Whether it be a cluttered car, work email inbox or cluttered cabinet space, we’ve all experienced the stresses related to clutter. All that it takes is a single shirt on the floor or a small container not recycled, then our belongings started to accumulate. They start to compound on one another until one day we realize we can’t find that important document we’re looking for in the cabinet, or we discover how messy our car has gotten over time.
Clutter creates visual chaos in an otherwise clean home but the good news is that a quick round of decluttering can make your home (and mind) comfortable and at ease. Declutter fast – and stay organized – with a few of these simple decluttering tips.
Tips for Decluttering Your Home:
It’s best to stay focused on one room at a time. Starting in room number one, place unnecessary items in the room in a laundry basket. After you’ve completed the first room, carry that laundry basket to other rooms and collect items that belong elsewhere. Once you’ve completed decluttering, return everything in the basket to where it actually belongs.
Saving vacuuming for later, keep a damp rag handy so you can wipe down any dust bunnies you may find.
Minimize and recycle; Periodically gather items you no longer need and either recycle, trash or donate them to charity organizations such as Goodwill. Having less stuff around = less clutter to worry about.
If you don’t already have a small trash or recycling bin in each room, make sure you get one. This will encourage you to toss items right away as they appear.
Arrange your seasonal items to be all in one spot, whether it’s your grill or snowboard.
Invest in a labeler! We tend to have less clutter when things have a proper place.
Take advantage of over-the-door storage, hooks, and vertical space when you can.
Your Kitchen
It’s easy for papers to pile up in your kitchen. Consider keeping one spot for mail, bills, etc.
Consolidate piles. Pick one day a week to sort through the pile and toss away, shred or file mail, bills, etc.
If you tend to use the top of your refrigerator for storage, you can move those items elsewhere. Right away, you’ll notice the visual improvement.
Check the expiration dates on perishable items in the fridge, cabinets, and pantry. Discard any items that have expired!
Throw away any old cleaning products you find under your kitchen sink. Use a cleaning bucket to consolidate all cleaning products so it’s easy to grab them when needed!
Keep no more than 2-3 magnets at a time on the fridge – too many notes and papers can be overwhelming to look at. You can even invest in a magnetized fridge file organizer that will help you limit papers to what fits inside.
Separate kitchen drawers by category (baking supplies, utensils, spices, etc.,)
Hang measuring cups, spoons, pots, and pans on hooks inside your cabinet doors
Store plastic bags in a recycled cleaning wipe container
Your Bathrooms
Fold towels, straighten floor mats and clean up the mirror with a glass spray cleaner.
Keep a hamper or laundry basket in the bathroom as a place to toss dirty clothes and towels in.
Reduce clutter on the sink counter by returning toiletries, colognes, polishes, etc., to the medicine cabinet or drawers.
Your Bedrooms
If you’re not already using under-the-bed space, use this space to store seasonal clothing and shoes, decorative pills, linens, and extra blankets in storage containers.
Take any dirty laundry and throw them into the laundry hamper.
Collect pocket change(that may fall out of your jeans or wallet) and place it in a jar on top of your dresser drawer.
Go through receipts and dispose of outdated ones into the garbage.
Your Living Room Space
Consolidate items that stay in your living room into a bin or basket such as toys, games, extra blankets, etc.
Because dust tends to collect in these rooms, keep wipes nearby to give coffee and end tables a quick wipe down.
Stack/straighten magazines and books on the coffee table and only keep ones out that you’ll actually read.
Your Closets
Take a visual inventory and consider moving any items to basement storage or for donation.
Sort through clothes, footwear, and seasonal gear, then store what you don’t need in your basement or attic. If you find that your closet is overrun with boots and shoes, think about investing in a large basket to keep them contained.
Pro Tip: Turn your hanging clothes 180 degrees around so that they hang backwards. After a few months, all of the clothes you wore will be hanging correctly. This will help you determine which clothes you can consider donating!
Your Home Office
Tidy up loose cords with either zip ties or twisty ties.
Organize books, and put loose desk accessories in drawers.
Avoid tossing loose items in a drawer by utilizing small cardboard boxes to organize the drawers.
Categorize desk drawers that are alike and don’t be reluctant to move their location.
No matter which decluttering tip(s) you choose to get started with – whether it’s with your bathroom or closet, hopefully, these get you started somewhere. It is up to you how you will choose to declutter your living space. After all, you spend the majority of your time in your home or office.
Whether or rent or own your office or home, you deserve to live and operate with a clear mindset and in a clutter-free environment. If you’re looking to get rid of old furniture or old office equipment, our team at UnderCut Junk Removal can help you meet your cleaning goals for 2020. We operate 7 days a week and you can simply give us a call today!
