Declare one small clutter-free zone

Clutter hurts our marriages and makes us feel bad. It makes us sluggish. When our homes are filled with clutter, we just want to flee. We do everything in our power to not have to look at it.

Here are some things we do.

We hide out in the bedroom so we don't have to see it.

We leave the house for the day and don't come home until late.

We volunteer for things to keep us out of the house. A busy person does not have time to clean and declutter. Being busy provides an excuse.

When you walk in the door after a day of running around, facing the clutter stops you dead in your tracks. Since you don't know where to start, you do nothing.

Clutter sucks the energy right out of you. This is why I have urged you to shine your sink; just seeing one small area that is clean and clutter free gives you the energy to do more. The same way that clutter tends to grow in our hot spots, clutter-free areas are contagious, too. With just a small area clean, you will begin to clear out the areas surrounding your bright spot.

Keep your counters clear as you cook. Don't let things pile up. Clean up after each dish prepared. Fill your sink with fresh hot soapy water each time it gets dirty and cold. Put out clean dish towels and dishcloths.

When you get an area clean, declare it a clutter-free zone. Use your hot spot preventions twice daily to keep areas clear of clutter.

Now let's discuss what happens to our husbands and children when the house is cluttered.

Here is a testimonial I received once from on of my FlyLady members:

"This weekend I thanked my husband for putting up with me during my slob days, and he said that it was OK, he just slept through it. Here I was, angry at him for sleeping late and not spending time in the family room, but staying in bed watching TV. He was doing it because of ME! Instead of griping about the house, he just ignored it. I hadn't even noticed that he has been getting up earlier and doing more things with us. And we, too, are falling back in love."

It is amazing what clutter can do. And it's amazing what happens when the clutter is not there! As you read in the testimonial, her husband hid in the bedroom; sleeping late. This was his place of refuge. As a result of him protecting himself from the clutter, she felt abandoned. Their lines of communication had been broken because clutter was pushing them apart. You all know about this.