The Clutter Annihilation Game is an instant awareness game and will cause each member of the family to “wake up” and see his/her own clutter. No one leaves a mess to irritate another member of the family on purpose (well most don't). The messes left around a home are generally the result of bad habits. This game is also designed to set up rules of behavior in the home for each member of the family to follow.
The Clutter Annihilation Game was inspired by an abandoned car alongside the freeway. The state patrol puts florescent tags on abandoned cars informing owners they have 24 hours from the “tagging” to get their car off the road or it'll be towed and impounded at the expense to the owner.
In a home, an article left out can be tagged (the time can be put on a florescent dot) 
warning the owner of the article that he/she has a certain amount of time (family decides) to put the article away.
Each member of the family will have a three-by-five card with his or her name on it and if the article is not picked up within the designated time after the florescent warning, he/she will be “written up” on his/her card.Each item left out is considered a clutter violation and it costs a certain amount of money to the owner. Twenty-five cents is a good amount to charge, but the amount is arbitrary and can be left up to the family to decide.
Everyone in the family gets to be a policeman and can tag, and subsequently write up, anyone in the family. In other words, Mom can write up Dad, Dad can write up Daughter, Son can write up Mom etc.
Years ago, when I explained how the game worked to my three young kids, I told my son who was seventeen, “If you come home from work and you have a piece of pie and leave the plate the pie was on, the knife you cut the pie with, the fork and the glass in the sink and crumbs on the counter that would cost you $1.25.” His response, “Is there pie Mom?” “No,” I snapped, “that’s what it’d cost you if there was pie and you made that mess. It was an example!”
The Clutter Annihilation Game can be played from week-to-week and at the end of a week, the violations on each person’s card are added up and a total amount of money is figured. THE PERSON IN THE FAMILY WITH THE LOWEST FIGURE WINS ALL THE MONEY FROM EVERYONE ELSE IN THE 
FAMILY. This game causes everyone to be on the look-out for their own messes and to be on their best behavior so they won’t have to pay, and could ultimately make a wad of money. It's amazing how quickly it wakes up the family to its unconscious clutter!
It’s a good idea to play the game without an exchange of money for a week just to see how it works.
The Official House Rules
Here's an example of The Official House Rules compiled from the meeting I had with my kids.
If it’s not decorative put it away
No dishes in the sink
Put the toilet seat down
No laundry in bedrooms *
No toothpaste in the sink
Sort personal laundry
Replace toilet paper roll
No dishes in bedrooms *
No tub rings
Last one out of bed makes it
No whiskers in sink
Here are the steps for playing the Clutter Annihilation Game.
1. Put each member of the family’s name on their individual three-by-five card.
2. Purchase a package of florescent sticky dots the size of a quarter. You can also get garage sale dots with prices already on them (see example).
3. Announce a family meeting for after dinner. (Prepare a special dessert as an incentive.)
4.Tell each family member (over age seven) to make a list of things that bug him or her about living in the home and to bring the list to the meeting.
5. At the meeting read, How to Play. Address each member’s list of grievances and make a composite list of all the complaints which become the Official House Rules.
6. Post The Official House Rules along with the 3x5 cards with each member's name and let the game begin!
*Parents are the only ones allowed to “patrol” children’s rooms. No siblings allowed.
In a few days, if not in a few hours you'll begin to see results. That'll give you encouragement to start cleaning out closets, cupboards and drawers. The Slob Sister's De-junking video will guide you step-by-step through the process.
