Decluttering your home gives you more than the satisfaction of just throwing stuff away. It helps create a positive home environment, creating functional and fulfilling spaces. It might seem like a daunting task to tackle, but making small changes within your home can have a massive impact on your mental health and life in general.
Your declutter your home checklist should include old spices, expired food items, and plastic containers in the kitchen. Others include bathroom supply bottle, toilet paper holders, shower caddies, and old shower curtains in the bathroom. You should also declutter unwanted gifts/decorations, extra furniture accessories in the living room and remove clothes that you no longer wear
What is clutter?
Clutter is the word used to describe an abundance of objects that you no longer use or need in your life. Items within your household become invisible to you over time, blending into the background of your home environment, as you see them daily in the same place. It’s easy to walk past them without paying attention or considering what their purpose is and if you need them anymore.
Benefits of Decluttering
Decluttering your home has some surprising benefits. It will make you feel like you’re getting on top of your life, give you space for new furniture layouts, or allow you to create more functional areas within your home. You’ll achieve a positive mindset, feel accomplished, be less stressed, and be able to get more done by having a clear headspace.
Cleaning is Different from Decluttering
Cleaning your home is not decluttering!
Decluttering is about reorganizing your home and making it more aesthetically pleasing for others by finding ways to eliminate items that are no longer needed or valuable.
Negative Impacts of Clutter
The clutter that we accumulate can hurt our mental well-being. Research has shown that people in cluttered homes are more likely to develop depression and anxiety.
Setting a Declutter Goal
Feeling overwhelmed is natural, especially if you have never tried to declutter your home. We suggest you start by making a decluttering goal for the month. If you do not have a plan in mind, create a list of things you want to declutter, one item from each room can be a great way to start. Keep the list in a place that you’ll see every day. Try creating a digital or physical note of what is getting removed or donated to a local charity to keep track of your progress.
Room by Room Approach
The room-by-room approach can help you declutter your home. The goal is to focus on one area at a time and clarify that area. This will help you limit your clutter and ensure everything has a designated spot instead of getting lost in trying to declutter the whole house in one go.
Helpful Checklist
Divide and conquer
Decluttering your home doesn’t have to be a long and drawn-out process. The divide and conquer approach to decluttering your home allows you to focus on each room where you spend the most time.
We have highlighted four rooms that you’ll likely use most frequently.
1. The Kitchen
Kitchen clutter is one of the most accessible areas you can declutter. Potential items include.
● Old spices
● Expired food items
● Plastic containers
● Old dishware
● Worn out cooking tools
2. The Bathroom
A bathroom is a place you might discover unexpected items to declutter.
● Bathroom supply bottles
● Toilet paper holders
● Shower caddies
● Old shower curtains
3. The Living room
Decluttering your living room can help create more space for family events and guests. Potential items you can declutter from the living room;
● Magazine subscriptions
● Unwanted gifts/decorations
● Extra furniture accessories
4. The Bedroom
If you are looking for ideas to make your bedroom look more welcoming, you should try these five declutter ideas;
● Unclutter the bed: Take away all the clutter on your bed and have a clear space to sleep with a comfortable sheet.
● Declutter your dresser: Remove clothes that you no longer wear.
● Sort out any pairs of shoes by color to be found quickly and return them to their proper place after use.
● Declutter lamps: If you don’t need extra light, remove it and store it in a box or bag for later use.
● Place dirty clothes in a designated area in your room.
Envisioning how each room will look after decluttering will motivate you to start the process. Once you’re happy with a room, you must resist purchasing more clutter to go in the empty spaces.
Don’t feel guilty about removing items you feel attached to. Try donating them to a charity to gain a sense of satisfaction. It helps!
How to Keep Your Home Decluttered
After decluttering your home, you must ensure that it stays decluttered. Here are some tips for maintaining a decluttered home.
Get Quality Products
The adage “quality over quantity” is applicable to both your bathroom and your closet. Since you use cosmetics, fragrances, hand soap, and bath products every day, go for high-quality versions. After all, you won’t need to replace items as frequently if you have more high-quality products.
Don’t Dump Items on Tables
Even while it could be practical, leaving your mail, keys, wallet, and other items strewn on a table, it makes your home appear unkempt. Typically, when objects are left lying around, it’s because they lack an obvious place to go. Invest in under-bench storage and catch-all trays to ensure that everything has a place, from keys to shoes.
Zone Your Closet
Place formal and seasonal clothing on a high shelf or at the back of the closet. Keep everyday wardrobe essentials for easy access. Formal footwear can be kept in transparent shoe boxes stacked high on shelves. For quick access, sandals, flip-flops, and sneakers work well in a circular basket on the floor. Start with the item you wear the most, ensuring it is easily accessible.
Adopt an Organized Lifestyle
Take a moment to consider your needs and way of life. Consider how you intend to use the living room and the furnishings you’ll need to make the activities you enjoy doing frequently more convenient. If you want to rest, read, and watch TV, for instance, make sure the room has cozy blankets and pillows well-stocked bookcases, magazine holders, and a tray to collect remote controls. Other items need to be moved or kept somewhere else.
Set up a Dining Station
It’s usually helpful to keep items close to where you use them. This straightforward arrangement makes sure that, at dinnertime, everything will be decluttered and within easy reach. A simple cabinet or credenza would be ideal for keeping place mats, napkins, tablecloths, serving utensils, candles, salt, and pepper.
Pick Chic Storage Options
There is no justification for cramming your living areas with storage options that don’t suit your preferences or aesthetic. There are many sleek, fashionable solutions that can serve as decor, such as wooden chests and rattan baskets. Try elevating your storage with some lovely open baskets if you need to keep laundry, blankets, toys, or even firewood. The storage baskets act as motivation to keep your home decluttered and also enhance your aesthetics.
Streamline Your Pantry
The fact that your pantry is hidden behind a closed door does not mean it should stay decluttered. In addition to being aesthetically beautiful, organizing your pantry will enable you to find items when you need them quickly. Take everything out of your cupboard, wipe the shelves, and get rid of any stale food to start fresh. You can compost any unused items or give them to your neighborhood food bank. After editing, spend some time sorting things into categories, such as pasta, grains, snacks and desserts.
Closing Thoughts
Before you start your declutter journey, remember to make a list of items to remove for each room. Place the list in a visible area to remind you every day. Start with a small list, one thing per room, and don’t start a new list until the old one is complete with all the items removed from the house.
It’s important to remember you don’t have just to throw away unwanted items. Try donating to charity stores or selling the items to generate extra cash. Creating a healthy living environment is your number one goal. You’ll achieve a positive mindset and automatically become more relaxed in your home. There are endless benefits to decluttering your home.
