Cleaning up the clutter

(WTNH) - If clutter is cramming your drawers, cabinets and closets now is a good time to get at it and clear away some of the stress that clutter can bring.

Organizing expert Lisa Lelas has some tips for how to get started.

If you can't decide whether to keep something or toss it, Lelas says to ask yourself the following three questions:

• Do I still love it?
• Do I still use it?
• Do I still need it?

If you can't answer yes to any of those questions then toss it!

Lelas says there are three basic considerations for organizing your inside space:

1) DEFINITION OF PURPOSE: Know what each storage space is to be used for. Location should be a consideration.
2) LIKE ITEMS TOGETHER: All baking supplies together in one cabinet, arts and craft items together in another, and so on.
3) FREQUENCY OF USE: The most frequently used rooms in your home should house the most frequently used items.

When clearing out a messy drawer, have two shoe boxes and a brown paper shopping bag handy. Empty the drawer completely out. Use on box to recycle items that will go back into the drawer, the other box to relocate items that belong elsewhere in your home, and use the bag to discard any items into the trash.

When clearing out closets, empty everything out of it into three piles on the floor: One pile for all things to be put back into the closet, one pile to donate, and the third pile to discard.

Use labeled shelf baskets in all cabinetry to house smaller items, such as bathroom cosmetics/toiletries, and pantry food packets.

Containerize all DVD's and CD's in easy to slide out bins.

Purchase an adjustable flatware drawer bin to hold your kitchen flatware. Don't just randomly throw in your forks and knives.

Bedroom closets can be transformed into orderly spaces instantly simply by using all matching hangers so that the shoulders of all garments are evenly in line so you can find what you're looking for quickly. Wooden hangers are preferred.