Unless you hire a live-in maid, it’s almost impossible to have a spotless, uncluttered home. Between work and other obligations, it’s to be expected that some chores will go by the wayside from time to time. With the long weekend on the horizon, it’s a perfect time to tidy up around the house and get rid of some unwanted clutter. Here are some great tips from Better Homes & Gardens to help you declutter areas in your home.

Limit the amount of visible magazines on your coffee table and end tables. Don’t have your entire magazine subscription spread across the table. One way to decrease magazine clutter is by only displaying recent magazine issues. Box up or recycle outdated magazines.

The same principle applies to bookcases as to coffee tables and end tables. While you may want to display all of the books you’ve accumulated over the years, too many books can be overkill. Not only will removing books unclutter your bookcase, it will allow you to display the attractive architecture of your bookcase.

Remember to utilize baskets whenever you can. Not only can baskets be used to organize items, they can also be used to hide things from plain sight. Baskets are great space-savers that can be used in any room in your home.

To rid your kitchen counters of clutter, try placing small kitchen appliances in cabinets or in the pantry. Removing the appliances will provide you with more available kitchen work space.

For more hidden clutter secrets visit Better Homes & Gardens.