Are your closets and drawers overflowing with stuff? Do you find yourself forgetting where you put things? Are you ready to simplify your life without resorting to a tiny house or minimalist apartment? If so, decluttering might be for you.
Decluttering can seem intimidating at first, but it doesn’t have to be. With these simple steps, you’ll be able to tackle even the most cluttered home!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Decluttering your home can lead to surprising benefits like reducing stress and increasing focus. |
| Embracing a minimalist lifestyle can simplify your life and increase your sense of fulfillment. |
| Decluttering your mind is just as important as decluttering your physical space. |
| Going green can be good for both your health and the environment. |
| Reducing your carbon footprint can be achieved through simple yet effective changes in your daily habits. |
Create A Place For Everything
Now that you have decluttered your home and simplified the space, it’s time to create a place for everything. You may think that this is an unnecessary step, but trust me it’s not!
If you don’t have a designated spot for an item, then you’re more likely to lose track of it and never find it again.
If you want to keep things simple, use the same category labels as before: office supplies go in the office drawer; clothes go in the closet; kitchen gadgets go on counters or in drawers devoted just to them…and so on.
The key here is consistency if all your shoes are kept together at all times, then they’ll never get lost under piles of laundry or stacked up next to empty boxes where they belong.
Similarly with accessories like jewelry boxes/tins and scarves hung neatly on coat hooks rather than stuffed into pockets or thrown haphazardly over chairs like so much threadbare foliage.
Decluttering your home can lead to surprising benefits like reducing stress and increasing focus. Check out our guide on the benefits of owning less stuff to learn more about the advantages of minimalism.
Put Like With Like
Grouping items of similar size, shape or color together makes it easier to find things and also reduces visual clutter.
Use containers to store things in your home. A basket or box is a good way to store smaller items such as pens, pencils and other office supplies; books; magazines; toys; craft materials; kitchen utensils and more!
You can also group objects by type: pots and pans go in one container while baking ingredients go in another container…
Store Things Where You’ll Use Them
Whether you’re storing your food or your shoes, put everything where you will use it. This is simple but important advice that can make a big difference in your home and life.
For example, if you have a cabinet full of spices and they are all different colors and shapes, they won’t be easy to find when cooking dinner.
Instead, have them organized by type (spices vs oils), so that when it comes time for dinner preparations all the ingredients are easy to locate without much effort at all!
Another benefit from storing things where they are used most often is that there’s less chance of forgetting about something because it’s always on hand instead of someplace else in the house where no one ever goes during normal activities throughout day (such as kitchen versus laundry room).
Having fewer things stored around makes cleaning up after meals easier too since there aren’t any extra items lingering around on countertops/shelves/etcetera!
If you’re looking to simplify your life, embracing a minimalist lifestyle can be a game-changer. Check out our guide on the top 10 benefits of a minimalist lifestyle to learn more about the positive impact of decluttering.
Label Everything
Once you’ve got a good idea of what needs to go and what’s staying, it’s time to label everything. Label drawers, shelves, and other storage areas. Label bookshelves by subject matter or author.
Label boxes in case they have to be moved around again later on down the line. Labeling is an important part of organizing because it makes things easier to find when you need them (you can easily see which box has the DVDs or which one contains framed photos), and it also helps keep track of what you currently have so that if something goes missing there’s no chance that it’ll end up in the trash pile with everything else!
| Item | Labeling Tips |
|---|---|
| Food containers | Label with contents and date to avoid waste and confusion |
| Filing system | Label folders with clear and concise titles for easy reference |
| Storage boxes | Label with contents and location for easy identification |
| Cords and cables | Label with the device they belong to and purpose to avoid tangles |
| Keys | Label with the name of the associated lock for easy identification |
Clear Out Paperwork
Get rid of papers you don’t need
Don’t let them pile up. Don’t put it off, and don’t store paperwork in your home if you don’t need it.
Don’t keep paper files. If you have important documents that are framed or stored in a box somewhere, get rid of those boxes and the contents within them as well.
Just because something is on paper doesn’t make it important enough to keep forever; if there is no legal or business reason for keeping something like this, toss it out (or shred it).
You can always order a copy from your organization’s website if needed later on down the road. Whether it’s receipts or financial statements, just be honest with yourself about whether these things will actually be useful to anyone in 20 years when they go digging through your attic searching for their birth certificate (you know what I mean).
If not, toss ’em! Only keep the most important documents: birth certificates/passports/marriage licenses; wills/powers of attorney; health insurance cards; Social Security cards; tax returns going back seven years (if applicable); etc., etc., etc., depending upon what applies to each specific person.
Decluttering your mind is just as important as decluttering your physical space. Check out our guide on 15 simple steps to declutter your mind and boost productivity to learn how to simplify your thought process and increase your focus.
Get Things Up Off The Floor
Just like you do your clothes, put things up off the floor. Put them on shelves, hooks, cabinets and drawers. This will help you see what you have and use it more easily.
You can also declutter by getting rid of any clutter in your home that isn’t really necessary for day-to-day life. Get rid of:
- Things that aren’t working (broken appliances)
- Things that don’t fit (outgrown clothes)
- Things that don’t belong here (holiday decorations from previous years)
Purge Regularly
When you have a lot of stuff and it’s overwhelming, the easiest solution is to just close your eyes and pretend none of it exists. But that’s not a good enough answer for me (or for you!).
So let’s talk about how to get rid of clutter in a way that won’t make either one of us want to pull our hair out.
The first thing you should do is purge regularly. How often depends on how much stuff you have for example, if your house is overflowing with junk, try purging once every two weeks or so.
If you only have a few shelves full of knick-knacks, maybe once a month is enough for now. Either way: pick a schedule and stick to it!
| Item | Purging Tips |
|---|---|
| Clothes | Donate or sell items not worn in the past year |
| Books | Donate or sell books that won’t be read again |
| Kitchen items | Toss expired food, donate or sell unused appliances |
| Paperwork | Shred or recycle outdated documents |
| Miscellaneous items | Ask yourself if the item serves a practical purpose or holds sentimental value |
Use Space-Saving Techniques
- Use vertical space. Install storage shelving or hang clothing in the closet.
- Use horizontal space. Store items under beds, on top of cabinets and in closets to maximize floor space.
- Use under-the-bed storage. Look for fixed drawers or slides that can be installed under the bed to create more room in the bedroom or living room area by creating extra storage space without taking up floor space on top of your mattress (which is where most people forget they have room).
Going green isn’t just good for the environment, it can also be good for your health and wallet. Check out our guide on how to go green in your home office and everyday life to learn more about sustainable practices that can benefit both you and the planet.
Declutter One Room At A Time
The first step to decluttering your home is to decide which room you want to start with. The idea of tackling an entire house can be overwhelming, so it’s best to take it slow and start with one room at a time.
For example, if you have four bedrooms in your house and choose three of them for right now, that leaves one left over that will become the next project down the road. You can also do this in stages depending on how much time you want to spend decluttering each week or month.
If there are certain rooms where clutter tends to pile up more than others (like living rooms), then those would be good places where we might start our journey towards de-cluttering our homes!
Have A Yard Sale Or Donate Unwanted Items
You can also sell your unwanted items at a yard sale or hold a garage sale. Make sure you have all the right permits, and remember not to price things too low because you’ll be competing with other people who want the same thing.
Be sure to carefully consider what you’re selling and why. Don’t sell things that are broken or damaged in any way, because buyers won’t be happy if they buy an item only for it not to work properly. If an item is valuable to you but isn’t functional anymore (like your grandma’s antique quilt), then consider donating it instead.
Don’t forget about sentimental value either! If there are certain things that remind you of important moments in life (your engagement ring from when your partner proposed), keep them out of this process entirely!
Take Your Time And Be Patient With Yourself
This is not a race or a test, so don’t get overwhelmed by the process. Make a list of the rooms in your home and put them in order of importance to you. If a room is not important to you, then move on to the next one.
Start with one room at a time and do not allow yourself to be stressed out by the job at hand. Just take it one step at a time, starting with what’s easiest for you—garage sales are great places to begin!
If something feels too overwhelming as you begin decluttering that area, then break it down even further into smaller tasks until there are no more steps left but just throwing things away or giving them away to Goodwill or friends who would love them more than I do right now (and trust me—there are always people who will love things more than we do).
And remember: take breaks when needed because we all need breaks!
Reducing your carbon footprint doesn’t have to be difficult. Check out our guide on 10 surprising ways to reduce your carbon footprint today to learn simple yet effective ways to make a positive impact on the environment.
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember when decluttering your home is to take your time and be patient with yourself. It’s an ongoing process, so don’t expect everything to change overnight.
Start with one room at a time and work from there, and remember that the point of this exercise isn’t just for the benefit of your wallet or closet space it’s also about reducing stress in your life by eliminating unnecessary distractions, which will make it easier for you to focus on what really matters.
So go ahead: get started today!
Here is the Further Reading section with a short description for each URL using markdown language:
Further Reading
Creative Ways to Declutter: This article provides creative and unconventional methods for decluttering your home.
Decluttering Your Entire Home: This comprehensive guide offers step-by-step advice for decluttering every area of your home.
Declutter Your Life: This article provides tips and strategies for decluttering your life beyond just physical possessions.
FAQs
What is the best way to start decluttering my home?
Start small and work on one area at a time. Consider starting with a single room or even just a small section of a room. This will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and make the process more manageable.
How do I decide what to keep and what to get rid of?
Ask yourself whether you have used or worn the item in the past year. If not, consider donating or selling it. Additionally, consider whether the item holds sentimental value or serves a practical purpose.
How can I prevent clutter from accumulating in the future?
Develop good habits such as putting things away immediately after use and regularly going through your possessions to donate or sell items you no longer need.
What if I have a hard time letting go of things?
Recognize that it can be difficult to let go of possessions, but also consider the benefits of a clutter-free home. Additionally, try to focus on the memories associated with items rather than the items themselves.
What can I do with items that are still in good condition but I no longer need?
Consider donating items to charity or selling them online. You could also host a garage sale or swap items with friends or family.
I am Hellen, I’ve been passionate about sustainability for as long as I can remember. It’s something that my mom taught me from a young age, and it’s something that has shaped my life in so many ways.