You need to declutter your home from time to time to clear space for more valuable items. Too much clutter in your home is uncomfortable. If you don't have enough space, it's hard to store everything you want and need.
The more stuff you have, the harder it becomes to find what you're looking for. You end up spending time searching through piles of junk just so that you can use a single item.
Decluttering your home isn't easy, especially if you're the kind of person who gets too attached to your things. But if done right, decluttering will make life easier and help make space for new useful or valuable items. Previously, we have discussed decluttering kitchen cabinets and how to dress a kitchen island.
This article describes tips to declutter your home with very simple tips. Let's go!
Collect Your Items in One Point
Before you start decluttering, you need to sort your household items and know the ones you want to keep and those to let go of. To do this, you need to have one collection point for all your items. You can use a table or basket, but remember not to overload the item or let it get in the way of your movement.
Sort Your Items and Check if You Want Them All
Sorting is the most difficult part when decluttering. The question here isn't whether you own things that are useless to you or simply taking up space, but how to tell the difference between the two. Another question is whether you should keep them because of sentimental value or not.
At this point, you should sort out your items in different groups. Sort out those you still need, those with sentimental value, those to give out, and the completely useless ones.
Sort Out the things You Don't Need Anymore
Once you've sorted out all your items, it's now time to decide on only what to keep and what you don't. If it hasn't been used for a year, then you're probably not going to use it in the future. You need to have a clear mind when deciding whether an item is useless for you or not. Sometimes, things that we had thought were useless turn out useful, if not to you, then to a different person.
So those are the items that you're going to give away or donate. It's best to start with the easy ones first, such as devices and gadgets that you don't need anymore. You can sell them at a pawn shop or through classified ads. If it's something that you can't find a use for or if it no longer works, then simply throw them away.
This is when you have to draw the line. I know throwing things away may be hard, but you need to develop this habit of decluttering continuously in your home and home office space to create room for more valuable items.
Declutter One Room at a Time
Every room in your house has different kinds of items in it. The best thing that you can do is to start with one room at a time. Dispose of paper clutter and other items that are not currently in use, as well as books you're done reading. If there are clothes that you no longer wear or they’re torn up beyond repair, then toss them out to declutter your house.
If it's the living room, find that furniture and electronics that are no longer in use and either donate those to your local charity or sell them for extra cash. If it's the master bedroom, get rid of old clothes and other personal items you no longer need.
Go to the kitchen, declutter all the kitchen cabinets, and get rid of all the expired food. You could also sell them if there are any high-quality or brand-name items inside. When decluttering a kitchen, remove all those old appliances that are not functioning well or that you no longer use.
Anything that serves a dual purpose in your home is another thing to consider removing. For example, if you have two coffee machines and neither is being used anymore, get rid of one of them instead of letting it sit on the kitchen counter, taking up space. Declutter the dining room as well.
If you have a basement, declutter and organize it to make it look neater and more spacious. Declutter the bathroom as well as the laundry room. And finally, do the same thing with your garage using shelves and hooks for hanging items and a good storage system for your lawnmower, rakes, shovels, and other large gardening tools. Learn how to properly organize tools in the garage and limit clutter.
Get Rid of Duplicate Items
If you have two items performing the same tasks in your home, then you might want to consider getting rid of one of them. For example, if you have two coffee machines that are never used anymore, get rid of one of them and replace it with a single coffee maker with the same features as the previous two.
Many people tend to upgrade but still hold on to the previous item, which they rarely use. You don't need five sweaters if three can do the job. You don't need to buy a new smartphone every time you want an upgrade when your existing phone is good enough for all your needs.
Turn Underused Rooms into Storage Spaces
If other rooms in your house are lying around with no specific use, you could turn them into storage spaces. For example, if you have extra rooms, then convert them to a pantry for food items. You don't need to have your extra clothes in the main bedroom but store them properly elsewhere. A spare room can be used as a wardrobe or clothing closet, while underused closets could be converted into storage rooms for extra items that can fit there.
Use Smaller Storage Spaces and Make Them More Convenient for You
If you have some smaller storage spaces in your house, then don't let them remain unused. For instance, if you have a shelf in the kitchen or cabinet space under the kitchen sink, use it properly. Keep basic cleaning items like soaps and detergents in that cabinet and give it some use. Don't just clutter the main shelves of the kitchen or bathroom with all the stuff when other storage spaces are lying around with no use.
Minimize Your New Purchases
Many people have a habit of buying things in bulk, but that can be expensive. We tend to overestimate the number of items we need and buy more than what's required, which makes it difficult for us to store items in an organized way.
Another habit you may have is impulse buying. This means you buy anything just because you like it. You may not even need it, but you get it anyway because of a sale. You end up buying more than what's really needed, and instead, it's creating clutter in your home.
Avoid new purchases of things that are useless to you and buy exactly what you need. If you already have two umbrellas at home, don't buy a new one unless you need it badly.
Make Use of Storage Furniture
There are multipurpose furniture pieces that can handle more than one task. For instance, you can use a storage ottoman for storing your items as well as seating. They're actually good for more than just extra space.
It's better to use them than buy different pieces of furniture to be used as storage containers. It will give your room a neater look and avoid the purchase of additional things. Aside from storing shoes, a storage ottoman can also put folded items such as blankets or sheets. They also work well for storing off-season items such as winter clothes and seasonal decorations.
Make Use of Unused Storage
Don't allow all your items to crumble in one small storage area when there are so many unused spaces in your home. The walls, ceiling, over the door, and other spaces in your home can make good storage spaces if used properly. You can use hooks, rails, or even unused areas of the walls to store your stuff in the vertical space. Just make sure you don't overdo it because it would make your home appear messy instead of having an organized space.
Storage Solutions for Different Items
For different living spaces, you may have to think of specific storage solutions that work best for the items you want to keep in those spaces. The living rooms can store decorative items and other household stuff, while the kitchen is perfect for storing cooking utensils and knick-knacks. You don't really need an interior designer for this.
Keep Your Home Clean
As you carry out decluttering process, make sure to establish a cleaning schedule. You should have anyone in the household help clean once or twice every week to lessen the work you have to do. Keeping your home clean is an excellent way to identify the things that are piling up and making cleaning harder. You can take this opportunity to organize all your belongings to prevent clutter.
Also, don't forget to schedule deep cleaning sessions once per month or annually. This will help you maintain your decluttered home. Have some periods when you can deep clean your carpets, furniture, and your home in general.
Declutter Your Home on Specific Days
Decluttering session can be made regularly as long as it becomes a part of your schedule. You could declutter your home every week or once per month, depending on how much clutter you have and the size of your house.
Just make sure you're true to yourself on this matter. It will not work if you say to yourself that you're going to declutter your own home every week when in reality, it takes a weekend or even a day for you to do it. So make sure that you set aside a few hours per day for the whole process to be done regularly and eventually accomplished within the designated time.
Home Decluttering Tips to Remember
Since decluttering your room is not an easy task, you need some expert tips to help you pull through. Here are some decluttering tips that can help make your work easier.
- Understand the benefits of decluttering your home to motivate you into doing it.
- Involve the entire family in recurring chores so that everyone can help out to maintain a healthy and productive home environment.
- Choose one room or a portion of the area you want to focus on when decluttering your home.
- Be prepared by properly laying out the area so that you won't miss putting things back inside their designated place once the task is completed.
- Designate specific days or times to declutter your home.
- Once you have started the work, ensure that you will not be interrupted so that your progress will not be halted.
- Focus on one area at a time to avoid unnecessary distractions and frustrations.
- Make sorting trash bags into compost or recycling bins while sorting your belongings an easier task by enlisting the help of family members.
FAQs on Decluttering Your Home
How do I start to declutter my home?
If you want to declutter but have no idea where to begin, start with one room at a time. Just focus on that instead of your whole house. Do whatever works for you and makes decluttering easier; the results will be worth it in the long run.
Why do I need to declutter my home?
Decluttering your room is an excellent way to create space and make your home look neater and more organized. When your home is full of clutter, you might feel overwhelmed and stressed. Clutter can also make you feel that life, in general, is overwhelming when you are surrounded by a mess at home.
Final Thoughts on How to Declutter Your Home
People have different reasons to declutter their homes; some are just looking for ways and ideas to make their lives easier, while others want to sell their homes. Whatever your reasons, the tips in this article will help you learn how to declutter your room with ease.
Remember, not all the tips listed above will work for everyone. Find whatever works for you depending on the size of your room, family members, and your personal preferences.
Happy decluttering!
