The following is a guest post by Mark Harris of Awareness Toolkits.

Sometimes it seems that the effort to keep your home free of clutter is futile. The pile-up of junk mail, items to be recycled, and odd socks seems to be self-replenishing. However, with a plan, a schedule, and some determination, you can have a more peaceful, well-organized home. While you may think of decluttering as taking things to the city dump, Byebye suggests ways to approach the task that are better for the environment.

Get a Bigger Perspective

Go outside and then re-enter your home, trying to imagine what you’d see as a first-time visitor. This can be motivational, as well as give you ideas about what you’d like the end result to look like. Remember, this is a project for the long haul, so set some goals, and break it down room by room.

Prepare Some Boxes

Get boxes and label them as trash, donate, action required, recycle, and put away. Make a quick preliminary sweep of the house, putting the big and obvious clutter into designated boxes. Continue to use the boxes as you focus on small areas.

Start on a Small Scale

Before starting, take some “before” pictures of specific areas, like the table by the front door or your desk, and take pictures of each room, too. The inspiration of seeing changes as you go will provide motivation to carry on. Start in five-minute bursts. Set a timer and focus on one area, sorting, putting away, and discarding as much as possible. Be sure to take an “after” picture when you finish clearing an area.

Move Things Out

Once you’ve filled bags with items to donate, recycle, or discard, take them out to the car or trash bin, or set them by the door. Seeing cleared space will encourage you, and it’s also important to maintain progress and remove opportunities to backslide. If you must have a “maybe” box, for items you can’t decide what to do with, seal it, write the date on it, and put it out of sight for a few months. After time has passed, open it, consider whether you’ve missed having those items around, and decide what to do with them.

Research Options for Recycling

Cell phones, TVs, laptops, and electronic tablets contain recyclable materials, and they also contain substances that should not go into landfill. If your electronics are still working, consider donating them to a charity. If they no longer work, find a place where they can be disposed of safely. Appliances can often be recycled or repaired. Check this list of resources for guidance on where to take yours. Consider donating used bedding and linens to the Humane Society, or a homeless shelter in your area.

Plan for the Long Haul

Think of decluttering as an ongoing maintenance activity, because this is not a one-and-done activity any more than doing laundry is. Experts recommend setting aside a few minutes toward the end of the day to pick up and put away things. Try giving away or discarding one thing every day. Establish a policy that every time you bring something new into your home, you have a place to keep it. Sometimes this will mean that for every new item, you discard another item, or you may need to rearrange what you already have. Be sure to schedule ongoing maintenance sessions to keep things clutter-free and on track. If you live with other people, ask for their help.

Go Digital

Some things can be stored in the Cloud, freeing up space in your home. By all means, scan your photos and documents and store them digitally. Be sure to back up the files when you do so. While you’re decluttering your home, take time to declutter your phone and computer of unnecessary files.

Clean After Decluttering

Wait until the decluttering is done to clean. You’ll have more space, and fewer items to clean. Choose reusable cleaning supplies, like washable rags or sponges. There are many options for eco-friendly cleaning products, so the work can be done without causing damage to the environment, yourself, or your home.

If you need to sell, swap, donate, and declutter, download Byebye today!