Here’s a good model to demonstrate how to clean an area. Let’s use the hall closet as an example. Take everything out of the closet. Now get focused and toughen up—you need to make good choices about what to do with all the stuff you’ve just taken out of closet. If you need to, invite a friend over to help you make those decisions.
Now, take a look at the empty closet. Replace only those things that actually belong in a closet—sweaters, coats, umbrellas, tennis rackets, football blankets, and so forth. As for all those items that don’t belong in the closet, like papers, photos, magazines, and old clothes, put each item in one of three bags: the Put-Away bag, the Throw-Away bag, or the Give-Away bag. Don’t shove any of these things back into the closet. Making final decisions about each item is liberating!