If you haven’t already succumbed to the “packrat-Itus” virus, you’ve definitely been in the home of someone who shows signs of this horrible disease. There are so many different strains of Packrat-Itus that sometimes it goes undiagnosed for years. Perhaps your affliction is not too serious yet. If so, treatment is available and it is likely that you will not die from the disease.

The diagnosis of Pacrat-Itus involves a careful and deliberate assessment of your living area, taking great care to check nooks, garages, under stairs, attics, and basements for visible signs of the bacteria known as ” clutter” or “junk”. Once it is determined that you have been affected, immediate steps should be taken to rid your home of this bacteria, using copious doses of cleanacilan, orginization-aspirin. Most remedies and cures can be found, so don’t worry, it’s not terminal.

Seriously though, I call excessive household clutter “PackratItus” because accumulating junk over the years is something that happens right under your nose, and it gets worse and worse when you’re not paying attention. It reproduces in your home just like an infection worsens in your body, without careful and deliberate treatment.

There are ways to coordinate, organize, and banish clutter, leaving you enough space to walk all the way to the kitchen (without tripping over that ’70s beanbag chair). Here are 3 steps to take that can alleviate Packrat-Itus and give your home a breath of fresh air and leave you with peace of mind.

1. Do you have a shed? Maybe it’s in a condo… if so, does your condo have a storage area?

*If you have items scattered around your house that mean something to you, things that have sentimental value but aren’t of immediate use, then for God’s sake, pick them up and take them to your storage area. (It’s always a good idea to organize these items, too, so they’re easy to find—see step 2.) If you don’t have a storage area, look for self-storage facilities that may be nearby. These places are almost always within a 10 minute drive from your home, and you can usually get one for as low as 30.00 per month.

2. The Google of the world of interior design is Ikea. Ikea is your friend. At Ikea there are many shelves and storage bins that will help you organize your clutter in much smaller places. I once turned a clutter-filled garage into a closet-sized masterpiece of organizational brilliance using cheap and useful shelving + storage boxes I found at Ikea.

3. Yard sales aren’t just for families wearing matching tracksuits! I know that I know. That guitar you got for Christmas on your 14th birthday is waiting for you to learn how to master it. However, you’re 40 now, so to be blunt, give up the dream already! Let a neighborhood kid try out being the next Segovia, because that guitar is making your living room look like a pawn shop! (and you know it) It’s also worth noting that a garage sale can give you extra money to redecorate, it can be something socially relevant (if you’re trying to meet the neighbors), and if you’re lucky, someone will buy that giant fish tank you got. your aunt in 1965 (the one who gives kids nightmares).

Wait for future articles on this topic for sure. I get a ton of emails asking for advice, but for now there are bigger fish to fry, like WrongPaintColororrhea and Non Specific Decoraphobia.

So if your case of packrat-Itus is not terminal, there is hope, as you can see from above. Just pick a day, take your time, and treat the problem with prescription drugs here. Oh, and drink a lot of orange juice. That seems to help everything. 🙂