6 ways to clean up your home life

2. Kitchen gadgets
Six corkscrews, three egg slicers, multiple melon ball scoops and a cheese grinder still in the package: these were the items crammed into the kitchen drawers of my friend Catherine. And she's not alone. It's quite common to fall prey to the lure of gadgets that promise to save time or make you the next great Canadian chef.

But all too often, they simply take up space -- and create frustration. “When an item doesn't live up to its promise, we feel inadequate and blame ourselves, not the product,” says Hellen Buttigieg, a professional organizer and president of We Organize U in Oakville, Ont.

Ditch the excess items and your negative feelings; you don't need gimmickry to perfect your culinary skills. Chef David Evans of Santos, Montreal's latest Old Port hot spot, can put all his personal kitchen tools in one cupboard. “It's the love of food, quality ingredients and a good sharp knife that matter,” he says, “not the latest gadgets.”

The fix
• Separate the must-haves from the wannabes. Here's how: Transfer all your gadgets to a box. When you use one, put it back into a drawer or onto a shelf. After three months, pack up what's still in the box to give away. (Seasonal items such as the turkey baster and barbecue tongs are exceptions.)

• Practise self-discipline. Resist the urge to splurge on new kitchen gadgets. Indulge instead in consumable treats (for example, some artisanal cheese or handmade chocolates) or save up for a top-quality chef's knife.

3. Paper clutter
Writer Marianne Scott recently unloaded 150 pounds of papers and two shelves of books when she purged her home office in Victoria. Does she miss them? “Not one,” she says. “I feel immense relief and, strange as it sounds, mentally and physically lighter.”

Usually the result of indecision (should I respond to this now or later, file it or dump it?), paper clutter can weigh you down with anxiety and guilt and turn you into a raging monster as you frantically search for that passport application or overdue bill. “When things pile up we feel mentally defeated and exhausted, and the task of organizing seems impossible,” says Linda Chu, a professional organizer and owner of Out of Chaos in Vancouver.

Organizing that paper mess will instil you and your surroundings with a sense of harmony. You'll feel less rattled, more in control and be more creative and productive.

The fix
• Recycle regularly. Be ruthless, especially with newspapers and magazines.

• Purge first, then invest in filing cabinets and stacking bins. That way you'll probably need fewer storage containers.

• Allocate a specific spot as a “business centre” for mail and other paper.

• Open your mail daily. Make an immediate decision to respond, defer, file or discard.

• Automate. Paying bills with automatic bank withdrawals eliminates clutter and saves time.

• File, don't pile. Designate Current Files for bank and financial statements, income tax information and credit card slips; Archival Files for insurance policies, warranties and tax returns; and Permanent Records for wills, health records and family histories. Review yearly. Put personal reminders in a separate file organized by month.

• Donate it. Gift your used books and magazines to places such as seniors' centres, libraries or hospitals.

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