Introduction – Home Decluttering Tips
Sometimes organizing and decluttering your house can get a little overwhelming, yet with the right strategies, it’s bound to get easier. This guide will provide you with proper methods to help organize your space and get rid of clutter.
Make a Plan
Before you start decluttering your space, it is important to have a proper plan. This will help you remain focused at all times while you work.
Have Set Goals
Identify what you are looking to achieve through the process. Is it more space, or an easier way to clean your home? Having goals will make the entire journey smoother for you.
Prepare a Timeline
To reduce the time it takes to declutter your whole house, create a timeline that comprises several weekend hourly sprints or room by room splits.
Step 1: Gather the Supplies
The first step is gathering boxes or containers for packing, labels, and cleaning products like rags. Having everything on hand before you start will make things easier and more productive.
Step 2: Choose Your Approach to Declutter
You can sort and declutter in many ways with different approaches. Pick the one that appeals to you the most and fits your schedule.
The Kondo Approach to Decluttering
This popular approach, made famous by Marie Kondo, is all about keeping what “sparks joy” and discarding anything else. It focuses on freedom of decluttering by category, not by room, starting from clothing and finishing with the most valued sentimental belongings.
The Four Box Approach
This method is probably the simplest where you can divide everything into 4 “boxes”: Keep, Sell, Store, or Trash. This helps with making quicker decisions on every single item laid out.
The 90/90 Approach
Think about every item. Ask yourself these two questions. Have you used it in the last 90 days? Do you plan to use it within the next 90 days? If not, it’s time to throw it away.
Segment the House
Despite the fact that some approaches suggest decluttering by category, decluttering your home room by room will help you feel a sense of achievement almost immediately.
Begin with High-Traffic Places
Start implementing changes in places you most often visit, like the living room or the kitchen first. This will have an immediate effect on how you go about your daily activities and will likely motivate you to continue the process.
Prioritize The Most Important Visible Clutters
Start with clearing the surfaces and floors of the most important visible messes. This will provide a boost in motivation to help you accomplish the more difficult parts of lost clutter in drawers and closets.
Implement the “One In, One Out” Method
While decluttering, when you take something in, make sure to take something out as well. This fosters reaching the decluttered state and prevents future cluttering in.
Like a Professional Organizer, Do The Following
Now that you have decluttered your space, it is time to put the remaining pieces in order. A few professional organizers have pointers which they rely on to create functional and visually appealing spaces.
Maximize On Vertical Zone
Space Saver. Use wall-mounted shelves and pegs along with over-the-door organizers to increase vertical storage.
Get Quality Storage Space With Soft Edges
Make sure the storage bins and organizers also blend with the rest of the decor. Stackable see-through bins for closets and pantries are perfect, while soft edged decorative baskets make an excellent addition to living areas.
Establish Specific Areas
Set designated locations for different activities or groups of items. For instance, set up a specific zone to do homework or set a specific place for coffee in the kitchen.
Tag Everything
Well defined tags help maintain order and make it simple for every member of the house to locate items and return them.
Cleanup All Clutter After Use
Organizing belongings is not a single event that is done once, rather, a myriad of steps that are taken continuously. Activities like the ones stated here are what need to be followed to keep your space organized.
Instill the Habit of Using Routines
Try making your bed in the morning or doing a quick clean up of your room before sleeping as well as following the “don’t put it down, put it away” philosophy.
Seasonal Removal of Clutter
Sustained periods of low activity merit removal of accumulated clutter. These sessions should take place at least once a season and are crucial for closed spaces such as closets as well as less frequented areas like attics.
Whenever Possible, Go Virtual
Minimize the number of physical items by converting documents, pictures, and any other paper items to a digital format. Use cloud storage or external hard drives to store the order.
Tackle Difficult Issues
Getting rid of clutter can be especially challenging when sentimental attachments are involved.
Emotional Attachments
If there are items that you hold dearly to your heart, take photos of the items before parting with them. This helps preserve the memory while decluttering.
Fatigue in Choices
If you have been feeling tired while making decisions, consider taking rest breaks, or do shorter periods within decluttering. Always remember that it is fine to take things at your speed with this.
Bringing In Other Family Members
Have everyone in your family participate in helping you declutter. Set tasks based on age and make it a family affair. It not only fast tracks the decluttering but also instills good organizational skills in everyone.
Tips from the Pros on Achieving Success
If you want to declutter and organize like a true professional, make sure to use these tips from experts to help you achieve it:
Measure According to the Touch Rule
When clearing out clutter, deal with things immediately instead of shifting things around, so that you do not have to deal with piles of mess later.
Work In Possession Focused Circle
Consider places that are frequently visited like the desk. Stuff that is rarely touched should be placed in hard-to-reach spots.
Set Up a Drop-Off Spot
Set aside a corner of your room for the items you wish to donate. Take them out when the space fills up. You can then drop them off at a local donation center.
Capture The Progress
Record your journey with before and after pictures. These images, along with others, can be very motivational and help you cherish the change in your surroundings.
Conclusion – Home Decluttering Tips
Let’s face it, decluttering and keeping your home organized is certainly a daunting task. But, with these tips, you can ensure that your home remains clutter-free and beautiful to look at. Do keep in mind that it does take a considerable amount of effort and time to declutter a space, so be sure to exercise patience. In the end, you will find that your haven will truly help you unwind after a long day.
These home decluttering strategies will challenge any organizational problem you may have. Remember to take things step by step and starting today will have you wondering how you ever managed without an organized home.
