Decluttering your home has a wide range of benefits, but knowing how beneficial decluttering can be, doesn’t make doing it any easier!
With this in mind, here are 5 handy tips for paring down your belongings to a more manageable amount, and reclaiming some of the spaces in your home:
- Try the 30 day declutter challenge
While some prefer to devote an entire weekend to decluttering, there is a more effective and less time consuming way to do it, with the 30-day decluttering challenge. For 30 days in a row (just one month, that’s all it takes), make a commitment to pare down your belongings in manageable chunks. This might be by tackling one room at a time, or even just one closet at a time, but take the time to do it thoughtfully and not by rushing, and you’re much more likely to experience a positive result. You can add little things like making your bed every morning and putting laundry way, for example, to help promote the clutter-less theme.
- Do it one room at a time
You can still use the 30-day decluttering challenge, but make it even more organized by tackling one room at a time. Depending upon the size of each room and how much clutter is in each one, you could devote 3 days to each room, for example, or any schedule that ensures each room will be decluttered by the end of one month.
- Get a decluttering buddy
Having the help of a good friend or relative can be comforting and make the task more enjoyable, especially if you have a lot of clutter to tackle. Who knows, looking through your old and unwanted belongings with someone you like and trust, might even be fun! Your declutter buddy may even be able to rehome some of your items or help you make decisions over what to keep, and what to get rid of.
- Focus on clutter zones
Some areas of the home are typically clutter catchers, such as closets, spare bedrooms and attics, but each space deserves to be as clutter free as the next. Think about where you have the most clutter and what areas will need the most attention, so that you can devote ample time to the task and work out a logical and effective decluttering system.
- Find alternative ways to store items of sentimental value
Holding onto everything from your childhood, or that of your kids, is a lovely idea, but often, it simply isn’t practical as it takes up too much space. With the following points, learn how to minimize your belongings while still keeping some of the items that mean the most to you:
- For pictures and photographs – gather them up and scan them for digital storage
- Use a binder with plastic sleeves to store your kids artwork etc.
- Get rid of what you can, and ask yourself why you’re keeping certain items and whether you need to
Decluttering is quite a personal task, but with the above tips, you can make it a breeze and who knows, even enjoy it! It can also be helpful to hire a cleaning service to come in and clean areas that you’ve just decluttered, especially if there’s a lot of dust and grime accumulated there.
