One of the greatest parts of the Cure is the outbox - the collection of things that you are getting rid of. Having a waystation for items that are making their way out of your life makes the "goodbye" that much easier. You can place something in the outbox, knowing that if you decide you really NEED it, it can be retrieved before the box is emptied (and, honestly that is something we rarely end up doing - once in the outbox it usually goes....). That said, outboxs are a good idea anytime your home needs some attention and are most effective when well organized - here's a method for managing the madness:
Lose the Clutter: Organize your Outbox
Have seperate small boxes (or bags, or trays) for different items depending on where they have to go. This will also dictate how frequently it should be emptied during the cure (or anytime you have one going):
Garbage - clear it daily
Mail - clear it daily - for items that need to be sent from the P.O., clear once a week
Recycling - clear it twice a week
Store Returns - clear it ASAP to ensure that a return is possible
Library - clear within the rental return period for your city, and if its overdue, clear it ASAP
Friends - clear it when you plan to see them
Charity - clear it once a month
This means that when you have a very full outbox, you should be grabbing something nearly everyday, but it also means that in about a month, you will be free and clear of the clutter (until the next cure, of course).
Related: What's in Your Outbox
Photo: scol22 on stock.exchng
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My 'outbox' has now taken over my entire hallway linen closet. It's on my to-do list...
view outonalimb_2008's profile
These are some great ideas on getting organized in your apartment. Lord knows I need it sometimes. I also ran across some good cleaning tips for my pad from this blog: http://www.apartmenthomeliving.com/living/index.aspx?blog_id=302
Both that article and this one have me on my way to having a super clean apartment.
view The Apartment Guru's profile
Joining a local freecycle or cheapcycle group may be a good idea to help get rid of some stuff in the oubox. It's great... people will come to your door and pick up your junk!
view jackie_22's profile