MESS: A state of disarray, especially a condition of untidy confusion; an embarrassing situation or muddle; a dirty or disagreeable concoction; a hodgepodge; a confused, unkempt, or offensive condition. Or, according to your mother in-law, the sum total of who and what you are, as in, “Good Lord, you’re a mess ... just look at this house!” Solutions here!
Home Storage Idea Guide
Check out our handy Home Organization Guide
- Introduction
- Kitchen
Using Space -- Make better use of shelf and cabinet space. Here's how:
How to Reduce Clutter
Some Basics:
- Waging War on Clutter
- Clutterbug’s Excuse Almanac
- Seven Clutter Warranties
- Interior Design a la Clutter
- The Cost of Clutter
- Clutter Quiz
- It Could Always Be Worse
- Ten Commandments on Clutter
- Surviving a Mine Field of Clutter Traps
- Developing Your Battle Plan
- A Place for Everything
- How to Use This Guide
How to De-Clutter (and Organize) Anything ... from A to Z:
-A-
- Addresses (see Business Cards, Phone Numbers)
- Announcements
- Antiques
- Appliances
- Art and Art Supplies
-B-
- Baby Clothes
- Bags
- Balls
- Baskets
- Bathroom Clutter
- Batteries
- Books
- Boxes
- Brochures
- Bulletin Boards
- Business Cards
-C-
- Calendars
- Candles
- Canning Supplies
- Car Accessories and Supplies
- Cards
- Catalogs
- Children
- Cleaning Supplies
- Clocks
- Closets
- Clothes
- Collections
- College Papers
- Cosmetics
- Craft Supplies
-D-
-E-
-F-
-G-
-H-
-I-
- Invitations (see Announcements)
-J-
-K- (K- Z, coming soon!)
- Keys
- Kitchen Utensils
- Knickknacks
-L-
- Lamps
- Laundry
- Linens
- Love Letters
- Lumber
-M-
- Magazines
- Makeup (see Bathroom Clutter, Cosmetics)
- Maps
- Memorabilia
-N-
- National Geographic
- Newspapers
- Notes
-O-
- Office Supplies
-P-
- Packing Materials
- Paint and Paintbrushes
- Papers
- Pens and Pencils
- Pet Paraphernalia
- Phone Numbers
- Photographs
- Plaques (see Souvenirs, Trophies)
- Postcards
- Posters
- Pots and Pans
- Purse (see Handbags)
-R-
- Recipes
- Rocks
-S-
- Salt and Pepper Sets
- School Papers (see College Papers, Children—Papers)
- Sewing Supplies
- Shoes and Boots
- Shopping Bags
- Socks and Stockings
- Souvenirs
- Spices
- Sports Equipment
- Stuffed Animals
- Suitcases
-T-
- Ties
- Tools
- Toys
- Trays (see Pots and Pans)
- Trophies
-U-
- Uniforms
-V-
- Vacuum Cleaner; Attachments
- Vases
- Videotapes, CDs, DVDs
-W-
- Wallets
- Wine
- Wives
Clutterbusters to Live By (coming soon!)
It’s Your Turn: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions (coming soon!)
Storage: Clutter Containers (coming soon!)
Recycling Your Clutter Cast-Offs (coming soon!)
Resource Helpline (coming soon!)
Low-Maintenance Living
- Introduction to Low-Maintenance Living
- Clear Out the Clutter First! (At least half of housework is caused by clutter, but you can control it without spending a penny.)
- Conquering the Kitchen (Kitchens consume more cleaning time than anywhere else. Here’s advice on everything from buying appliances to keeping the kitchen windowsill free of junk.)
DIS-OR-DER: The situation characterized by disarrangement; hence, inattention or neglect of orderliness. Or, that mess you’ve got all over the place.
