It’s all too easy for our homes to end up messy and filled with clutter. Leaving paperwork out, not tidying away toys, and buying too many products can all contribute to an untidy home.
Ready to declutter your home? Here are ten of our best decluttering tips to help you get started.
1. Start with a small, easy task
The idea of decluttering your home can feel overwhelming. Stay focused and calm by starting with a small task first.
Choose a task that feels achievable. You want this to spur you on and encourage you to continue decluttering. Try something fun like decluttering and tidying up your jewelry, stationery, or closet.
2. Declutter by room
You don’t want to go overboard and be wandering around your home sorting through things by category if this is your first time decluttering. Instead, declutter by room.
Not only does this feel more natural, but it helps you get things done. It’s easier to see your progress if you’re working in one space, which feels motivating.
3. Try the ‘five minute rule’
It’s tempting to put off a task and try something different, but try the ‘five minute rule’ instead. If it’ll take you five minutes to tidy or declutter, do it now.
This is a great way to encourage yourself to declutter and to stay tidy in the future. It helps promote general tidiness and helps you see that it is possible to declutter in small moments of time. Don’t put off what you can achieve quickly now.
4. Evaluate whether something is useful or beautiful
There are so many things in our homes that aren’t doing anything for us. Most things should either serve a purpose or bring us joy in some other way. If it isn’t, get rid of it.
To help you decide what to get rid of, think about what purpose it serves for you. Consider how long you’ve had it, whether it has a special attachment, or whether it’s something you’d be lost without.
5. Don’t linger on a decision
While you want to be considered about what you get rid of, don’t spend too long thinking about your decision.
Lingering on a decision can lead you down the wrong path, as you try and come up with excuses to keep something. Instead, go with your instinct. If you’re not sure right away but can’t bear the thought of permanently decluttering something, create a separate area for ‘maybes’ and evaluate it later.
6. Get rid of empty products as you use them up
Do you have a bunch of empty products laying around in your bathroom? Now’s the time to get into the habit of removing them right away.
Empty products take up space and can easily make your home feel cluttered and messy. Next time you use something up, drop it into your waste bin or recycling box right away. It might take an extra moment or two, but it can really help your home feel more streamlined.
7. Recycle paperwork regularly
Paperwork can quickly build up in any home — especially if there’s several of you living under the same roof. Help keep it at bay and make your decluttering sessions easier by recycling it regularly.
Pop any promotional paperwork into your recycling bin if you have one, and invest in an affordable paper shredder for any confidential documents. Set aside some time each week or month to recycle your paperwork and enjoy an almost paperless home.
8. Set up a ‘to donate’ box in your home
Sometimes you’ll come across something you want to donate but it doesn’t make sense to make a trip to a store to drop it off. To help you keep your donation items in one place, create a ‘to donate’ box in your home.
Set up your donation box somewhere that’s easy to reach — like in a closet or by your back door. If you share your home, make sure everyone knows where the box is. This helps everyone get into the habit of evaluating their stuff and making donations to a worthy cause regularly.
9. Get rid of extra hardware
Ever find yourself with a box or drawer full of screws and other assorted parts? It’s time to tidy that up and get rid of any extra hardware you’ve collected.
We all have flat pack furniture, toys, or decor items that came with spares or parts that we don’t need to use. It usually gets stored in a ‘junk drawer’, but you’ll probably never use or need it. It’s safe to get rid of most of these parts — and if you ever do, head to the DIY store to purchase it for a low cost.
10. Finish before you start a new section
When you get into that decluttering mood you might want to tip your whole house upside down and simplify it to perfection. Before you start another task or room though, finish what you’re already working on.
Finishing something before you move onto the next helps give you a sense of achievement. Plus, it just makes sense. You don’t want to feel down at the end of the day because your bedroom is home to piles of objects that belong somewhere else, all because you had bigger ambitions.
Simplify your home with these decluttering tips
Keeping your home clutter free is a challenge, but you can make great progress with these simple decluttering tips. Add these ideas to your collection and keep them in mind as you tidy and organize, and you’ll soon have a more relaxing home to enjoy.
Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash