Using a Staging Area During Uncluttering

When trying to unclutter, set up a staging area for examining your things. A kitchen table or folding table works well. Here is an example of the staging area in use:

  1. Whenever you are ready to tackle a drawer, for instance, empty the contents of that drawer onto the table.
  2. While the drawer is empty, wipe it out.
  3. Determine what that drawer's function will be, like housing kitchen utensils.
  4. Sort the items on the table by putting like things together. Put serving utensils together in a pile, put all sizes of whisks together, put measuring cups together, put things that don't belong in that drawer together and set them aside.
  5. Find other places where kitchen utensils might be hiding, gather them up, and make sure they get sorted, too.
  6. Examine each of the sorted piles. Do you have multiples of items, like three wooden spoons when you only ever use one at time? Put these in a bin for donations. Are there items you never use or that don't work well? Also plan to donate these.
  7. Place the items back in the drawer, arranged with like things together. I strongly recommend getting drawer dividers or organizers that accommodate the type of items you are storing. This keeps items in place when you open and close the drawer, and you'll always put a utensil back in its designated place when there's only one open slot available in the drawer divider.

Without the designated staging area, we can't see our items objectively and clearly, away from the place where we are used to seeing them. Striving for objectivity is one of the hardest but most helpful things we can do to successfully unclutter our homes.

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