Many homeowners have some clutter in their homes. Sometimes, it is just a small pile of brochures, newspapers, heirlooms, and an assortment of gifts that they do not know what to do with or use. They can make some parts of the house look disorganized. While there are people who can stand some clutter, some people are burdened by it.
Decluttering tips
Decluttering may be a difficult chore for some people, but there are some ways to ensure that you can do it methodically and quickly.
● Do things step by step. When cleaning, you want to finish your decluttering chore immediately. But cleaning experts advise that it is not an effective method. It is better to take things slowly and do the cleaning systematically. There may be things that you use or need that you inadvertently threw away because you were in a rush. When you are cleaning your house, declutter a room thoroughly before tackling the next room. Or you can do it by category.
● Handle each item once. Do not fall into the tendency to put something aside to be handled later when you want to declutter. Otherwise, things can pile up, defeating your intention to clean. You may end up being a hoarder, and a hoarding cleanup is a more tedious process than general decluttering. Have some big boxes ready and sort the items into Keep, Trash, Recycle, and Donate. Put some thought into each item you handle so you can put it into the box where it belongs.
● Limit your collections. Clutter occurs because you continue to add to your collection of things that interest you, making your cleaning up effort difficult. If you are an avid book reader, for example, the number of books in your collection can quickly increase. Your bookcase will soon be full, and some of the books will end up in every available space. Keep the books that you want to read again, and plan on donating or reselling the rest.
- Have a box for things you’re not sure what to do. Sometimes you cannot immediately decide whether to keep or throw an item away. If you are unsure, put such items in a box and leave them there for six months. Within those months, if you do not open the box to use any of the items, you should throw, recycle, or donate the items without regret. They may have been interesting, and you knew what to do with them when you bought them but did not find the time to use them at all, so their value is already lost.
● Donate or throw away the things you never used. Sometimes you buy things that were quite interesting when you first saw them. But by the time you brought the item home, you put it aside and eventually ended up not using it. For example, you bought a painting kit which will give you a nice landscape painting. But by the time you can finally use it, all the paint has dried up. Donate the items that are still useful and throw away those that cannot be recycled.
● Monetize other items. You spent money on the items that turned into clutter. Consider recycling and selling these items, so you can recoup some of the money you spent on them. Use this as a motivation to help you declutter your home. You can have a yard sale or look for second-hand shops.
Decluttering is not easy, but with a plan and some organization tips, you can make the task easier.
