How to Declutter an Entryway

Step 1

1

Get rid of trash. Grab an oversized garbage bag and fill it with whatever refuse has been cluttering up your entryway. Food and drink packages, debris from the outdoors, out of date mail and unidentifiable odds and ends can all go. Once the accumulated litter has been taken care of, you can move on to bigger and more important things.

Place a wastebasket in the entryway to have a place to throw away trash on your way in and out.

Step 2

2

Throw out broken, dirty or unused items. Anything that no longer works the way it’s supposed to should either be repaired or disposed of for good. The same goes for clothing and gear that’s stained or otherwise past its prime. Obsolete electronics and work boots with the soles peeling off probably aren’t worth keeping around.

Don’t be tempted to hang on to an item thinking it might have some value in the future. If you haven’t used it in months, you don’t need it.

Gather up things you intend to hang on to and put them away somewhere else, like a junk drawer or a labeled box in the basement.

Step 3

3

Part with old clothes and toys. Rummage through the assortment of outgrown items you have lying around and see what you’d be willing to throw out. Sort the mess into individual piles based on what can be given away to friends and neighbors, what can be put up for consignment and what should be carted off with the week’s trash.

Consider holding a yard sale to offload some of your finds and make a little extra money in the process.

Donate items that are in good condition rather than throwing them out. What seems like waste to you might be just what someone else needs.