Clutter keeps your home from being truly comfortable. People accrue belongings, junk mail and papers, and many other things. When you are busy, you can’t make time every day to get rid of and organize things. Over time, your living space becomes cluttered. These 5 tips for how to declutter your home can help.
Create a Plan to Declutter Your Home
Before you begin, create a plan of action. Make a list of the rooms and the types of things that should belong there. This will help you decide where to start. By creating this plan, you are breaking down your big task into smaller ones that you can take on one at a time.
Don’t Do It All At Once
In figuring out how to declutter your home, you may be tempted to do it all in a day. Eight or more hours of declutter efforts can lead to frustration, lack of focus, and exhaustion. Instead, go room by room, setting aside two or three hours. It may take several days to complete the task.
Consider How to Declutter Your Home by Organizing
One of the biggest misconceptions about decluttering is that once you’ve decluttered the home, it effortlessly will stay clutter-free. Take time periodically to get organized as you get rid of things. Create dedicated spaces for everything. Use bins and other storage items to keep things in place.
Don’t Make Your Home a Storage Unit
Decluttering doesn’t mean filling your home with storage totes. Do not keep something because there is a small chance it might be needed one day. Part of learning how to declutter your home also involves careful organization and planning. Avoid buying storage containers until you have finished sorting the clutter. This will allow you to see how much stuff is left and where you plan to keep it.
Sort Items
Separate everything into piles. You should have three piles: keep, donate, and trash. Only keep things that you know will be used. Donate items that have not been used in quite a while. In general, if something has not been used or worn in a 12 month period, do not keep it.
If you go task by task, one room at a time, you will be able to declutter your home effectively. While you are creating a plan for how to declutter your home, you should also create a plan for keeping your home clutter-free. Decide on specific times to go through your home periodically throughout the year, such as during spring cleaning and in the fall. Quick decluttering can be done daily by simply returning items to their designated spaces. In just a short time, your home will feel more relaxing and comfortable.
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