get a little money out of it. Nowadays being environmentally conscious is increasingly important and is likely to become one of the more significant day-to-day actions in our lives over the next few decades so it is a good habit to develop now. Sometimes what seems like a piece of clutter or junk to you can be adopted or altered to give it a new lease of life in the hands of an appropriate person.

Undecided

With all the best intentions in the world to de-clutter our homes, sometimes we just can’t decide whether to get rid of something or not. We might have doubts about whether we will really need it or not, whether it has any worth or simply whether it means enough to us. How we deal with items in this category tends to influence the overall success of otherwise of your de-cluttering. The general consensus is that you keep something or get rid of it, there is no middle ground. Because of that people often end up throwing away the wrong items and regretting their decisions. In actuality it’s rarely so black and white. There will be plenty of times when you simply can’t decide what to do with an item. The trick is to box away all these undecided items and revisit them a few months down the line to see if you’ve missed them or not. There is no need to pressurise yourself into making decisions, and it’s certainly not necessary to process all your possessions in one go.

Essentials

For the sake of completeness I have included this as a category. This is what should make up most of your possessions as you progress with your de-cluttering. As the name suggests, this is the stuff we need and use on a regular basis and it should be organized and stored appropriately. Trimming all your possessions down to purely the essentials is a nice goal to aim for but not practical when we consider the amount of stuff we have to process in our lives. However, when people talk about de-cluttering this is what they mistakenly think the ultimate goal is. Be realistic about what you are aiming for. You want to have a maintainable level of possessions so that with a little regular effort you can keep on top of everything without it taking up too much time. You should have better things to be doing with your time.