With the release of her Netflix special Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, the organizing consultant made waves all over the world with her KonMari method of decluttering. (Though it should be noted that Kondo has been active since 1997.) Suddenly, people were inspired to clean up their homes. Some were successful and some less so. Kondo made it look easy, but the fact of the matter is that it’s a big job. Nevertheless, decluttering your home is important. It can help improve your health and state of mind, and can even save you money. So is there a way to make this task easier? Yes! Below are a few helpful tips for decluttering and organizing your home.
Helpful tips for decluttering
and organizing your home
Know the reason behind the clutter
Knowing the root of the messiness is one of the best ways to prevent the messiness from happening in the first place. Some people have a lot of clutter because they don’t have an organizing system at all. They forget where they placed something so that, when they need that specific thing, they think they don’t have it yet. They end up buying duplicates or even triplicates of one item. Then there are those who feel that they might eventually need something, so they’re hesitant to throw anything away. Do a self-evaluation. If you know the reason behind clutter in your home, you can start avoiding them.
Label your belongings
Decluttering doesn’t mean throwing everything away, obviously. But how do you know which ones to keep and which ones to dispose of? It helps to categorize your belongings using properly labeled boxes. For example, there are most likely things that you still need but aren’t in their proper places. Perhaps there’s a mug in the bedroom or a stapler in the kitchen. Sort these things out first. Then move on to items that can be recycled, like glass bottles, paper, and the like. There are things that are still usable, but you personally don’t use anymore. Consider donating them instead of throwing them away. Finally, you should designate a box for all your trash.
Remove the garbage
Efficient rubbish removal is an integral part of decluttering. Even if you only have a small living space, you’ll be surprised by the amount of trash you’ve accumulated over the years. Hiring a rubbish removal service is a good idea, especially if you’re dealing with multiple kinds of waste that you don’t know what to do with. Electronic waste, chemicals, broken glass—these should be disposed of properly, and a local rubbish removal company can help you deal with these efficiently.
Get a mail basket
We already live in a highly digital and electronic world, but we’re still far from becoming a paperless society. Indeed, unsorted mail, bills, and receipts are big contributors to the mess in your home. To help manage your paper clutter, get a basket, box, or any other container to put in all your mail. This way, if you don’t manage to organize everything right away, the piles of mail won’t spill over to other parts of your house. Another good tip is to allocate a certain time to deal with paperwork. Sort the bills, keep the important documents, read and keep personal correspondence, respond to invitations, and throw away whatever needs to be thrown.
Start with the small things
Sometimes, your home gets cluttered simply because you don’t put things back in their proper place. Start with the small things. Always put things back where you got them and you’ll be amazed at how this can significantly minimize the mess in your home.
Follow the 12-Month rule
Are there clothes hanging in the back of your closet that you haven’t worn in a long time? It’s highly possible that you won’t be wearing them any time soon. The same goes for other things that have been sitting around at home. If you haven’t used it for more than 12 months, you probably don’t need them anymore. Consider donating it or getting rid of it altogether. Don’t make up excuses on why you “might” need these things in the future.
It can be a challenge, but decluttering and organizing your home can make your life simpler and happier. What’s more, it’s not too late! It’s better late than never, as they say, so don’t lose hope and think that your messy home is beyond saving. The important thing is to start cleaning up.
In addition to the above tips, do you have any other helpful tips for decluttering and organizing your home? If so, we would love to hear them! Please share in the comments below.
