Clutter in the home means stress. We tend to feel like our lives are out of control when we’re surrounded by more items than we can manage. There are books, mail, tax forms, school supplies, toys, and other things we use every day.
While having a little “mess” around the house is ok, clutter can easily pile up and create an emotional mess in our heads. But, you can take control of your home by following a few decluttering tips, thus helping you to declutter your life as well.
Here’s how to have less to clean, less to organize, and less stress:
Start with the 10-Minute Declutter Technique
If you are new to decluttering and feel overwhelmed, start with ten minutes a day. Your goal should be to clear the superficial clutter by using two trash bags.
Use the first one to put all the trash, and the other to put things you’ll give to charity. Do this technique for ten minutes every day, and you’ll soon notice the difference.
Remove One Item a Day from Your House
If you give one item a day to someone that needs it or just throw it in the garbage, you’ll get rid of 365 unnecessary objects from your home every year. Once you get used to this technique, try increasing the number.
Donate
Go through your clothes and see what pieces of clothing you haven’t worn for ages so you can donate them. To find these items more easily, face a hanger after wearing the item hanged on it in the opposite direction, and after a few months, see what clothes you haven’t wear.
Try The 10-10-10 Challenge
Try to find ten items in your home to donate, ten other items to throw away, and ten more to return to their proper owner. You can do this once a week.
Say Goodbye to Unnecessary Memory Clutter
You’re not doing anything wrong if you’re donating something you’ve inherited from your late grandma or aunt. Just because they have given you something, it doesn’t mean you should keep it if you’re not using it.
Your house isn’t a museum. So, either donate it or sell it. Learn to leg to of items that serve no purpose.
Try the 4-Box Technique
Label four boxes: re-locate, give away, trash, and keep. Go into every room in your home and start putting items in the right box. This can take you days or even weeks, but it’ll help you see how many items you really need and use.
Under-The-Bed Storage
The storage under your bed can do wonders if you’re tight on closet space. Use vacuum storage bags to store any accessories or out-of-season clothes, but make sure you toss anything with stains, rips, or pulls.
Throw Away Expired Products
Check every item of your bathroom cabinets to find out expired products. You’ll be surprised by how many products you’ll find. Throw them out together with items you don’t use or like.
Expand Cabinet Storage
No matter how small your kitchen cabinet space is, make the most of it with a small DIY project. To increase your cabinet space, mount a rack on the back of a pantry or cabinet door, or add rollouts to your cabinet.
Clear Your Coffee Table
Coffee tables are often the central point in living rooms, so if they are cluttered, your entire room looks cluttered. Try to keep 75% of the table clear to make your room look clutter-free. So, remove those candles, books, flowers, etc., and leave only one or two items.
See Your House as a First-Time Visitor
Enter your rooms as you’re visiting them for the first time or as if you’re going to your friend’s house. Take a look around and write down your first impression. Then, decide what you can do or change to make your rooms look cleaner.
Ask a Friend
Ask a friend to go through your rooms and point a few things they think you should remove or give to charity. If you agree with your friend, you no longer need those items, so feel free to give them to someone else or hire a skip and throw them away.
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