Easy Ways to Declutter Your Home
Make Time to Clean
Set aside time on your calendar to remove clutter. If you have an extra 10 minutes in the morning or have a few free hours on Wednesday afternoon, use this time to clear your living spaces. Keep the appointment you make with yourself and focus on decluttering for your designated amount of time.
Start Small
Decluttering is overwhelming if you try to tackle the entire house at once. Instead, choose a small area to focus on. The front entryway or mudroom is a great place to begin because it’s the first place people see when they visit your home. Alternatively, you could start with a closet or a single drawer in the kitchen. Choose an area you can handle with the time you have available. You’ll begin to see results even if you only work 10 or 15 minutes at a time.
Sorting Your Belongings is Necessary to Declutter Your Home
To declutter a space, whether it’s a linen closet or a shelf in the laundry room, start by clearing things from the area. Remove everything from the drawer, shelf, or closet. This way you can clearly see what is stored there. Next, clean the space thoroughly before sorting items into four categories: belongings you’ll keep, items to donate, things that belong elsewhere in the home, and damaged items to throw away.
Donate Items that Aren’t Used
Get rid of items you don’t want or need. If you haven’t used a piece of cookware in 6 months, donate it to a charity. With clothing, allow yourself 12 months. Anything you haven’t worn in a year should be donated. While you work, keep a box nearby to collect the items. As soon as the box is full, carry it to your car so you can drop them off next time you’re running errands.
Organize
As you return items to where they belong, take the time to organize the space. Use organizer trays in drawers for smaller items. Place a chest of drawers inside a closet to create additional storage space for sweaters, accessories, belts, or purses. Hooks are convenient storage for hats, scarves, kitchen utensils, or garden tools. When an item has a designated space, you’ll know where to return it after you’re finished using it.
Declutter Your Home: Maintenance
A good way to maintain your clutter-free home is to donate something each time you buy a new thing. When you buy new running shoes, get rid of your old pair. If you purchase new luggage, there is no need to hold on to your older set.
Keeping clutter under control is a constant process. When an area starts to look messy, take steps to clean, declutter, and organize. Your decluttered home will feel more spacious and comfortable.
Rambo Inspection Services offers home inspection services to customers in the Chicagoland area. Contact us to request an appointment.