By BEVERLY S. BUTTERFIELD

By BEVERLY S. BUTTERFIELD

Extension Agent

Heading through the check-out line at the grocery store on Saturday, the clerk looked at my basket with cleaning supplies and murmured, "How are we supposed to do it?”

“Excuse me” — I asked?

“Work full time, take children where they need to go, fix the meals, do the laundry, and keep the house clean too.”

Remember when April was the month traditionally reserved for Spring cleaning? For most of us, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to do what we want to get done, so the goal of spring cleaning seems very remote. Taking time to stop and clear the clutter is an important step that can save time in the long run. Perhaps some of these tips will help you to reclaim your space.

Start by getting organized. Look at the space you have in your home and think about what tasks get accomplished each place. Are things stored in a logical area? Is everything you need to get the task done stored together? Is there anything stored in each area you haven’t needed in a year? Is there anything that is only used occasionally that could be moved to a more remote location and free up prime space in the living area?

Involve the rest of the family in developing the plan. Family members cannot be expected to put things away if they don’t understand the system. To the extent each family member is capable of, involve them in helping organize the living space.

Most of us spend half of the time spent cleaning the house weekly with cleaning clutter. Cast a critical eye around — is there anything you can live without? Get rid of it. Important papers, school or work papers, bills — these things need to have their own place so that they are not misplaced. Much of the paper we shuffle can be thrown away. Strive to only handle paper once. This means read it and file — or toss. A great deal of time is spent moving clutter from one place to another, or looking for things lost in