It’s so easy to get caught up in our chores and responsibilities. So much so that we are all guilty of letting the appearance of our homes take a backseat. Thinking about decluttering is no easy feat because it requires a lot of determination and you have to invest enough time to plan everything. However, for some people, the whole process of decluttering may seem exhausting or absolutely boring. It is a task that does require a certain level of commitment on your part and you’re going to need to set aside some time to get it done properly.
You may be longing for a clean and organized house but the thought of putting in a lot of time over the weekend just causes you to continuously procrastinate. However, if you have been struggling with this dilemma then we have just the thing for you. In this guide, we are going to go through the process of decluttering and organizing your house easily. The following tips will not only take the burden off your mind, but you will be able to complete the process of decluttering your house in less time and in the sequence that you desire most.
Dive Right into the Most Problematic Spots
If you can see it with your eyes, even a small cluttered area can make you feel overwhelmed and can easily ruin the whole space. A great example is a messy kitchen counter that makes the whole kitchen appear chaotic. For this very reason, it is recommended that you make the bed first thing in the morning because it sets the tone for your day and for the room. So, start with the most problematic area in your house and no matter how small it is, just dig right in.
The first thing you have to do is to throw out any trash that is accumulating. Afterward, put away all items that are out of place. Now, all that is left for you to do is to organize whatever is left behind. However, if that space still appears messy, then you need to carefully evaluate whether some of the things that remain need to be discarded now.
Sweep Clean the House
All you have to do is grab a garbage bag and simply walk around the house and put anything that seems like trash (do not pause to think about it, just go with the first instinct). You can later sort it into piles to either give away, throw out or recycle. Alternatively, if going about the entire house sounds too overwhelming, you can start with one room at a time.
Pretend that You’re Moving
A good strategy to get rid of all the clutter is to pretend that you are moving out of your house and into a new one. Just take a look at all the clothes you own and imagine that you have to pack it all up and move out in a week’s time. Also, make a point of remembering that this move is about making a fresh start and not about dragging a couple of boxes along. Now, this does not mean that you will spend hours trying every piece of clothing and then coming to a conclusion about which one to wear. Simply scan the clothes you have and be absolutely honest about it.
Get rid of anything that no longer fits you or your lifestyle, or that seems to be damaged. Another simple rule of thumb is to throw away anything that you have not tried on for the past 6 months.
Imagine That People are Coming Over
Another trick that will help you speed up the decluttering process is to imagine that you are about to host a party and a lot of guests are about to come in just an hour. This will give you the extra boost that you require and you will quickly declutter the entire house. Not only this, but you will also be able to organize everything really fast. Your priority would be to clear up all the surfaces and put everything in its designated spot. This quick sweep through the house gives you an opportunity to find out if there are items that simply don’t have a place in your home anymore. If you find such items, then it may be a sign that you no longer need them, or perhaps you have to find a place for them.
Get Some Storage Space
There may be too many things in your house but you may not feel that those things are useless or you may have a strong emotional attachment to those items. Or perhaps you are simply not yet ready to let go of them. In either case, getting a storage space nearby may be the perfect thing to do. But at the end of the day, you have to keep going back to get rid of things that you don’t need. In this case, you should ensure that it is accessible so you get the time to sort out the stuff every now and then, otherwise, that space will also end up being a mess.
Keep Things Simple
It is as simple as this. All you have to do is make a decision and then be firm about it. It is important that you take a careful look around the house and evaluate what things are no longer being used. Even if it comes to removing a small table that is not useful, or a dusty chair that nobody likes, you will notice that the room will feel a lot cleaner and very different. Discarding an object that you no longer use lifts a huge weight off your shoulders and mind. It will also give a much more organized and cleaner feeling to your physical space.
Once you start down this path, you will be amazed that your mind will be constantly thinking about the minimalist lifestyle and you will end up getting rid of many more useless items. The most difficult part is taking the very first step.
Keep Similar Items Together
When you group similar things together, it becomes quite easy to find them whenever you need them. Once you take this small step, your house not only gets more organized but life becomes easier too, as you no longer need to go from one room to another trying to find things at the very last moment. It may involve collecting the staches of coins that clutter in every other room or simply some crayons. Whatever it may be, you have to make a space just for that category of items and keep them there.
Break Up With the Extra Stuff
Many of us love having duplicates of an item that we like and often all of those are not being put to use at all. It may be quite possible that one of the items is in frequent use while the other one is just eating up space in your house. Now, this does not mean that you will have to discard the extra toothpaste that you have or keep yourself restricted to single slippers.
But it does mean that if you have two identical trousers, you may want to get rid of one of them. Also, the two similar items do not have to be exact replicas of each other. It could be that you have two similar items but they may be of different colors and it may seem like both the items are important but you really need to be honest with yourself here. Because a lot of times, it is only one of the items that you actually use frequently.
Stay Away from Paper Clutter
Paper clutter may seem to be quite a minor issue or not even a problem at all. However, before you even notice it, paper clutter such as documents, receipts, magazines, and mail can take up quite a bit of space in your house. So, it is best to tackle this issue before it gets out of hand entirely. The first thing that you must do is collect all the magazines, receipts, notes, newspapers, and any junk mail in the house and simply toss them in the recycling bin. If all of this seems intimidating then, start small and scan the bills that you have been collecting. After this, simply get rid of the papers that you no longer require. This may include flyers, old credit card offers, or other similar things. Once you are handling it one after the other, it may not sound so stressful.
Sort Out the Seasonal Stuff
It is understandable to have some seasonal stuff in your house that obviously you don’t use throughout the year but in the end, you use it on a special occasion or a specific season. This does not qualify as clutter that needs to be thrown away (unless it is all damaged). However, you have to think of a smart way to get it organized because it shouldn’t linger here and there in just any of the rooms. It is important that you sort out this seasonal stuff and get rid of any broken items or anything that you no longer feel attached to any longer. You can do this with holiday decorations or your winter clothes or any similar items.
All you have to do is to take some boxes or small bags and put the seasonal stuff in them. After that, the only thing is to stash them away for good until you need them the next season. If you haven’t been doing this already then you will be pleasantly surprised that by just doing this, your house will begin to appear so organized, spacious, and amazing. You will also feel a huge weight lift off your mind and shoulders.
Declutter and Organize Your Life
In order to continue living peacefully, you have to make sure that you are incorporating the spirit of decluttering into your life as well because it is one of the best ways to ensure that clutter does not take over your life again. A useful technique is to compile a shopping list and refer to it whenever you are out to shop for something. Whenever you purchase something from that list, simply cross it off and when you feel something seems to be missing from the list, then add it in. However, before adding that thing make sure that you don’t already have it in the house. This way you will avoid having duplicate items.
You can choose to maintain this list on your phone, or keep a notebook with you all the time. It would help you make sub-categories instead of keeping a giant haphazard list. Because the whole point of this exercise is to make sure that you are living an organized and hassle-free life, having a chaotic shopping list would be counterintuitive to the whole idea. The categories may include edibles, non-food items, over-the-counter medicines, clothes, or other miscellaneous household stuff. Obviously, this list is not something that you can just make in a minute, but allocating some time to it would definitely make it easy to keep your physical environment organized. This obviously will provide you with peace of mind.
Decluttering
Decluttering your home can feel like an overwhelming task for almost everyone and it is this that makes it hard for everyone to get started with this task. However, if you follow the suggestions that we have shared above, you can avoid the chaos and panic that may creep in otherwise. But once you embark upon this journey of decluttering your house, everything starts falling into place, and before you know it your life and house will appear a lot more peaceful than before. Remember that by just taking small and simple steps you can make your life much easier, organized, and clutter-free.
