Spring is just around the corner, and the term spring cleaning is real. If you need to clean up your home for an open house or viewing, or if you’re overwhelmed by your stuff in your new home, be sure to follow these smart tips to de-clutter!
Schedule Your Cleaning Time
We’ve all been there. We tell ourselves cleaning or organizing will only take 20 minutes, and then an hour’s gone, and you feel like you just got started. De-cluttering takes time, especially since organization is a big part of the process. So instead of trying to get it all done in one go, plan out multiple times to dedicate to de-cluttering. Or plan It out by room – attack the busiest area first, then move on to the next room when it’s completely done.
Check Your Stock
If your someone who buys multiples of items, or upgrades to newer items but keeps the old, this task is for you. Look at all your items that you have multiples of and ask yourself if you really need all of them. Chances are, you don’t. Decided which is the best and works best for you, and donate or throw out the others you’ve ignored.
Throw Out Unused Items
Do you have a hard time letting go of things? More people have a packrat mentality than you might think, and it can lead to a lot of clutter over time. Start by stopping the mind frame of “I can use this later, I will wear it when I…” etc. A great tip to follow is break this mentality is to keep things you know you’ve used or worn in the past year. If you can’t remember the last time you did, add it to your donation or throw away pile! If you have items that are old and you still feel like you can’t let go – put them in a box together. If after 3 additional months pass by and you haven’t used anything – take out the whole box.
Compartmentalize
When it comes to home organization – everything has its place. Have crowded drawers full of a pastiche of items? Use smart container dividers to organize them so you can actually see what’s inside! This will keep your drawers clean but also prevent you from just mindlessly throwing anything in there willy-nilly. Having organized drawers will make you stop and think about the items you’re adding and can help highlight anything that needs to be thrown out.
Get Digital
Papers & documents not only create a ton of clutter, they also take up room. Up your digital storage game by scanning those crowded documents, papers, and photos and save them to your computer or external hard drive. When you’re done, it’s time to throw them out or recycle. Be mindful of documents with any sensitive information – it’s best practice to shred these before throwing them out!
Put A Label On It
You may have managed to get organized and have a box or container for all your things, but to stay organized and keep tabs on where everything is, labeling is key. While it can be time consuming, you’ll be thankful in the future when you can find what you need without having to guess where what is. If creating your own labels isn’t for you – you can buy pre-made labels for anything under the sun online and simply stick them on!
Plan Your Next Session
Decluttering usually isn’t a one-time process, but a repeated one. We’re all a little guilty of letting clutter get out of hand, so planning ahead for another session can help keep your home in check! Depending on how much stuff you have and your lifestyle, plan your next de-clutter session in 3-6 months. Just having a simple reminder on your calendar can help you stay clutter free too.
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