Are you drowning in clutter? Are you tired of tripping over the kids toys? Do you frequently have to wind a path through rooms just to get to the other side, just because there is so much junk in the way?

If you want to declutter your house but aren't sure how to get started, these 7 tips will tell you how to declutter your house.

Get ruthless. If you don't need it, or haven't used it recently, you need to get it out of the house. There is no saving things for when you might need them in decluttering.

Reevaluate everything. Just because something was useful or meaningful a fe years ago doesn't mean that it conforms to your lifestyle and needs today. This can be especially true with clothing, since fashion trends change. It is likely that your favorite outfit from 5 years ago is a fashion no-no today. Also look at your technological items. Perhaps you're holding on to an old and outdated computer, or a landline phone that is no longer used. Your kids favorite toy from last year may be something he or she has outgrown by now. Over time, things change, and the things you own should change along with them.

Micro-decluttering. Whenever you leave a room, find something that is out of place and put it back in it's place.

Compartmentalize decluttering. Pick a small decluttering job and get through that. Don't look at the house as a whole, but as the sum of it's parts. You could pick just one closet to clean out and organize, or even just a single drawer of your dresser. Making progress in small increments is still progress, and it sure beats feeling overwhelmed and accomplishing nothing. Getting even just a small area decluttered will give you a sense of accomplishment, and give you the momentum you need to make progress in more areas of the home.

Attack! Once you have a few small victories, allocate an entire room to decluttering. This will take much longer than the small jobs but the sense of accomplishment will be much bigger.

Organize. Everything should have a place where it belongs, and it should be in that place. If there isn't a place for something, then think of a good place for it to actually belong. Don't just shove it in a drawer to come back to it later. That's one of the problems in the first place. Good shelving and storage buckets will be a big help in getting organized.

Act immediately. Once you have decided to take your items and either throw them out, sell them, donate them to charity, or give it away to friends, you must actt immediately and do what you intend. Do not store things away to donate later, or set them aside to give as gifts some other time. Do it now. Strike while the iron is hot, or you will wind up having just rearranged your clutter.

I hope these simple tips have helped you learn how to declutter your house. If you have any other suggestions, I would love to hear them.