Organize Clutter and Control Your Family Pack Rat

You may get some resistance at first, but if you persist you'll be able to convince the pack rat in your family that it's time to cut the clutter out for good.  Here are some great tips for getting the clutter organized and gone for good.

Believe it or not there is always one member of the family who saves everything. The clutter has become so great, the pack rat not only can’t find what he or she is looking for but forgot where it was put in the first place.  Well, now is the time to begin organizing the pack rat in your family.  Here are some suggestions.

First, take a deep breath.  Take a look around your home to see where all of the clutter is concentrated.  Take the pack rat by the hand and inform him or her that today is organization day, and all of the clutter has to be dealt with.  After the hemming and hawing ceases, go out to the garage and get as many boxes as you can find.  You’ll also need a couple of black magic markers and some plastic bags as well.

Second, begin the organization process.  Sort everything into piles.  Make two signs: Keep and Discard.  Depending upon where this clutter is, you may be able to organize the stuff indoors or outdoors.  Now the pack rat has to make decisions.  What does he or she really need to keep, and what can be discarded.
This is going to be difficult, and probably a lot of compromises will have to be made.  Don’t hesitate.  Continue the process at a steady pace. You can always discuss what was put in the “keep” pile later on.

After all of the clutter has been sorted, now you can go back to the keep pile and discuss the options.  Ask the pack rat again, “Do you really want to keep this?”  If he or she answers yes, then a compromise will have to be made.  If an item is really needed, then another item from the “keep” pile must be discarded.   Keep at it until there is no more room for discussion.

Take all of the items that are left and store them in boxes and label them with markers.  Throw away all used and non-essential items, and donate the rest.  While hard choices have to be made, it is the only way to organize someone who saves everything.  Ensure that the throw away items are placed in the plastic bags and put out for pickup.  Contact a charity organization and ask them to pick up those items you designated for them.  The idea is not to leave anything around for the pack rat to scour through and retrieve.

Finally, your pack rat will be feeling a bit down after this ordeal.  You may want to discuss the process and why it was necessary.  In fact, this may not change the pack rat’s behavior at all.  But if you talk about it in a loving and caring manner, it will make things easier.