Organization

10 simple tips to easily declutter your home

Entering a clutter-free room is deliciously calming – an absence of piles and everything in its place. I love lightening my home by clearing out excess (which could be a full-time job with children around!). I have gathered tips for all of us to get big results easily. Care to join me in the quest to de-clutter your home?

10 simple tips to easily declutter your home

Declutter Your Home

Guard the front door

The best way to keep a clutter-free home – is to not let clutter enter. Be wary of hand-me-downs, inherited furniture and other items you may accumulate but not actually use. At the very least, use the <one item in, two items out> principle.

Designate giveaway spots

Keep 1 bag on every level of your home for items you want to giveaway. This simple trick has made a huge difference in how I de-clutter. Whenever I come across something to pitch I just go to the nearest giveaway spot. Every few weeks I combine the bags and do a drop-off.

Break it down

Organizer Janet Luhrs writes: “If you look at your entire house as one unit of junk, you’ll never do anything because the job is too overwhelming. Take it one drawer at a time.” If we de-clutter just 1 drawer every other day, we will have tackled 15 drawers in a month ina manageable way.organized drawer

Make it a game

Pick a challenge, set a timer, and run around the house with plastic bags. Here are a few sample challenges:

  • Weigh In: Give everyone 10 minutes to bag items they own to give away. The winner holds the bag that weighs the most in the end.
  • Put a Sock In It: Get everyone to gather all socks that have lost their mate. Bring them to a central location and try to match up pairs. Leftovers? Say good-bye.
  • Ancient History: Walk around the house and gather items that no one has looked at, touched or used in a year. Work on an agreement to clear it out.

Pitch with a purpose

I have been paying for piano lessons for 3 children largely by selling items on Kijiji. This helps me be ruthless when deciding what to sell.

Mix it up

A fresh perspective can help you de-clutter your home. Do you have a friend that could come over to help you clear out a particular area? Sometimes my husband picks a few items from my wardrobe to pitch, and I help him de-clutter his items.

Fork It

Steve McClatcheysays: “If you found a random fork under the couch or in the bathroom, you’d immediately know it didn’t belong there and return it to its home without another thought. Everything in your home and life should be this easy to put away.

If an item occupies no specific location when not in use, it becomes clutter.” If you can’t find or create a home for an item, say good-bye. fork it

Take drastic measures

If your home is overloaded with clutter, and you want to see results quickly, I recommend The FlyLady’s 15-minute challenge. She encourages readers that we can do anything for 15 minutes, so set the timer and begin.

I love her trick to seal the bag immediately and take it out to the trunk so you will be less tempted to retrieve items.

Ditch paperweights

Paper weighing you down? Shred as much as you can during the process.

Ask the right questions

Peter Walsh recommends getting rid of the bottom 1/3 of each drawer of clothing – chances are those are the clothes we do not wear. Rather than staring at your hanging clothes without knowing where to start, use this guideline to begin: clothes hanging

De-cluttering your home is rewarding. Use these ideas to tackle projects one at a time. Work with others to make it fun and set realistic goals for yourself. And keep your eyes on the prize -fewer items to care for so you have time to focus on more important things.

What helps you get started on a de-cluttering project?

Comments

  1. Marlene

    Perfect timing! I am tackling a room this afternoon. Great motivating tips!

  2. Karen

    Great real tips that even I feel I can accomplish.

    Perhaps, Mom and Dad’s bedroom will this week get the attention it so deserves and that we too will enjoy a special restful place. Why is it that I place our potential serenity last on the list? My husband has not complained but I know he will be thrilled to see it and then really relax and more fully decompress in an uncluttered room. Thanks for the forward motion to get going. I do think that less can be more and make short of our chores.

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