Clutter in your home can take up space, make your home feel small, and can affect your productivity. Before you hire professional house cleaners it is best to eliminate clutter to receive the best cleaning. Maidwell Cleaning has a few tips to banish clutter and get more bang for your buck when you schedule a cleaning.

• Do the “Trash Bag Tango”

Professional organizer, Peter Walsh, recommends the “trash bag tango” method when clutter is overwhelming you and you don’t know where to start. It’s simple. Grab two large trash bags and move from room to room, placing the items to be discarded in one bag and the items to donate in the other. This method forces you to make quick decisions on what to toss, keep, and donate. It clears your personal space and declutters the home for a thorough cleaning.

• Create a place for essentials

Clutter occurs when items that are either displaced, or have no place in your home at all. It is important to have a place for frequently used items at your fingertips. Organizers are an excellent way for homeowners keep order in entryways, closets and drawers.

• Resist the urge to purchase one-time use items

Many homeowners buy supplies and equipment for one-time projects. It is easy to clutter the home by storing these items in the home. Considering renting and selling equipment that you are unlikely to use again.

• Purge Regularly

Prevent build-up by getting rid of things regularly. A monthly “trash bag tango” and a trip to the Goodwill will fight clutter.