It’s not easy to deal with personal clutter. The task is even more troublesome when the clutter that needs to be organized is not yours. Today we’re talking about other people’s clutter in the family home. That is, other family member’s clutter than can drive you a little bonkers!

Here are some tips to help you cope.

5 Tips When Dealing With Other People’s Clutter

1. Respect Other People’s Stuff

The very first rule is to identify boundaries. Since it’s not your stuff, you’ve got to come to terms with the reality that it won’t be you touching or throwing items away just because you want it gone. That can cause angst or rifts so sometimes having a more proactive approach can have better results.

For example:

Problem: Your partner leaves shoes all over the house.

Solution: Buy or make a shoe rack.

Conversation: “Hey! Doesn’t the neat shoe rack make a big difference. I noticed all of your shoes don’t fit in the rack, let’s go through and throw out those old ones now that we can see how many you have.”

Image source: Expert Home Tips

2. Provide Ways to Make Organising Easier

Think about what irks you the most about other people’s clutter and what you can do to stop it.

For example:

Problem: Towels are always left on the bathroom floor.

Solution: Install more towel racks or hooks with their name on it.

Conversation: “To make it easier for you I have installed towel hooks with your name on it so you have nice, dry towels every time your in the bathroom.”

Image source: redroansigns.com

3. Involve The Kids

I know, I know, we all say this, but it’s true! If you can teach your kids early on to ‘put things back where they belong’ it makes life so much easier in the long run!

For example:

Problem: Messy toys.

Solution: Stackable boxes or cube storage.

Conversation: “I’ll help you go through your toys and we can start putting them away in their own boxes so it keeps all your toys tidy. ”

Image source: babble.com

4. Consider Your Language

Are you setting yourself up for failure because you’re not speaking the right language?

For example:

Problem language: “Can we throw this out?”

Solution language: “We don’t read any of these books. Let’s give them to someone else to enjoy.”

Image source: goodnet.org

5. Find a Home For Unwanted Items

There are items we keep because of some kind of emotional attachment to them. So instead of having the clutter and carrying the guilt, considering re-homing your items.

For example:

Problem: Champagne flutes given as a wedding gift from your Great Aunty. However, you don’t drink champagne.

Solution: Pass them on to your child, friend or neighbour who does drink champagne and who would love the flutes.

Conversation: “You know those beautiful champagne flutes you gave me, I have given them to my daughter because I don’t drink champagne (but she does) and was admiring them.

Image source: wikihow.com

Let us know what has worked for you when dealing with other people’s clutter!