On average, Americans have around 300,000 items in their home which shows we’ve got a clutter problem.
When you declutter a home, you need patience, perseverance, and a system to streamline the process. Perhaps every room in your house is filled with junk and you’re not sure how to sort it out.
Sounds familiar? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know.
Visualize Your Dream Space
You’ve acknowledged you’ve got a clutter problem and you’re ready to take the next step. Before you grab trash bags, imagine your ideal space without trinkets covering every surface.
Figure out what you would use the room for, where your belongings will be stored, and how the new space will make you feel. This should motivate you to start decluttering.
Note, you needn’t go on a day-long purge, instead set aside 20 minutes every day to sort your mail, throw toys in a basket, and tidy every room so it’s less overwhelming.
Start With the Most Cluttered Room
The best way to organize your home is to start with the worst room. Because when you tackle the biggest problem first, then it will motivate you to deal with the rest. But make sure you completely finish a room before moving on to the next one.
Make Records of Sentimental Items
Many struggle to declutter rooms containing their memories whether it’s their first movie stub with a spouse or a souvenir from a trip abroad. Instead of holding on to these, snap a photo and write a short story about its history and significance.
This is far more valuable than holding onto items you never use or don’t have space for.
Take the 12-12-12 Challenge
If you’re struggling to declutter your home, try the “12-12-12 challenge”. This is where you find 12 items to chuck, 12 to donate, and 12 to keep but stored in a proper home.
Pretend you’re a first-time guest and write down your first impression of every room to decide how organized it is. You can even take a photo of a cluttered area, remove anything crowding it, and then take another photograph. Doing this reinforces how tidy your home could look once you start the process.
Follow the “10% Method”
The 10% method is fantastic if you hate throwing items away. This works when you group similar items so you can see how many you have. For instance, pull out all of your sweaters and reduce the collection by 10%.
Make “Yes” or “No” Piles
Another useful trick is to create “yes” and “no” piles. Make sure you evaluate each item before putting it into a category as it will help with organizing. Ask yourself whether you love an item and whether you’d use it. If you’re hesitant, then throw it into the “no” bundle.
Everything Must Have a Home
A great way to declutter your home is by giving every item a dedicated space. For instance, keep all stationary in a holder or a drawer. You should also maximize your storage unit and shelves to prevent clutter.
Declutter Your Bathroom
We often overlook our bathroom but there’s likely clutter. Start with your medicine cabinet and discard old prescriptions, makeup, and skincare products. You should also check under your sink and remove any clutter from there.
Tackle the Bedroom
Remove everything from your closet so you have a better understanding of your collection. Group items together, throw dirty laundry in the hamper and put anything you’ve barely worn in a donate pile.
You can also try the hanger trick. Over several months, when you take an item to wear, flip the hanger so it hooks from behind to signify that you’ve worn it. Eventually, you’ll tell from the position of the hanger which clothes you don’t wear so you can donate or throw them.
Declutter the Kitchen
Tackle your pantry and cabinets to decide what needs to go. You should then move onto the drawers, the space under the sink, and any lower storage units. Move anything cluttering the countertops into the storage spaces so it’s not overwhelmed.
You can even divide the room into zones. For instance, the area near the stove can be for your pots and pans whereas aluminum foil or cling wrap should be in a drawer.
Tackle the Living Room
Living rooms are difficult to declutter because you spend so much time in them and they don’t often have many storage options. You may only have a bookcase, coffee table, and TV unit so you can’t conceal much.
Regardless of how much storage you have, declutter every surface regularly. Before you go to bed, remove any used coffee mugs, return remote controls to their original place, and make sure your mail isn’t a huge stack.
If your room is overwhelmed with wires, only use shorter cords, try to cover them with furniture, and store extra cables in a container that aligns with your home decor.
That’s How to Declutter a Home
Hopefully, after reading this article, you now know how to declutter a home.
Start by visualizing each space, tackling the most cluttered room, and dividing items into piles. You can also try the 12-12-method, hanger trick, and take snapshots of your memories to keep you motivated. Good luck! Did you find this article helpful? Great! Then check out our posts on everything from Business Products to Real Estate.
