Top Tips to Declutter Your Home
Top Tips to Declutter Your Home
There’s never a better time to declutter than when you’re a) stuck inside and b) the change of seasons is upon us.
If you’re thinking of downsizing, selling or just spring cleaning – decluttering your home has many benefits. First, it makes your house look bigger and brighter. It also makes people feel more productive and happy when their personal space is organized and less cluttered. Additionally, you may find things you forgot you had. This often happens with me. Getting rid of unwanted or old things can also make way for new things when stores re-open and life gets back to normal. Whatever that may look like.
- Sell or Donate Large Items
If you’re planning on moving or downsizing, it’s always a good idea to sell (or donate) the large furniture items that will not fit into your new space. If you have children or grandchildren, ask them first if they’d like the items. Free is always good to a young adult just starting out. And what’s better than a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation? Facebook Marketplace is a great place to sell or buy items. During this pandemic, I recently sold an old patio furniture set in order to make room for a new one.
- One Year Rule for Clothing
Typically, clothing sits in your closet and drawers for years as you outgrow, outwear or change styles based on current trends. Experts would agree that if you haven’t worn something in over a year, it’s probably best to donate or give it away. 
Most people find it difficult to get rid of clothes after just one year. But the reality is that most people also buy a couple hundred dollars of new clothes each season, so pruning the closet is not such a bad or difficult thing to do if you really think about it. It’s also time to change out your clothes from winter season to the spring and summer season. Although I know many people who don’t do this either because of their geographic location or limited clothing options, it’s still good to take inventory for the upcoming season.
- One Room at a Time
Decluttering may seem overwhelming if you have a big house or large apartment. I suggest you start with one room at a time. Typically, the kitchen, basement and family room are the most used rooms (besides the bedroom) in a house and collect the most stuff. Go through each room one at a time. Get everyone involved! Don’t plan on doing the whole house on the same day. Pick one weekend for each room and spread it out over time or it may seem overwhelming. Go through drawers, boxes and cabinets throwing away (or giving away) anything you don’t use or need anymore. Haven’t used that veggie maker in a while? Get rid of it! Not using those old toys anymore? Donate them to your local women’s shelter or hospital.
- Invest in Better Storage
Oftentimes, our stuff becomes clutter simply because it’s disorganized. Organizing your things can make a huge dent in decluttering your life. Buying low cost plastic bins, shelving or under bed organizers can simplify a room and dramatically change the way it looks. An organized and clean space can also change how you feel about your home and is shown to help decrease emotional stress in people.
- Get Rid of the Knick Knacks
Do you need all the trinkets on the armoire or the collection of cows on the side table? Unnecessary décor clutters your life and your home. A collection of family photographs can bring joy and memories. But those ceramic elephants are only collecting dust. Gather all the baubles and host a socially distant garage sale. Your old assortment of stuff will become your neighbor’s new curio!
Photo by Sarah Brown @sweetpagesco
