Make sure the entrance to your home is clear and accessible.
Visitors to your home get their first impressions of you from your entrance. Make certain your front door, porch, steps, and other nearby areas are neat, so they speak well of you. Ch’i comes in through the doors of your home, too. A cluttered or obstructed entrance blocks this life-generating force and inhibits your health, wealth, and happiness.
Keep your entryway clear of clutter.
The entryway or foyer serves as a transition zone from the outside to the interior of your home. To make guests—and ch’i—feel welcome, this area should be neat, clear, and inviting. Obstacles in this space that make it difficult for visitors to move into the other parts of your home will also interfere with the amount of ch’i that can enter and energize your life.
Hang a wind chime in your entryway.
To prevent ch’i from getting stuck in your entryway, hang a wind chime from the ceiling. The chime symbolically circulates positive energy throughout your home. Its pleasing sound also breaks up atmospheric clutter that can collect in a small, windowless, or self-contained foyer, mudroom, or anteroom. Ring the chime upon entering to clear the air.
Clear the walkways through your home.
Keep the pathways through your home free of furniture, clutter, and other obstructions. Can you move comfortably from one room to the next? Can you easily access windows and closets? Or do you have to sidestep walls, furnishings, or piles of clutter? Obstacles in your home’s passageways block the smooth flow of ch’i into the various gua and limit the benefits it brings.
Dust lampshades.
Lamps symbolize the sun’s life-giving energy and promote positive feelings. From the perspective of feng shui, light boosts your vitality, stimulates opportunity, and encourages growth. Keep lampshades clean to maximize the amount of light in your home. Additionally, be sure to turn on the lights periodically in rooms or areas that don’t get used often—this keeps ch’i from stagnating in these spots.
Clean out a closet in your living room.
Closets symbolize the hidden parts of ourselves. When you clean out and neatly organize a closet, you demonstrate your willingness to remove old attitudes, habits, and behavior patterns that can cause confusion or blockages in your life. Because the living room is the place where socializing often takes place, cleaning out a closet here, if you have one, can improve your social life. This cure also can have a positive effect on your public image and your interactions with other people in general.
Clean out a closet in your Wealth Gua.
If a closet in your Wealth Gua is jam-packed with stuff, you may be blocking new moneymaking opportunities. To make room for prosperity to enter your life, clean out a closet in your Wealth Gua. Getting rid of clutter here can also help you uncover hidden issues you may be harboring about money and what it represents to you.
Clean out a closet in your Relationships Gua.
Many of us have old attitudes, fears, and “baggage” that can cause problems in our romantic relationships. Just closing the door on problems won’t make them go away. By cleaning out a closet in your Relationships Gua, you demonstrate your willingness to address these issues. If your goal is to attract new love into your life, you’ll increase your chances if you first let go of old stuff that keeps you stuck in the past. Getting rid of clutter can also improve an existing relationship by eliminating obstacles, resentments, rigidity, and confusion.
Keep closet doors shut.
Closets represent the private side of your life, because this is where you store things out of sight when you aren’t using them. Even after you’ve uncluttered your closets, keep their doors shut to prevent personal matters from becoming public knowledge.
Install clothing rods at various heights.
Garments hang at different lengths, so positioning clothing rods at varying heights increases the usable space in your closet. Instead of running a single rod the full length of a closet, install one full-width rod high up and another below it that runs only partway across. You can use the partial-height section to hold shorter items—shirts, jackets, vests, and skirts—and the full-height area for dresses, slacks, coats, and longer garments.
Use the one-a-day clutter-clearing method.
If clearing away your clutter seems like an overwhelming task, take it a step at a time. Just get rid of one thing you don’t need each day—throw it out, give it to someone else who’ll enjoy it, recycle it, or donate it to charity.
Choose a personal color palette and only buy clothing in that palette.
Most people look better in some colors than in others. Determine what your best colors are and only buy clothing in those hues. This allows you to reduce the number of garments in your closet while actually increasing your wardrobe’s versatility, because everything goes with everything else. This cure also facilitates shopping—you can bypass everything that isn’t in your personal color palette.
Get rid of clothing that doesn’t go with anything else.
Do you have garments that don’t coordinate with anything else in your closet? Usually this means that either the color or the style isn’t really you. Pass them on to someone who’ll appreciate them.
Eliminate duplicates.
How many white shirts, black skirts, or blue striped ties do you really need? Pare down your wardrobe by eliminating duplicate items. Keep the ones you like best and that look best on you—perhaps two per season. Take the rest to a consignment shop or donate them to charity.
Pack away off-season clothes as soon as you stop wearing them.
From a practical point of view, this uncluttering cure frees up closet and drawer space and makes it easier to find what you want to wear. On a psychological level, it enables you to put the past behind you so you can move forward and embrace each new season of your life.
Get rid of clothing you no longer wear.
If you haven’t worn something in a year, you probably don’t need it. Unless a garment has special significance, it doesn’t warrant space in your closet or dresser. Give it to a friend or charity—or take it to a consignment shop where your clutter can earn cash.
Don’t hold on to clothes that don’t fit.
If you’re trying to lose or gain weight, you may undermine your success by holding on to clothes that are a larger or smaller size than your target. Additionally, keeping clothes that are the wrong size can make you feel bad about yourself even if you look and feel great. Get rid of garments that don’t fit your current self—even if they might fit you again down the road, your style might have changed by then.
Arrange your wardrobe.
There are many ways to organize your wardrobe. Choose the one that best suits your needs.
Group similar items together.
Hang clothing so that similar items are grouped together and you won’t have to search through your entire closet to locate a particular garment. Designate drawers for specific items—place garments you wear on the upper part of your body in the top drawers, and put jeans, shorts, etc., in the lower drawers.
Group clothing by color.
This saves time by enabling you to see at a glance what goes with what. Odd items that don’t match anything else will immediately stand out—get rid of these.
Organize clothing according to frequency of use.
In your closet and dresser drawers, place items you wear frequently where you can access them conveniently. Hang or store “special occasion” garments in less accessible areas. If you always wear particular items together, hang them together.
Buy underwear once a year.
Underwear tends to get bedraggled after a year or so. Replace it all in one shopping trip to save time, then throw out old undies. If you color coordinate bras and panties, this practice allows you to match up items—colors may change from season to season. (A friend of mine throws out all her old underwear when a relationship ends and treats herself to new lingerie as a way of symbolically inviting new love into her life.)
Mend holes in pockets.
Literally as well as symbolically, holes in the pockets of clothing allow money to slip away. Mend them!
Reduce suitcase clutter.
If you’re going on a trip, lay out all the clothing you plan to take with you on your bed. Then, put half of it back in your closet and pack what’s left. (Choosing clothing within a limited color range makes this easier and increases the versatility of the outfits you pack.) If possible, try to fit everything you need for a short trip into a carry-on bag—you won’t have to pay extra fees, wait for your luggage when you arrive, or risk losing it en route.
Store suitcases inside one another.
Suitcases take up a lot of room. Store smaller suitcases inside larger ones when you pack them away—many luggage sets come sized this way intentionally. You can also store other items, such as off-season clothing or items you only use for travel, inside suitcases if your space is limited.
Don’t iron clothing before packing it.
This saves time and effort, as garments tend to get crumpled in your suitcase regardless of how carefully you pack them. Wait until you get where you’re going to iron clothes rather than doing it twice.
Remove odd socks from your dresser drawer.
Socks that have been separated from their mates for several weeks or more are probably destined to remain solo. Once a sock has lost its partner, remove it from your drawer. see here for an extra tip about single socks.
Label shoe boxes.
If you store your shoes in boxes to protect them, eliminate guesswork by labeling the boxes so you can see at a glance what’s inside. Clear, stackable plastic boxes with lids that allow you to see your shoes work great, too.
Organize shoes to reduce closet clutter.
Even if you don’t have a huge collection, shoes can still clutter up your closet. Group them according to season, color, style, and frequency of use. Keep shoes you wear regularly in the most convenient place. Store special-occasion shoes farther back. If space is limited, move off-season shoes out of your primary clothes closet. Here again, the “how many do you really need” rule applies—if you have six pairs of black heels, you can probably get rid of a couple of pairs.
Use plastic bags to stuff the toes of shoes.
Most of us have more plastic bags than we know what to do with. Instead of using expensive wooden shoe trees to keep your shoes in shape, stuff the toes of your shoes with wadded-up plastic bags.
Get rid of broken jewelry and pieces you don’t wear.
Gemstones retain energetic vibrations for a long time—that’s why some psychics can “read” a person from their jewelry. Repair or get rid of broken jewelry, which can signify breaks in your relationships, your career path, or your finances. Either give pieces you don’t wear to someone who will enjoy them or take them to a consignment shop.
Organize jewelry conveniently.
Bait and tackle boxes, like the ones fishermen use, are great for organizing jewelry. The small compartments keep earrings together and prevent necklaces from getting tangled. Fasten the clasps on necklaces when you aren’t wearing them to prevent tangles.
Keep jewelry neat while traveling.
When you’re traveling, use plastic organizers designed for pills and vitamins to keep earrings and other jewelry neat. Some stores and vitamin companies offer these handy containers free with purchases.
Wash your mirrors.
In feng shui, mirrors are very powerful cures because they visually “double” what they reflect. A dirty mirror obstructs and diminishes this power. Keep mirrors clean and sparkling—and pay attention to the views they reflect.
Neatly arrange objects in front of a mirror.
Because of the doubling effect mirrors have, it’s extra important to neatly arrange any objects you place in front of a mirror. If a mirror is reflecting clutter, it will exacerbate confusion, chaos, problems, or upsets.
Place treasures in front of a mirror.
Just as mirrors can amplify the negative effects of clutter, they can also amplify the positive effects of objects that hold special meaning for you or that symbolize things you want to expand in your life. To increase your prosperity, for instance, set one of your personal treasures or an item that you associate with wealth where it will be reflected in a mirror. To further enhance the power of this cure, place the mirror and the object in the appropriate gua in your home—see chapter 3 for information about the different gua and their associations.
Turn single socks into dust cloths.
You don’t have to toss odd socks—recycle them into dust cloths. Slip a soft cotton sock onto your hand and use it to wipe down shelves, tabletops, and other furniture. They also make great cleaning cloths for mirrors and windows. As you clean, remember that windows and mirrors are symbolically linked with vision—washing them can help you to more clearly see a situation in your life.
Dust bedroom furniture.
Has your love life lost its luster? Dust bedroom furniture and give it a coat of oil or polish. This cure symbolically revitalizes your love life and helps to make it sparkle again. Think loving thoughts while you perform this cure.
Furnish bedrooms with even-numbered items.
Odd numbers are associated with change, movement, and activity. If you place three or five pieces of furniture in a bedroom, you may generate restless energy that can disrupt sleep.
Furnish your home with beds of the same size.
If possible, use the same size bed in each bedroom—all full or queen size, for instance. You won’t have to purchase and store sheets in several different sizes, and you can easily interchange bedding as necessary. Buying linens in neutral colors or a single color palette will increase their versatility and allow you to reduce the number of sheets, blankets, etc., that you need.
Wash sheets and put them straight back on the bed.
On laundry day, take the sheets off your bed and wash them. Instead of making the bed with a different set and folding and storing the freshly washed set, put the same sheets (now clean) back on your bed. On cold nights, making your bed with warm sheets fresh from the dryer is especially nice!
Don’t store stuff under your bed.
Clutter under your bed blocks the smooth flow of ch’i and may disrupt sleep. Blocked ch’i can also produce confusion, obstacles, or stagnant conditions between you and a partner with whom you share the bed. If your living space is limited and you must utilize the area under your bed, be sure to neatly organize what you stash there. Pay attention to the symbolism attached to the items you place beneath your bed, too. Sharp objects, for instance, may produce subconscious feelings of discomfort that could disturb your sleep.
Vacuum under your bed.
Dirt and dust can aggravate allergies or other health problems and interfere with restful sleep. From the perspective of feng shui, dust acts as a magnet for stuck ch’i, which can lead to irritability, diminished vitality, and other complaints.
Don’t let your bedroom become a dumping ground.
If you allow all sorts of stuff to collect in your bedroom—ostensibly because you don’t have anyplace else to put it—you create clutter that can cause distraction and confusion in a romantic relationship. Assess whether the articles you store in your bedroom are appropriate to the room’s purpose. If not, find another location for them or consider getting rid of them.
Don’t let clutter accumulate on your nightstand.
Clutter on your nightstand can produce confusion in your love life, because the bedroom is a private zone devoted to intimate activities. Bedroom clutter can also generate stress that may disturb your sleep—particularly when the clutter is near your head. You spend one-third of your life sleeping, so it’s especially important to keep your bedroom clutter-free.
Place a small bell on your nightstand or dresser and ring it each time you enter your bedroom.
This simple ritual clears the air of unwanted vibrations that could interfere with your sleep. A bell can also act as a trigger and send a signal to your subconscious that it’s time to relax. It can focus your attention on intimate matters, too, and may help you attract love into your life.
Keep screens out of your bedroom.
A TV or computer brings influences from the outside world into your private space. This mental clutter can interfere with your love life or adversely affect your ability to sleep peacefully—especially if you watch the news or an upsetting or violent show before retiring. Even if you watch something peaceful, the blue light these screens emit disrupts your body’s production of melatonin, which prepares your body for sleep. If you live in a studio apartment and don’t have anywhere else to put them, cover your screens at night to minimize their influence. Use a standalone alarm clock so you can keep your smartphone out of the bedroom, too, or at least avoid scrolling through the news or social media in bed.
Don’t let dirty laundry collect in your bedroom.
Dirty laundry holds on to stale energy, which can have an adverse influence on your health and vitality. Don’t let it mount up in your bedroom, where it can interfere with your well-being.
Reduce the number of objects in a small room.
In a small room, quantity is even more important than size. Clutter really becomes apparent when space is limited, so limit the number of furnishings and accessories when decorating a small room. This allows the eye to focus on what’s really important instead of jumping around from item to item, which can be distracting and confusing.
Use larger pieces of furniture in a small room.
At first, this seems to go against logic. But if you place only a few small pieces of furniture in a small room (having already eliminated unnecessary furnishings and accessories), your room will either seem spartan or like a dollhouse. Larger objects give a small room a sense of drama, purpose, and stability.
Reposition furniture that obstructs access.
A piece of furniture that blocks traffic into or through a room is an inconvenience to you and others—it also obstructs the smooth flow of ch’i. Move pieces that jut into pathways, interfere with opening doors, etc. If necessary, reduce the number of items in the room.
Rearrange furniture periodically.
To keep your life from becoming static, rearrange furnishings from time to time. One of the fundamental principles of feng shui is that when you make changes in your home, you spark changes in your life, too. Rearrange furniture in your bedroom to perk up your love life; move furniture in your living room to stimulate friendships. To keep changes manageable, move furniture around in one room or area at a time—too much change all at once can be unsettling.
Sketch a room to scale before buying furniture.
Measure your room and sketch it to scale before purchasing new furnishings. Note the locations of windows, doorways, stairs, heating and air-conditioning elements, and so on. You may think you know what will fit, but pieces don’t look the same in a large showroom as they will in your home. Take the sketch with you when you go furniture shopping so you’ll know if that terrific sofa or antique armoire will work in your space—you’ll save time and money.
Keep your gua in mind when you buy new furnishings.
When you purchase new furniture, think about which gua it will occupy. Are the shape, color, function, and symbolism of the item compatible with the gua’s meaning—and your intentions? For instance, if you are redecorating a room in the Relationships Gua, you might want to include a pair of lamps, chairs, or nightstands instead of just one. Objects with curved lines encourage harmony when placed in the Family Gua, whereas sharp angles and straight lines tend to stimulate individual activity and tension.
Use a consistent color scheme throughout your home.
Decorating each room with a different color scheme produces “color clutter” that can be psychologically jarring. If you use a consistent color scheme with only slight variations or accents of different hues, you’ll create a sense of harmony throughout your home. This decorating trick also gives you greater versatility—you can move pieces from one room to another without the colors clashing.
Limit the number of colors in each room.
Although monochromatic decorating schemes can be boring, combining too many different hues and patterns in a room may also produce color clutter. Limit your palette to three colors to create a sense of harmony. If you decide to include a variety of patterned objects in the same room, make sure they all contain the same colors so they seem related. Vary the size and type of the patterns you use together—small florals and broad stripes, for instance—so they don’t compete with one another for your attention.
Smudge your home.
Smudging gets rid of bad vibes in your home that may be interfering with your health, wealth, or happiness. Clear the air by burning bundled sage, or sage incense, to purify the space and remove emotional clutter. This is especially important when you move into a new home or after an argument.
Smudge antiques and other used objects to purify them.
Objects that have been owned by someone else can retain the vibrations of other people and places. Therefore, it’s a good idea to cleanse antiques and other used items before letting them take up residence in your home. Use the smoke from burning incense or dried sage to smudge and purify preowned articles.
Open all the windows in your home periodically.
This clears the air and disperses stagnant energy along with atmospheric clutter that can build up in a closed space.
Wash your windows.
In feng shui, windows symbolize the eyes. Clean windows allow you to see a situation clearly. If you are experiencing confusion in a particular area of your life, wash the windows in the part of your home that corresponds to that area. (See chapter 3 for more information about the different gua and their associations.)
Sweep cobwebs from the corners of your home.
Cobwebs symbolize the past—sweep them away to remove stuck energy, attitudes, and emotions.
Clean your window screens.
Dirty screens cut down on the amount of light that comes through your windows. Ch’i enters your home via the windows, too, but dust-clogged screens prevent this life-giving force from reaching the interior. To maximize the light your home receives, it’s important not only to wash the windows but to keep screens clean as well.
Use salt to remove bad vibes.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt in the corners of your home to clear away disruptive or unwanted energies. Salt also protects your home from ambient bad vibes.
Alphabetize spices.
Many herbs and spices come in nearly identical jars or tins, or you may have a permanent set of containers you reuse. Alphabetical organization enables you to find what you need quickly and prevents you from grabbing the wrong one by mistake. Before you replace spices, assess your needs with a critical eye—it may not be space- or cost-effective to buy something you’ll only use once a year.
Discard old spices.
Spices lose their potency over time. Throw out any that have been sitting around for too long.
Contain condiments.
Use a tray with handles to hold condiments you use regularly. This keeps them neat in your fridge or on a counter and makes it easy to carry all of them to the table together.
Clean out your refrigerator.
Not only is spoiled food smelly and unhealthy, it clutters up your refrigerator. Cleaning out your refrigerator on a weekly basis makes it easier to find things, cuts down on waste, and prevents bacteria from building up. Rework leftovers into soups, stews, or casseroles.
Organize your refrigerator.
After you’ve disposed of old food, organize the contents of your refrigerator efficiently. Arrange similar products (such as lunch meats) or items you are likely to use together (like salad fixings) next to each other. Position perishable foods, such as fruits and vegetables, in the front of your refrigerator. Tall containers can be placed farther back, but keep small items where they are clearly visible so they don’t get lost behind larger products. Place a paper towel or silicone mat under anything that might drip or spill, to minimize cleanup later.
Wipe off containers.
Wipe off salad dressing bottles, condiments, juice containers, and other potentially messy items before you put them back in the refrigerator or cabinet.
Clean your stove.
Feng shui practitioners believe that the stove generates wealth. Keep yours clean and in good working order to encourage prosperity. To keep the stream of prosperity flowing in your direction, turn on your stove’s burners briefly each day, even if you don’t actually cook anything.
Hang pots and pans.
Pots and pans are easily accessible when hung from an overhead rack, wall hooks, or a pegboard—especially in kitchens with limited cabinet space.
Store nonstick pans safely.
To keep nonstick (Teflon) surfaces from getting scratched, place a towel or silicone pad between pots and pans when you stack them in a cabinet, closet, or drawer.
Store large pans inside your oven.
If storage space is limited in your kitchen, store large iron skillets, cookie trays, etc., inside your oven when it’s not being used.
Hang cooking utensils above the stove.
Keep cooking utensils handy and neat by hanging them on hooks, a rack, or a magnetic strip above your stove or cooktop. If your stove is in an island, an overhead hanging rack provides a convenient place for storing cooking equipment.
Organize kitchen utensils and equipment according to their frequency of use.
View kitchen counters, drawers, and cabinets as high-priced real estate, and only store items there if you use them regularly. Place utensils and other equipment close to where they will be used—cooking items near the stove, cleaning products under the sink, preparation tools in cabinets and drawers at the prep counter, and so on.
Clear kitchen countertops of clutter.
According to feng shui, the kitchen is connected with prosperity. By keeping your countertops neat and orderly, you can reduce money-related stress and confusion. From a practical point of view, of course, uncluttered countertops allow you to work more efficiently. Place only the things you use every day on your kitchen countertops.
Store items you rarely use away from your kitchen’s primary work area.
Don’t let highly specialized appliances and seasonal items clutter up your kitchen. For example, rather than keeping pasta makers, fondue pots, and punch bowls in your kitchen cabinets, store them in a hall closet or another less accessible area.
Evaluate small appliances.
Small specialty appliances, such as bread makers, pressure cookers, and espresso makers, should be subjected to the same rigid standards as clothing—if you haven’t used it in a year or more, ask yourself if you really need it. Many of these rarely used items take up more than their fair share of room in your kitchen. Consider passing them on to someone who’ll use them more often.
Wipe up spills immediately.
Spills are inevitable on stoves and in refrigerators. Wipe them up immediately, before they harden or burn into a formidable mess.
Use hanging baskets for kitchen gadgets.
Especially handy in a small kitchen, hanging baskets offer a convenient and attractive way to store gadgets such as corkscrews, bottle openers, potato peelers, wooden spoons, serving tools, etc.
Choose reusable coffee filters.
Gold and stainless-steel coffee filters eliminate the need for paper ones and are available in basket, cone, and disc styles to suit whichever way you brew your beans. A single filter lasts a long time, cutting down on your daily waste, and because these metals don’t interact with the coffee, your morning beverage actually tastes better.
Stack plates and napkins together.
To keep china plates from being scratched or chipped, stack them with a folded cloth napkin between each plate. This not only prevents damage, it facilitates setting the table because you grab both plates and napkins at the same time.
Clear clutter from your dining room table.
If you don’t use your dining room table very often, it may end up being a clutter collector. Clutter on your dining room table can produce tension or problems between members of your household—clear it away promptly.
Clean out the space under your kitchen sink.
Throw out old cleaning products that may have lost their effectiveness and move potentially harmful ones to a place where young children won’t be able to reach them. To reduce clutter under your sink, buy cleaning products that have multiple uses.
Organize cleaning materials in a basket with a handle.
Organize assorted cleaning materials for floors, tile, windows, porcelain, and so on in a basket with a handle and store it under your kitchen sink. When you clean bathrooms, carry the basket with you—that way, you won’t have to keep duplicate collections of cleaning products in different rooms.
Store recycling bins out of sight.
Like the contents of wastebaskets, recyclables symbolize things that have served their purpose and are now destined to leave your life. Put the bins in a spot where their clutter will not attract your attention and remind you of the past.
Empty wastebaskets.
Trash signifies old, cast-off stuff you no longer want or need. Pay attention to where you position wastebaskets by using the bagua, as discussed in chapter 3. Empty them daily to prevent stuck ch’i from building up in your home.
Divvy up cleaning chores with a partner or roommate.
One person may hate to vacuum but not mind cleaning the bathroom. Another might enjoy cooking but not like to wash dishes. Divide tasks with a partner or roommate according to individual preferences, so that each assumes a fair share of the housekeeping burden.
Put things away as soon as you’ve finished using them.
Rather than letting stuff pile up, get in the habit of putting away clothes, books, games, etc., as soon as you’ve finished using them.
When you pick something up, do something with it.
Don’t just relocate a magazine, your slippers, or a dish to another temporary spot—put it where it belongs. Wash a dirty glass or file paperwork right away so you don’t have to come back to it later on. Once you get in the habit of doing this, you’ll find you don’t waste as much time looking for things, either.
Vacuum heating ducts and elements.
Like fireplaces and woodstoves, heating systems are connected with vitality and growth. From the perspective of feng shui, vacuuming dust from heating ducts, vents, etc., allows more positive energy to circulate through your home. From a practical point of view, this cure will make your system function more efficiently and cut down on heating bills.
Clean your fireplace or woodstove.
A dirty fireplace or woodstove is both inefficient and unsafe. In feng shui, the fire element is linked with growth, vigor, enterprise, and creativity. On a symbolic level, therefore, an ash-filled fireplace or stove can limit your vitality, enthusiasm, and good luck. Keep them clean and in good operation.
Install a ceiling fan.
This cure stirs up sluggish ch’i while dispersing atmospheric clutter, hot air, stuffiness, and unpleasant aromas in your home. Ceiling fans can also reduce heating and air-conditioning bills.
Keep tools handy.
Collect basic, essential tools—a hammer and nails, screwdrivers, pliers, etc.—in a wire basket and keep it in a convenient place. If you don’t have to search for the right tool, you’re more likely to take care of minor repair jobs promptly.
Fix something that has been annoying you.
From a practical perspective, this cure alleviates a condition that is a source of irritation to you—a clock that doesn’t keep accurate time, a drawer that doesn’t close properly, a cracked piece of tile. Symbolically, you are demonstrating your willingness to correct areas of your life that aren’t as good as they could be.
Utilize closet doors for storage.
Affix narrow shelves, racks, grids, hooks, or pegboards on the inside of closet doors to maximize storage space. (Remember to keep closet doors shut.)
Make the most of vertical space.
Especially in small apartments where floor space and closets are at a premium, utilize the space at the top of a room. Expand your home’s storage space with baskets, shelves, and racks hung above the fridge, chests of drawers, file cabinets, toilet, and so on.
Get rid of old paint cans.
After you paint a room or area of your home, it may be a good idea to keep a small amount of paint for touch-ups. Over time, however, your walls will change color slightly due to sunlight, age, smoke, and other factors, so the paint in the can will no longer match. It also tends to dry up or separate, rendering it unusable. Storing old paint might not be wise from a health perspective either, as some paints, varnishes, and finishes contain toxic substances. Cans of paint take up a lot of room, too—don’t bother saving them for more than a year.
Clean out your basement.
The basement symbolizes your subconscious. By cleaning out your basement, you address past conditions or repressed issues that may have been lingering in your subconscious. If this uncluttering task seems overwhelming, break it down into manageable components. For example, clean only a corner or section of your basement at a time.
Clean out your attic.
The attic represents your mind and spiritual path. Cleaning up clutter in the attic makes room for new ideas and promotes mental clarity. This task, like cleaning your basement, can be broken down into small segments and accomplished over a period of time so it doesn’t seem so intimidating.
Have a yard sale.
Turn clutter into cash by holding a yard sale. This cure accomplishes two prosperity goals—making money and getting rid of clutter—simultaneously. To encourage family togetherness or neighborhood unity, hold a group sale—it’s more fun, too.
Get rid of objects that have unpleasant associations for you.
Items that remind you of unpleasant experiences or people you don’t like can be a subtle source of annoyance. Instead of letting them trigger negative thoughts and feelings, get rid of them.
Get rid of gifts you don’t like or never use.
Just because you received something as a wedding present or housewarming gift doesn’t mean you have to hold on to it forever. If you don’t like it or never use it, pass it on to someone who will.
Discourage physical gifts from friends whose taste is different from yours.
Although friends and loved ones may mean well, sometimes their taste and yours just don’t mesh. Instead of accepting gifts from them that you know you’ll never use, ask them to donate money in your name to a favorite charity.
Give consumable gifts to friends.
Rather than buying friends and family members more stuff, give them consumable presents—concert or theater tickets, gift certificates to a favorite restaurant, gourmet foods, fancy soaps, etc. Treat them to something special they might not get to enjoy otherwise.
Return borrowed items.
Is other people’s stuff cluttering up your home? Return things you’ve borrowed from friends and neighbors promptly so they don’t pile up in your living space. Because objects retain their owners’ energies, other people’s belongings may bring distracting vibes into your home.
Share rarely used items with friends.
How often do you use a punch bowl, picnic basket, or hedge trimmer? Consider sharing some of these rarely used items with friends or family members, rather than each of you purchasing your own. If it’s convenient, you may wish to share the ownership and responsibility of larger items, too, such as vacuum cleaners or lawn mowers. This practice frees up storage space and saves everyone money.
Share media with friends.
Although you may want to watch your favorite movies several times, you can reduce clutter in your entertainment area by sharing DVDs and Blu-rays with friends—especially those big box sets of entire shows. Create a library with close friends and family members rather than buying duplicate copies. Also, consider buying digital copies instead of discs to avoid taking up any physical space at all. That is, if you don’t just stream everything.
Use coat trees.
Old-school standing coat trees can be a convenient and decorative way to keep hats and coats neat. If someone in the family suffers from closet phobia, put a coat tree in his or her bedroom. Use one in the bathroom to replace or supplement towel bars.
Provide a place for keys.
Instead of hunting for your keys, place hooks, a basket, or a bowl near your home’s entrance to keep keys handy.
Discard old keys.
If you can’t remember what a key fits and haven’t used it in ages, get rid of it.
Remove sharp objects from your Relationships Gua.
Sharp or pointed objects can produce discomfort, cutting words, or harsh exchanges between you and a romantic partner. Don’t place them in your Relationships Gua—move them to another spot to reduce arguments.
Push chairs in when you’re not using them.
Get in the habit of pushing chairs back under your table or desk after you leave it. They not only look neater that way, they also don’t jut out into passageways, where they can cause stubbed toes and interfere with the smooth flow of ch’i through your home.
Group objects in your Family Gua to encourage family unity.
Select an item to represent each member of the family and place these in a prominent place in your Family Gua. Tie the objects together with a pretty red ribbon to symbolize togetherness (red symbolizes good luck in Chinese culture). Clear away from this area any items that suggest conflict, competition, unhappiness, or disruption.
Toss old love letters.
Holding on to letters from old flames can keep new love from entering your life. Discard reminders of past romances and you’ll make room for new possibilities to come your way.
Throw out old postcards, invitations, date books, birthday cards, and other mementos.
Unless there’s something truly precious about these markers from your past or you’re planning to write your memoir, you probably don’t need to hold on to them for the rest of your life. You’ll still have your memories without the paper trail. If you’re having trouble of getting rid of certain items, you could comprise by scanning or photographing them and tossing the originals.
Save good photographs, dump bad ones.
Sort through old photographs and eliminate those that aren’t clear, flattering, informative, or special in some way. Dump pictures that don’t favorably depict you and others, as well as any of people you don’t remember or like.
Organize photos.
After weeding out the poor photographs, organize the keepers into albums or digital folders, preferably in chronological order or by subject.
Remove photos of people other than you or your romantic partner from your bedroom.
Pictures of other people—friends, family members, etc.—draw your attention to them and distract your energy away from your romantic partner. Unclutter your bedroom of these photos and the emotional energy attached to them.
Frame favorite photos.
Select your absolute favorite photographs and frame them. “Gallery” frames that group a number of photos within a single frame keep memories alive and can be great conversation starters. Or, use your imagination to create a photo collage.
Group pictures on walls.
Unclutter your walls by grouping paintings, photographs, etc., according to size, subject, style, or colors. Pictures in a variety of sizes and shapes can be hung in a pleasing arrangement that is itself a composition. Create a grid and sketch the configuration to scale on paper before you begin hammering nails into your walls.
Group decorative objects on a mantel, table, or shelf.
If you have many decorative objects you want to display, grouping them can prevent a cluttered appearance. Place similar items together. Because numbers have special meanings in feng shui, you may want to arrange objects in pairs to encourage cooperation, threes to stimulate action or change, or fours to promote stability. (See chapter 3 for more about number symbolism.)
Rotate artwork periodically.
If you have lots of artwork and can’t display it all at once without creating a cluttered effect, rotate your art. Museums do this regularly to keep their collections fresh and exciting. Rotating artwork in your home prevents ch’i from getting stuck, too. Changing the pictures on your walls can also help you get a new perspective on a situation.
Hang artwork on a stairway wall.
Stairway walls tend to be underused as places to display artwork. Hanging pictures alongside stairs also attracts ch’i and encourages it to move up to the next story of your home, energizing your living environment on every level.
Turn clutter into art.
Scraps of old lace, antique buttons, foreign postage stamps, photos, odd earrings, seashells, and other bits and pieces can be combined into attractive collages. Use your creativity to transform miscellaneous clutter into works of art—then frame them in shadow boxes and hang them on your walls (preferably in your Creativity Gua).
Pay attention to objects that have special significance for you.
Enjoy your favorite objects—don’t just let them sit there, collecting dust. When you use, admire, or otherwise appreciate your treasures, you invest them with positive energy and activate the intentions associated with them. Spotlight them in a place of honor in your home.
Organize hobby items neatly in the Creativity Gua.
Place painting supplies, quilting materials, beer-making equipment, and so on together in baskets, bins, or a trunk and store them in the Creativity Gua. This keeps hobby articles from spilling over into other parts of the home while simultaneously sparking your creativity.
Spark your creativity with threes.
Neatly display three paintings, sculptures, or other works of art that you particularly like in your Creativity Gua, in order to spark your imagination. (Three is the number of creative activity and represents giving form to ideas.)
Store sports equipment on racks.
Sporting goods can take up lots of space in your home. Use racks and hooks to hang up tennis racquets, golf clubs, bicycles, helmets, skates, etc., and keep them orderly. Don’t hang on to tennis balls that have lost their bounce, golf balls with dings, and so on. Each member of the family should assume responsibility for hanging up his or her own athletic equipment.
Use a laundry basket to hold stuff for short trips.
If you’ll be traveling somewhere by car, toss odds and ends you want to take with you into a plastic laundry basket. You can carry the basket easily from room to room and from house to car. Last-minute items can be added without opening and repacking a suitcase.
Take a laundry basket to the pool or beach.
Lightweight and waterproof, plastic laundry baskets are great for holding beach or pool gear, too. Toys, towels, sunblock, sandals, snorkeling equipment, snacks, and so on stay neatly contained in the car en route and can be quickly packed up again when it’s time to head home.
Place four objects in your Wealth Gua.
Four is the number of permanence and security. If you have trouble holding on to money, choose four objects that symbolize wealth to you. Neatly arrange these in your Wealth Gua to help stabilize your financial situation.
Collect loose change in a money jar.
Place a large, attractive jar in your Wealth Gua. Each time you drop a coin in the jar, concentrate on your intention to attract abundance. This practice lets you “prime the pump” and start prosperity flowing your way. When the jar is full, take them to the bank and trade them in for paper money. Then start filling up your money jar again.
Organize receipts.
Use a box, expandable file, binder, or other convenient container for receipts. Organize receipts in clearly marked envelopes so you can find them easily. Arrange them by date, category, etc. Save receipts you’ll need for tax purposes in one box, receipts for appliances or equipment with warranties in another, receipts for gifts or personal purchases you may have to return in another, and so on. If you keep receipts digitally, sort them into a series of folders or use an organizer app to get them sorted.
Trim houseplants.
Plants symbolize growth—keep yours neatly trimmed to encourage new growth in your life. Dry, brown leaves are not only unattractive, they represent death, decay, and stagnant conditions. Spindly vines suggest things are growing out of control and need to be reined in.
Wash your plants’ leaves.
Living plants are a favorite feng shui cure—place a plant in an area where you want to encourage growth (see chapter 3 for information about the different gua and their associations). To help plants grow and look better, wash dust off their leaves periodically so they can breathe. Loosen compacted soil so air can circulate to their roots, too.
Throw out wilted flowers.
Fresh flowers signify blossoming situations and, like live plants, they generate positive vibrations. But once they start to droop, throw them out—wilted blooms suggest decline and death. Flowers have long been associated with love, so place a vase of fresh flowers in your Relationships Gua to brighten your love life.
Change the decoration on your front door each season.
This gesture keeps your entryway looking pretty and up-to-date. It also acknowledges the changes in nature—and life—and helps you stay in step with the times.
Pare down holiday decorations.
Holiday decorations are used only for a short period of time and can take up more than their fair share of space during the rest of the year. Sort through these seasonal items and weed out the ones that you don’t really like or that don’t have special meaning for you. Those you choose to keep will escalate in sentimental value.
Pack small, fragile items in coffee cans.
Protect fragile holiday decorations, such as Christmas tree ornaments, by wrapping them in tissue paper or bubble wrap and storing them in coffee cans. Label the cans so you know which ornaments are inside without having to unwrap them. Coffee cans are ideal for storing or shipping other breakables, too.
Give away books you’ve finished reading.
Although you might want to reread classics and a few favorite novels periodically, most books can be passed on to friends or donated after you’ve finished reading them. Reference texts you use frequently, autographed books, and those that have special significance can stay.
Organize books.
Whether you choose to group them by author, subject, or the Dewey decimal system, books should be organized on your shelves so they’re easy to locate and look neat.
Organize magazines, journals, and newspapers.
Get rid of outdated periodicals so they don’t continue to pile up. Holding on to “old news” can block new ideas from emerging. Recycle newspapers and take magazines to hospitals, nursing homes, or coin-operated laundries for others to read.
Organize your music.
Organize music by artist, genre, or another method to encourage easy access. Give away CDs you rarely listen to (or have copied to your computer), or trade them in at a used music shop. Store any physical media you’re keeping in a convenient rack, drawer, or cabinet near your sound system. Prune your music collection annually—if you haven’t listened to it in a year, you probably don’t need it.
Divide work, living, and rest areas.
In small apartments, one room may serve multiple purposes. Separate your sleeping area from your living and work areas with a decorative screen, curtain, or other divider. It’s hard to relax fully and put daytime tasks aside if a cluttered desk is nearby, reminding you of all the things you still have to do.
Establish a “temporary clutter” site.
Use a basket, plastic bin, box, or other container to temporarily hold clutter you can’t deal with immediately. At least once a week, go through this container and organize or toss the contents to prevent a buildup of clutter.
Update your contacts list.
Whether you keep track of phone numbers and emails on your phone or in a physical address book, this organizing cure works to improve your relationships with other people by causing you to focus on your connections with them and the roles they play in your life. Like all uncluttering cures, it also reduces confusion and saves time by making it easier for you to find addresses and phone numbers.
Groom pets regularly.
Especially in warm weather, pets can shed copious amounts of hair. To keep fur residue from collecting in your home, groom pets regularly—outside, if possible. This practice has side benefits, too. Studies have shown that petting an animal companion can reduce stress, and it also strengthens the bond between you and your pet.
Place maps and travel guides in your Travel Gua.
Maps, books and magazines about foreign places, pictures of far-off locales, globes, and other items that symbolize travel can open up opportunities for adventure if you organize them neatly in your Travel Gua.
Keep cosmetics in order.
Keep cosmetics neat and orderly in trays, baskets, or containers with lots of small sections or dividers. Favorite items you use every day can stay in your medicine cabinet or in an attractive holder on your bathroom vanity. Move specialty products to another spot.
Discard old cosmetics.
Do you have a dozen lipsticks but only use two or three favorite shades? Toss the rest to reduce clutter in your medicine cabinet. Old cosmetics can dry out, lose their effectiveness, or become breeding grounds for bacteria, too—if you haven’t used it in six months (three for mascara or liquid eyeliner), dump it.
Throw away old medications.
Outdated medications not only clutter your medicine cabinet, they may lose potency over time and become less effective. To reduce clutter and prevent potential health problems, throw away prescription and over-the-counter medications that have outlived their expiration dates. Follow disposal instructions on the medication’s package, if there are any, and consult the FDA website if you’re not sure of the right way to get rid of something.
Create “product consensus” among family members.
Although each member of your family may prefer—or need—certain specialized personal care products, you might be able to agree on some general-use items such as shampoo, soap, or toothpaste. Rather than cluttering up your bathroom with lots of different products, try to reach a consensus on as many items as possible.
Evaluate bulk buying.
Buying in bulk may not be that good a deal if you have to find room to store large quantities of items you won’t use in a relatively short period of time. A better solution might be purchasing bulk products in common with family members or friends, so everyone saves money without incurring excess clutter.
Buy light bulbs in one or two wattages.
Rather than stocking up on an array of light bulbs in every wattage, choose a couple of convenient options—maybe 60 and 100 watts—that will serve most of your lighting needs.
Buy only what you need.
It can be tempting to buy something when it’s on sale. But remember, a good deal is only a deal if you really need it and are going to use it soon.
Don’t shop during the full moon.
During this lunar phase, we tend to behave impulsively and are more likely to buy things we don’t really need. Unless you absolutely have to, don’t go shopping around the time of the full moon—and make sure anything you buy on a whim can be returned.