Today’s post is by guest blogger by Romana King• on the site Zolo Homebase from September 17, 2020. You can visit their site for a more detailed version of the article.
When it comes to decluttering your home, deciding where to begin can be the hardest part. From moving around mess piles to getting overwhelmed and giving up, organization isn’t always a one and done task.
We’re here to help you conquer the messiest rooms in your home and incorporate decluttering tricks that you can use everyday. The key to maintaining an organized home is continuing to declutter a little at a time but in order to create these new habits you have to start small!
So without further adieu, here’s how you can declutter your home in just five steps.
1. Write it Out
Begin your project as every great strategist does—with a fool proof plan! Grab a piece of paper or whiteboard and create a checklist of all the rooms you want to approach and a timeline for when you’ll clear the clutter. Having a set plan helps you break things up and make cleaning your entire home feel less difficult. Plus referring back to your plan will help you stay on track.
2. Think Minimal
When you’re deciding on whether to toss or keep, ask yourself one question. Have you used this item in the past six months? No? Then you’re probably not going to use it any time soon. When we say “think minimal,” we mean to let go of items that you have no use for, rather than go cold turkey and attempt to toss out 50% of your belongings! It’s okay to admit to yourself that you have more things than you need. Getting rid of the items that you haven’t touched in months is one of the most important steps to decluttering your home.
3. Get Organized
Now that you’ve identified which items are taking up space, it’s time to get organized. The best way to organize your clutter is by utilizing a decluttering method. Peruse a few of ours below:
The closet hanger method
The closet hanger method is great for anyone who needs insight on how often they wear their clothing. Start by turning all of your hangers to face towards you. Over an entire month, pull clothing out that you wear and only flip the hanger back towards the closet once you’ve worn it. At the end of the month, toss the clothing that’s hanger has yet to be turned!
The four box method
Classic and effective, the four box method never lets you down. Begin by distributing your clutter into four boxes labelled keep, throw away, donate and storage. After that, look to the label on each box to determine your next step.
The one-a-day method
The one-a-day method is essentially what it sounds like. Each day, you get rid of one item. You can plan to do this method over a month, a few months or even an entire year.
4. Get Rid of Your Clutter
Whatever method you decide to use, the next step in decluttering your home is making sure your clutter is gone and gone for good. Whether that means donating it to charity, tossing it or sending it off to a friend (far away) once our items are out of sight we tend not to miss them!
5. Enjoy Your Clutter-Free Home
Once you’ve finished decluttering, keep it organized by resonating with how nice a clean and tidy home is. Encourage yourself to declutter a little everyday or schedule every other month as time dedicated to cleaning out a new room or a different part of your home!
Creating a clutter free home (especially in today’s climate) is good for your family, your cleanliness and for your mental health! It’s easy to become overwhelmed when your home feels disorganized. Gain some control back and try our tips above for decluttering. For more inspiration, check out Zolo’s new guide to decluttering for more organizing ideas and a free printable to decorate your new clean home with. Happy cleaning!
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