What is clutter?
One of the best ways to enjoy your home is to maintain it as a clutter-free home.
Clutter is anything you’re keeping around your house that doesn’t add value to your life. Decluttering is about making room in your home for the things that do matter.
Why work to create a clutter-free home?
- It relieves stress.
- It makes you more efficient.
- It provides a sense of accomplishment – boosting your spirit and mood!
- It creates more space.
- You may find a lost treasure (or two)!
Here is an article from Psychology Today on their take on the benefits of decluttering your home.
The Benefits of an Uncluttered Space
Now, let’s review some ideas for decluttering your home.
Let’s get it done! Let move to a clutter-free home.
Tip Number 1 – Keep Like Things Together
Sometimes it is better to declutter and organize by category rather than by room.
Often a disorganized home has similar items spread out all over the house. For example, if you observe that you have books or magazines in multiple places, it may make sense to gather up these items, review what you have, decide what to keep, and then find a good and logical place for books and magazines.
Tip Number 2 – Be Strict About Clutter Magnets
Countertops, shelves, and other flat horizontal surfaces are clutter magnets. Make it a goal to keep your flat surfaces free (or mostly free) of clutter.
Doing this one thing will reduce most of the clutter that bothers you.
Tip Number 3 – Take Great Care of Your Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is, in my opinion, the most important room in the house to keep decluttered and organized. After all, we need to have this room, in particular, clean and organized for our own quality of life. We deserve this special room to be a sanctuary where we can renew ourselves and where we always feel relaxed. We start our day in this room and we end our day in this room.
This room also plays a role as an example. Your message to your little humans to “go and clean your room” when your room is a mess demonstrates an inconsistency that will work against you. Treat this special room with respect and declutter it.
Ask two basic questions.
- Does any particular item belong in the bedroom?
- Do you consistently use the particular item in the bedroom?
if you answer “no” to either question then either get rid of it or move it to where it belongs.
Simple. Easy!
Tip Number 4 – Declutter Bedroom Closets
Again, let’s apply a few questions that will help us with this task.
Ask:
- Does any particular item of clothing fit?
- Is it in good shape? (Or rather is it damaged such as stained, torn or faded.
- Has it been worn in the past year?
If you have answered “no” to any of these three questions then get rid of it or repair it. If it is a seasonal item, then consider how to best store it in the “off-season”.
Bonus Tip
You can use your hangers to keep track of what you wear and what you don’t wear. Organize your closet hangers so that the hanger hook has the open end facing out. As you use an item, place it back in the closet with the hanger hook facing in. After a sufficient amount of time review which items have been used and those not used.
Make some decisions on what to keep and what needs to go.
Tip Number 5 – Declutter Your Home Office
For most people clutter in the office takes the form of bills, important documents, semi-important documents, receipts, and other paper items.
Review items and place them into these three broad categories:
- File
- 2nd Review
- Trash
Next, throw away or shred the trash pile. if you are like many of us this will eliminate more than 50% of your paper clutter.
Then, file what needs to be filed. This will make you feel significantly better as you will have attended to the important items.
Finally, your success with the first two categories will inspire you to tackle once-and-for-all the third category (2nd Review) as you will be so close to finishing you will be motivated to complete this task.
Your Desk
Look critically at your desk. Keep only the essentials on your desktop. This means your computer, a lamp, and a few other essentials.
Use a minimalist mindset.
Decluttering your desk will go a long way towards helping you feel organized.
Your home is there for you to enjoy. A clutter-free home will increase the enjoyment you get from it.
Here are some other posts on keeping your home clutter-free.
Home Cleaning and Decluttering
If you need some help with keeping your home clean and tidy then give A Clean Vision a call. We have been providing cleaning services to homes of the Upper Valley since 1993.