6 Tips for Decluttering
What a mess! That is what I think when I walk through just about every room in my house. I am constantly looking for effective ways to organize. Looking for hidden areas of storage. One more place I haven’t already thought to store stuff out of sight! The truth is I don’t need more storage, I need to DECLUTTER! Are you ready to join me in some decluttering?
I am coming off of a 4 month period of time in which I had to wear a boot on my foot and stay off of it as much as possible. I’ve been dealing with pain for several years and barely manage to get the necessities done let alone a lot of deep cleaning. Needless to say my house is in a state of crisis and in desperate need of decluttering.
A few days ago I started reading a book titled “Too Much Stuff: Winning the War against Clutter” by Kathryn Porter. In the book she shares her personal story about her mom who was a hoarder and how that influenced her own housekeeping. She brings a biblical perspective to the book that I have appreciated. The book is very compelling, as I read I keep jumping up and decluttering a few simple areas.
Are you like me and overwhelmed when you look at your house? Is your house a hotbed of clutter? Do you have to move stuff every time you reach into the cupboard for something? Is cleaning just moving piles and organizing messes instead of actual cleaning? Well, let’s talk about what we can do about all that clutter.
Declutter Tip#1 Give yourself permission to throw stuff away!
How often do we hold onto stuff we don’t even like because it was a gift from someone we love? We don’t want to hurt their feelings so we keep the gift and it just becomes clutter on the shelf. Or we keep odds and ends because we might have a use for it someday. Right now I want you to give yourself permission to get rid of stuff. Would the gift giver really want you to hold onto something that makes your life harder? We can’t clean clutter we just have to get rid of it.
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Declutter Tip #2 Pick up the trash.
Walk through your house and pick up all the trash. It amazes me how much trash accumulates around the house. Where does it all come from and why didn’t we throw it away in the first place? Here are some things you can throw away right now:
empty water bottles
finished to-do lists
old invitations
expired coupons
catalogues
magazines you have already read
used kleenexes (gross)
broken toys
pens that don’t work
Declutter Tip #3 Start Small.
Is there a surface or cupboard that you can declutter in 20 minutes or less? I try really hard to keep my dining room table clear of stuff. The only thing I keep on my table is a table runner with a candle or something pretty. I find that when I put something pretty in place I am less likely to clutter up the surface with papers or odds and ends. Just keeping a few clear surfaces goes a long ways toward having a cleaner looking home. Here are some areas that could be decluttered quickly:
dining room table
coffee table
dresser top
medicine cabinet
make-up drawer
front of the refrigerator
entryway table
Declutter Tip #4 Pick a Room to Work On.
My biggest area of clutter is my kitchen counter. I keep my calendar there and extra paper for my endless to-do lists.
In the book “Too Much Stuff: Winning the War Against Clutter” the author asks a question that has motivated me to make some changes. She ask you to think about what you want a particular room to look like.
Well, I want my kitchen counter to be clear. I have been inspired to get rid of the basket that holds all of my scrap paper. The truth is that I have all kinds of cute pads of paper that I can use instead of holding on to papers that could be recycled.
What room do you need to start on? What would bring you the most peace?
Declutter Tip #5 Keep/Donate/Trash.
Now that you have picked a room start going through closets, drawers and cupboards. Grab 3 boxes or bags, one each for a keep/donate/trash pile.
As you declutter be honest with yourself: are you really going to finish that project that has been sitting there for 3 years already?
Be merciless: the more you get rid of the less you have to clean!
Be proactive: once you have filled your box or bag get it out of the house. Don’t give yourself time to go back through it and take stuff out again.
Declutter Tip #6 Keep up the good work!
Slow and sure is better than trying to tackle a huge job all at once. Keep on top of the small stuff like trash and keeping surfaces clear. When you’ve got that down tackle the bigger jobs like clothing and paperwork.
Need a little inspiration? Below are just few books on decluttering. Find the book and method that motivates you and works for your home.
