Decluttering Tips: Clutter will always accumulate in your home whether you are a typical housekeeper or the most diligent. If you fail to declutter or have long decluttering intervals, clutter will consume your space. This space could have been used for relaxing, entertainment, or work. Understand that clutter also detracts from a pleasant environment. A cluttered living room hinders your focus and could even worsen depression feelings, according to VeryWell Mind.
These are reasons why you may want to undertake a decluttering project. Decluttering the home is more than just cleaning the clutter to make the place appear aesthetically pleasing. It also helps in reducing stress and enhancing your mental health. This article addresses some impressive decluttering tips and other crucial information.
Emotional and Mental Impact of Clutter
Clutter can easily trigger anxiety. It creates a visual distraction that makes it almost impossible to focus on the task, leading to high-stress levels. Clutter could even make it tricky to rest, sleep or relax. According to Psychology Today, when we clean our home possessions, we lessen our anxiety and gain mental clarity.
Decluttering When You Don’t Know Where to Start
Decluttering may benefit your well-being, health, and physical space, but where do you start?
That is a question that many homeowners try to answer since everything seems to be everywhere. To them, decluttering is overwhelming, and they need help organizing their home entirely. Even though this is a big question, it does not mean it is impossible to declutter even if items are all over the kitchen, couch, bedroom, and even your toilet. The best and most effective way to declutter is, to begin with, a plan.
A good plan is to clutter the home room by room. Begin with one room; pick different spots or areas in the room, and you can start from there. If you start with the living area, you could start by decluttering the couch and seating area. From there, move on to a different location in the living room until the entire room is tidy. You can then move to the next room and do the same. Below are more helpful tips to help you declutter your home:
1. Have a Vision and A Plan
Before you commence the decluttering task, you must envision how you would like the space to look. Imagine how you would look forward to neatly arranged possessions and cleared tabletops after decluttering. Have a clear picture of how you should want the room to look clean and tidy.
From there, you can create a plan of action that will allow you to realize the goal of having an organized and calm environment. Having a clear thought and vision of what to expect will help you eliminate the unnecessary items in the house.
You could divide the project into broad categories to make the work easier. Under each category, have the different tasks that you wish to undertake. A good example, you say the kitchen is one of the decluttering categories. From there, you create a list of tasks you want to undertake to declutter the kitchen. That could include decluttering junk drawers, utensils, pans, pots, and small appliances.
2. Set Time Limits
While creating a plan to declutter the home, you should have time limits for the project and the tasks you will handle. Have a long-term time limit to accomplish the decluttering. For example, completing the entire decluttering could take three to four weeks. You can then have fewer time limits to complete the smaller tasks. Without setting time limits, it is easy to veer off your goal and procrastinate.
Your dream of having a decluttered home could fail to become a reality. Setting deadlines and meeting them to accomplish your goals is crucial.
The other thing is that decluttering does not have to consume much time. You don’t have to set very long hours decluttering your home. Structure the decluttering process in a few minutes, and you will have accomplished a lot within a few hours. Set five minutes to clear the desktop, arrange your pile of books and declutter the junk drawer. If you can perform the little tasks in these five minutes, you will make your home neat again.
3. Clear the Room
One simple way to declutter the home is to clear everything from a room. You will now have a blank slate to work on and a golden chance to clean the room first. After cleaning, you will now put back only the items you need to be in the room. As for the others you do not need, you can sell or throw them away. Make sure you keep only the items that matter to you. Organize them neatly as you bring them back into the room.
You could even do it in a fun way by inviting a friend over. Order snacks and pizza and then organize it like a packing party. Your friends will help you pack the items in boxes. It is a party you can manage even when moving out. After everything is loaded in the boxes, you can begin removing the items in the package as you need them. Anything you do not need should remain in the box. After some time, you will realize you do not need the items left in the box.
4. Create Personal Guidelines
Most people need help to start the decluttering process. They cannot decide which things to throw away or keep. It leads to paralysis in decision-making. The ideal way to counter paralysis is to have clear guidelines and make informed decisions.
For example, before you commence decluttering clothes, you could do away with the clothes that require dry cleaning. That means when decluttering and you come across items that require dry cleaning, you will get rid of them. Once you have such decisions in place, decluttering will be much easier.
You can set personal guidelines by asking yourself some crucial questions. These questions can be whether you needed that particular item in the last few weeks or months or whether the thing is still functional. You can also assess whether you have similar items.
5. Use Four Box Method
It is a practical approach to decluttering. It helps individuals make informed decisions on what to do with their stuff. Ensure you have cardboard boxes or plastic bins to employ this hack effectively. Label the boxes “Give Away, Store, Keep and Throw Away.” Then as you work on the decluttering room, place every item in the correct box.
You could even have boxes where you place items to recycle and another for things to throw away. You could also separate the possessions according to what you want to gift your family members and those you will donate to charity. Make sure every box is well labeled. Begin the decluttering with large items first. These could include large décor items, old appliances, and exercise equipment. After removing the large items, you will have more space and room to work.
6. Utilize furniture storage
Do you have some room under your bed, a desk with storage, or empty bookcases? These are spaces that you can utilize when decluttering. You will be shocked at the area you have in these spots to store unnecessary things. Look for the correct containers to fit in these spaces, such as boxes and other cylindrical storage items.
Various storage containers are made for underutilized and strange areas, such as under the bed and vertical spaces. These are the places to utilize as storage for your clutter. Find bags and clutter baskets, fill them with clutter, and place them under the bed or adjacent to the wardrobe where some space is left.
7. Consider the 80/20 Rule
Most of us wear 20% of our clothes around 80% of the time. You can extend this concept to other items, such as small appliances, tools, books, etc. Do this, and you will discover the many things you can remove from your living space. It is worth noting that most of our possessions are rarely used, yet they consume the space in our homes.
According to Bella Organizing, most of our possessions are only used for a short time, creating clutter. These things take up space that could be useful in other ways. Vilfredo Pareto coined the 80/20 observation, where 80 percent of your results will result from 20 percent of your efforts. Actively aim to clutter your house, even if it is just a little daily, and you will see 80 percent of the results.
8. Apply the 20/20 Rule
Deciding to declutter a home takes work. It is one of the difficulties for more homeowners. Choosing to get rid of an item is never easy, especially when you have to think about whether you need that particular item in the future. Tossing things without considering whether you need them again does not make sense, but indecision means you will have clutter.
The 20/20 rule dictates what to do to keep the items you think you need. If you want to hold on to something you need in the future, you must determine whether you can replace it for under $20 or within 20 minutes. If yes, consider donating or recycling the item to create more space for a tidy room.
9. Have a 30-day Challenge with a Friend
Any project will become more interesting if you can turn it into a game. A simple yet fun way to declutter your living space or room is to solicit a family member or friend to play the 30-day challenge. You can purge one item from your house from the first day of the month.
On the second day, you have to get rid of two things. On the third day, you could throw away or donate three items you no longer need. By the end month, you will have removed 465 unnecessary items from your home.
10. Make Decluttering a Daily Routine
Ensure you have baskets and bags around the home if you have a busy lifestyle. Use these storages to store your clutter and keep it under control daily. It is typical to come across several things in the house that you no longer use but need to know where to put them. That leads to clusters piling up as you think you will find some place for the items some other time.
It leads to cluster buildup and lots of work. However, with bags and baskets in the house, you will find a misplaced toy or unused clothing and simply place it in the bag. Use this hack to keep the house neat whenever you encounter an item you no longer use. Decluttering will always be fun and easy since you do not have to deal with lots of junk.
Take Away Decluttering Tips
Decluttering your home is one of the crucial things to having a neat house. These are excellent tips to help tidy up the home if you do not feel like doing it. Follow these hacks to make your home feel lively and neat once again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What to keep with decluttering?
Deciding what to keep is always challenging. However, several questions will help you determine what to keep when decluttering. Is that item nonessential or essential? Do you have an attachment to the thing? Do you have duplicates for the items? Is the item used regularly? Ask yourself these questions, and you will know what items to keep and what to donate or dispose of.
What to throw away when decluttering?
You can throw away the items you do not regularly use. Throw away duplicate items to make the space appear aesthetically pleasing. If you do not have a sentimental attachment to the thing, you could also throw it away.
What should you not do when decluttering?
You should not try to do it all at once, avoid keeping things just in case, do not expect perfection, and also, avoid biting off more than you can chew. Only do it piecewise to have a tidy and clean house.
Where to donate when decluttering?
When decluttering, there are different things you can do with the clutter. That may include donating the clutter, gifting it to family members or friends, or simply trashing it off. You can always donate the clutter to charity organizations if the stuff is in good shape. You can also visit child cares and donate the clutter there.
Are there any decluttering services?
Yes, there are decluttering services that some companies offer. If your home is too big and you feel overwhelmed by decluttering, these companies can help. They will declutter and help organize your home, office, kitchen, or bedroom to appear tidy.
Is decluttering a form of self-care?
Yes, some experts believe decluttering is a form of self-care. That is because it helps you appear tidier in your room, which
