How to De-clutter Your House
Decluttering is simply getting rid of the stuff you don’t want, need, or use. The thought of decluttering your entire home can be overwhelming at first, so start small. Begin with one room and DO NOT work on any other rooms until you are finished with the first one. I managed to declutter my whole house with this technique by cleaning every Saturday during late winter. In New England, late winter/early summer is known as mud-season, and there isn’t a whole lot you can do during this time of year. It’s too cold for yard work, but most of the snow has melted, so winter activities are finished for the season. It is the perfect time to do your spring cleaning.
I began in my kitchen, emptying all the cupboards and drawers, and making a keep, donate and throw pile. I did this in every room, including all the kids’ rooms. I also emptied all my closets using this method. If you are having trouble deciding what to keep and what to give away or toss, think about the last time you used it. Over a year ago? Get rid of it.
Once I had gone through all the trouble of sorting, and getting rid of stuff, I felt a lot more compelled to keep clutter to a minimum. Some things I do every day that help keep the house looking somewhat presentable are:
– Sorting the mail as soon as I get it. I NEVER put it in a basket to look at “later”. I put bills in their respective spot (a folder on my desk), and throw out junk mail. I put magazines in my living room, where I will remember to read them. Once I read a magazine, I will put it in the recycle bin. I used to hold onto magazines, thinking I would sit down and clip out the articles and recipes I liked. But who really has the time to go through them again? Now I clip as I read.
– I wash and fold a load of laundry everyday. With four kids, including one who feels he must dress in “layers,” if I skip a day of laundry I’m done for. I’ll spend the entire weekend trying to get caught up. As a way to keep the laundry cycle moving, I make my older kids take care of their own laundry. This means it has to be in their dresser, not on the floor, under the bed, or piled in the closet.
– I have a schedule of things to do each day of the week, like Mondays- Wash bedding, Tuesday- clean the bathrooms, ect… I usually stick to this loosely, but having it posted where I can see it (next to the computer) gives me an instant “to-do” list when I feel overwhelmed.
– Twice a year (spring and fall) I sort through all the clothes in the house, all the toys and clean out closets. After doing this a couple times, it really cuts down on the amount of junk you keep. When I cleaned out my clothes closet last fall it took about 10 minutes!
– Every night I try to do a quick pick up of the living room and kitchen, so I won’t wake up to a pile of dishes, or toys scattered about.
Life is too busy to worry about keeping a spotless house. However, a messy, crowded, disorganized home can bring a lot of unnecessary stress into your life. By decluttering the junk out of your house, you can greatly improve other areas of your life. Decluttering can help you organize not just your home, but your career and family as well! I Hope this inspires you do some decluttering of your own!
