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A cluttered living space can easily lead to a cluttered mind.
Beyond this, whether you’re living alone in a smaller apartment or you’ve got a larger home with a sizeable family, space is always at a premium.
Are you ready to get rid of some belonging and bring some order back into chaos?
If so, we’ll have a glance today at decluttering made easy.
There’s no substitute for a bit of organization and hard work but we hope the following tips can simplify your job and turn it into a rewarding mission rather than a tedious chore.
Getting Started Is The Hardest Part
If you like the idea of a stripped-down home but you’re finding the idea of decluttering is overwhelming, think of the words of Nike…
Just Do It.
Grab a trash bag. Set yourself a goal to fill it as quickly as possible.
With that, your first assault on the mountain of decluttering is complete so fire up your coffee machine, reward yourself with a nice cuppa and congratulate yourself for doing the hardest past: getting started.
Start a Slow-Burning Decluttering Program
This tactic combines immediate action with minimum effort but results in a staggering 365 fewer things in your house over the course of a year…
Over the course of each day, find something in your house or attic that someone else would benefit from and that you don’t really need any more. Give it to them.
This way, you require almost no work in one stint, you’ll do plenty of good turns along the way and, crucially, declutter your house on an ongoing basis.
If this sounds too ruthless or you fall behind, tweak the schedule. Give away something each week or even monthly. There’s no magic number but the principle is sound so adapt the idea and make it work for you.
Organize Your Paperwork With Ease
A large volume of clutter in your home comes from assorted paperwork.
One of the main reasons for these papers seeming to spread throughout the house is the absence of one set place to store them.
Whether you choose a tray, a drawer, a box or a desk, stick to one place and one place only for all incoming paperwork. From invoices and receipts through to letters and bank statements, pop everything in one place. From here, implement whatever system works well for you and keep your papers organized by the simple act of discipline.
It’s amazing how much this small tweak can reduce the cluttered surfaces that can spoil the aesthetics of your home.
Find A Designated Spot For 6 Commonly Used Items
Prevention is the best cure.
Think of 6 core items you use on a daily basis but seem to end up scattered wherever they land.
It could be a tablet or e-reader, your laptop or a book. The items are not important and they’ll vary from person to person.
Simply conjure up a sensible spot where you can store them. This will not only reduce clutter with zero effort but will also help you find things quickly when you need them rather than scouring the house wondering where it ended up.
Compartmentalize Decluttering: Little and Often
One of the most surefire routes to failure is to promise yourself you’ll spend all of Sunday blitzing your house from top to bottom.
Don’t do this. There’s simply no need.
Dedicate small parcels of time to rooms or even areas within rooms. You’re much better off spending a focused hour clearing one part of your closet rather than doing a half-hearted job and flitting from room to room.
Take your time, be systematic and be thorough. The whole process will become more enjoyable and more fruitful at the same time.
Experiment With Your Clothes
Since decluttering is an ongoing effort, consider implementing an experiment before throwing out clothes indiscriminately…
Reverse all the clothes hangers in your closet.
Set a time period of perhaps 3 months and write it down.
Each time you wear something and return it to the closet, hang it facing in the right direction.
This will help you clearly identify exactly what clothes you wear and which are ripe for donating to charity, giving away or storing away from your main wardrobe area.
Use a Safety Net Box For Items You’re Not Sure About
Most people tend to get pretty sentimental when it comes time to thrown things out or give them away.
If you are prone to hold on to things “Just in case”, it might pay to consider using a box to store anything you’re remotely unsure about ditching.
Determine a time period that works for you, whether that’s 1 month or 6 months, then check back in on the box when the time has elapsed.
Ask yourself if you have wanted or needed anything from that box in the interim. If you have, remove and return it. If not… Well, the contents can all be safely given away or thrown in the trash accordingly.
Clear Out Drawers With a 3-Pronged Attack
While things stored in drawers might be out of sight and out of mind, organizing them is something you shouldn’t neglect.
Empty your drawer.
Take each item and ask 3 questions…
- Should it be in the drawer?
- Does it belong elsewhere?
- Could you throw it away?
Immediately take action and your drawer will be restored to order in less than a half hour.
Get Everyone in The House on Board
The final decluttering tip for today is to make sure all members of your household appreciate what you’re trying to achieve and help out.
Reward kids for their involvement and make certain that all adults are aware of what they could do to help out.
Teamwork leads to improved results every time so get together and work out how you’ll keep your home clutter-free.
A Final Word
Hopefully, today’s brief exploration of decluttering has given you at least one actionable idea, even if it’s only the confidence and encouragement to get started.
Drop us a line if you have any valuable decluttering tips as we are looking to produce more decluttering articles to help you make the very most of your living space.
Come back soon!