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Regular decluttering is necessary, but most of us don’t have the time to constantly organise our messy homes, cluttered nooks, and overstuffed drawers. It’s a once-a-year, post-Christmas event for many of us.
ALLOCATE DECLUTTERING TIME
Begin by setting up a period of time each day that fits into your regular schedule; it might be five, ten, or thirty minutes. Additionally, it would be excellent to include some achievable and practical objectives. A straightforward example would be to allocate 20 to 30 minutes to organising only one drawer. “This is an effective beginning to a decluttered home and can assist with procrastination,” says Kan Home Clean.
NOMINATE 5 CRITICAL AREAS TO DECLUTTER
Perhaps you don’t need to declutter your entire home, or maybe the idea overwhelms you. Make a list of the most pressing clutter to clear in that scenario. Once this plan has been developed and implemented, follow it. It could be tempting to move to a different room and begin organising there, but resist the urge as it could harm your odds of finishing the task.
GET DONATIONS, RECYCLE RUBBISH OR ‘SELL’ BAGS READY
Once you’ve identified the objects that are no longer useful to you, take them out and put them in a bag for donations, upcycling, repairs, or sales. As interior designers point out, “You can sell unwanted items online, donate them to those in need, upcycle or mend older pieces to make them current and on-trend, or recycle your items responsibly.” According to Nicola Lewis, “it’s important to ensure your donation bag leaves the house.”
FIND NEW PLACES FOR BETTER STORAGE AT HOME
Decluttering is more than just tossing things away; it’s also about finding ways to arrange and store anything you wish to preserve. The ideal storage is labelled or see-through for rapid identification and is placed in subject-specific groups, such as all out-of-season clothing in one location. Stackable boxes, vacuum-packed bags, and furniture that serve as storage, such as an ottoman with a lift-up lid, are all necessary space-saving choices. Remember that closed storage offers more protection from dust, filth, and insects than open storage.
Decluttering Tips
- Begin in one room and proceed there all the way through. Fill a laundry basket with anything you find in that room that doesn’t belong there. Carry that laundry basket from room to room, filling it with everything else. When you’re finished organising, put everything in the washing basket where it belongs.
- Keep a moist rag handy to remove dust particles (Save vacuuming for later).
- Reduction and recycling Collect things you no longer need regularly and dispose of them in the garbage, recycle them, or donate them to charities like the Salvation Army. Less possession equals less mess.
- Place small trash or recycling cans in every room to encourage prompt disposal of objects.
- Arrange seasonal things (such as snow equipment, grilling tools, etc.) in one location.
- Purchase a labeller! There is typically less clutter when everything has a place.
- Use the vertical space, hooks, and over-the-door storage; these areas are vastly underused.
