Saturday 11 / May / 2024
The new year is the perfect time for organising your home. While decluttering your home seems like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Walk through these seven tips to declutter your home.
1. Make a list
Before you start pulling things out of closets and cabinets, sit down and make a plan. You should think about how to organise your home methodologically. Consider each area that you would like to clean and declutter. Then, jot it down on paper. If tackling an entire room is overwhelming, break it into smaller sections. You can organise your closet, dresser, and nightstand on separate days. Doing so will help you make a more specific plan and feel ready to conquer the smaller tasks.
2. Set reasonable deadlines
After you make a list of all the areas you need to declutter, set a deadline for each. Remember to provide yourself with sufficient time to finish. Doing so will make it more likely that you follow through and stick to your plan.
3. Keep aside some time each day
After you have set your deadlines, get to work! Try working a little bit each day rather than a lot once a week. For example, 30 minutes a day adds up to 3.5 hours per week! As you finish areas on your list, cross them off! You will indeed feel accomplished and proud as you complete the items on your list.
4. Separate your items into boxes
As you organise, you will likely come across items that you no longer use. Instead of just throwing everything away, separate things into boxes. You may wish to designate one bin for each of the following purposes. If your garage is full of perfectly good items that you no longer use, try selling them. You may find that you can get a pretty penny for that new bike or set of golf clubs that you never found time to use. These days, there are plenty of websites that you can use to sell your unwanted items. Find a reputable one and start listing.
Do you have clothes that you no longer use or fit? Instead of letting them go to waste in your closet, donate them to someone in need. You can do the same with toys, games, books, or anything else that you no longer find a use for at home. If you have trouble deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, think about how you feel when you use it. If it doesn’t make you happy, donate it.
Hopefully, it will bring someone else joy. At times, we can neither sell nor donate items because of their condition. You can recycle books that are torn and tattered, electronic devices that are so old that they no longer function, and many other items. Recycling is a responsible alternative to throwing things away. Your trash box or pile should contain only items you cannot recycle, donate, or sell. These may be expired and used objects such as medicine, food, or cosmetics.
5. Find a place for everything
Once you have fewer things taking up precious space, you can find a place for each item you have. Doing this may take some thinking and creativity. However, it is possible with the help of the following tips. If your home is small, you can take advantage of wall space by adding shelves.
Vertical space prevents you from piling items on counters or inside your pantry. For a few weeks, you can probably keep a drawer with miscellaneous items organised. However, after a while, those items start to get mixed up and jumbled around into a messy pile. Drawer organisers can keep all your items separated according to their kind. They are perfect for kitchen utensils and office supplies.
Instead of using your closet floor to store your shoes, hang them on the back of the door. During the winter, you can keep your summer clothes in airtight, vacuum-sealed bags. Then, slide them under the bed or inside your large suitcases.
6. Be consistent with organising your home
Clutter can creep up on you quickly. It is vital to make a conscious effort to stay organized. Set aside regular time in your weekly schedule to put away items and reorganise areas starting to get messy. Each month, try to deep clean your home and toss the items that are expired or unused. Doing so will eliminate the need to reorganise the entire house in the future.
7. Less is more
From time to time, you will indeed purchase new items. Be sure to find a place for these items too. If you don’t have room, it is time to get rid of some of the things you no longer want or need. You may wish to get rid of an item every time you buy something new. For example, if you want to purchase a new pair of pants, you should donate one pair you often don’t use. Gradually getting rid of older items will prevent your home from spilling over with clutter.
