A cluttered home seems stressful and absolutely not appealing to the eyes. However, when you plan to declutter your home, it can feel overwhelming, leading you to postpone the task. Thus, creating more mess in the mind and in the house. Everything in your home should have its designated place, because misplacing even a single item can make the home feel chaotic and cause things to get lost.
But when you declutter your home, your mind and body feel more at ease. You can enjoy the beautiful and minimalist home that feels warm and cozy. This blog offers easy, simple decluttering ideas that won’t leave you weary or tired.
Easy and Simple Ways to Declutter Your Home
If you are wondering how to declutter your home, the best way is to do it at your own pace. Here are some tips that can help you declutter your home -
Decide if You Want to Keep or Throw Something
Before you decide to keep or throw something, ask yourself why you want to keep it or discard it. If you want to keep something, do it with confidence; if you want something gone, don’t put too much thought into it.
Most people fear losing out, so they keep certain things in their homes for too long and are afraid to throw them away. However, if you don’t want something to end up in the landfill, there are many other ways to dispose of it.
You can list the items you no longer need on Facebook groups or organize a charity pickup for unused clothes. You can also post the items on sites like eBay and make some money. This way, you will know the things you cared for so many years are landing in a good place.
Choose a Timeline to Declutter
Decluttering means setting aside enough dedicated time to put everything in its place. It depends on how large or small your space is and your daily routine. Here are two space types with their estimated timeline -
For a Small Apartment
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3-Month Plan: Depending on the size and intensity of the clutter, work on one area every 1-2 weeks. If you finish before the set timeline, do the edits and organization tasks.
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2-Month Plan: Declutter one room or a specific area each week.
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1-Month Plan: This timeline may seem a bit tight, but dedicating 20 minutes every day to spaces like closets, cabinets, and drawers can help. While you can commit to working on larger areas, such as the kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, and storage spaces, on weekends.
For a Family Home
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1-year plan: If you are a busy household, commit to one room or category per month. This helps you balance time with your family, as you can complete your household chores and also declutter your home.
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6-Month Plan: Complete 2 rooms or categories per month. Start with entryways or bathrooms, and then move to the garage later.
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3-Month Plan: Choose one room or category every week.
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1-Month Plan: Dedicate 15-30 minutes each day, and block time on weekends, too. This is best if you have a smaller house.
Put Everything Out
Now comes the actual decluttering tips. First, take everything out where you can see it. Once you have done that, proceed to the next step: editing. Sort through your outerwear, bags, and shoes, and keep only what you need for that particular season. All the off-season clothes can be put back in the closet.
Also, check for any duplicate items; if so, keep the ones you really like that serve a purpose, and let the others go. If you have unnecessary paper clutter, either recycle it or shred it, and keep the important papers in a folder.
Invest in Good Storage
This is one of the most practical tips that every homeowner finds useful. If you don't have proper storage boxes, then decluttering is of no use. Proper storage helps you sort things into what to keep and what to discard. You don’t have to invest a huge amount of money in vanity storage or a new dresser. All you have to do is make sure that everything has its designated space.
Letting go and disposing of things that you don’t need brings calmness and concentration to a space. It generates a sense of liberation and mental peace.
Make a Junk Box
Gather all the items from the drawer, bins, and other areas of the house and put them in a box. If you are unsure whether you need them, keep the box aside for at least 30 days. These items might be lying in your closet or drawer because you thought you might need them. However, if you don’t miss those items, discard them.
You’ll feel easy, and the stress lifts when you let go of the things that once felt important, but in reality are not. They just occupy the space that can be used for something more important. This realization comes with clutter and stacking things up. If you think something can be reused, you can give it to charity.
Discard All the Expired Items
Take 15 minutes from your daily routine to check your bathroom, kitchen, and dressing table for expired items. Also, go through your makeup cabinet, medicine storage box, pantry items, and toiletries to see what to keep and what has expired.
Dump all expired items into one box, along with any other items you no longer need. Now remember that the box containing medicine should be disposed of properly to avoid any health or environmental hazard.
Keep Everything Organized
Once you have disposed of what's no longer needed, it’s time to organize everything. Here’s a breakdown of how things should actually be, depending on the space you’re organizing -
Entryway & Mudroom
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Ensure each family member has their own designated basket or bin to store their belongings.
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Label your basket as per the item, such as an umbrella and dog leashes.
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Check if the shoe rack fits at least 2 shoes. If it doesn’t fit, replace the rack with something more functional.
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Consider using a wall-mounted hook or a tray to prevent losing the keys.
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Keep a vertical sorter or a small basket to collect your mail.
Bathroom
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Keep a bin or tray to keep body lotion, sunscreen, makeup, and deodorant in one place and within reach.
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Use a drawer divider or a small container to put your hair tools and accessories for easy access.
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Use clear bins under the sink for first aid and label them properly so that no one has to rush or clutter everything to find a small bandage.
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Keep the countertop clear by placing a few items on it.
Kitchen
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Keep the tools where you actually use them. For example, store spatulas, cutting boards, and spice containers near the cooking area.
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If you don’t use something regularly, don’t keep it on the counter because it creates clutter and makes the space feel smaller.
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Store oils, spices, cooking oil, baking supplies, and condiments together. To keep them separate yet together, consider labeling each.
Play Room
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Kids usually play where there are people. So, create a small play zone with a minimal selection of toys.
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Use a container to categorize, as it makes cleanup easier after the kids are done playing.
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Label the bins and containers, so you know exactly where the toys are. Even children can know where the toys are kept.
Living Room
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Display minimal decor and your favorite book, as the living room is a place to relax.
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Use a basket to store daily-use items, such as TV remotes and chargers.
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Use ottomans and benches with compartments to store items and reduce noise.
Develop a Strategy
Decluttering does not have to be restrictive and confining. You can come up with a strategy that does not make the routine feel monotonous. Creating a system and strategy doesn't create additional work; it streamlines everything so you don’t feel overwhelmed. This is because doing something every day can make it boring and mind-numbing.
If you have a system, for example, a basket ready for laundry, you’ll know that you have a basket full of clothes to clean. This keeps your place tidy, fresh, and appealing to the eyes every morning.
Another thing you can do is keep the surfaces clean and tidy up everything at the end of the day. This saves you the extra effort you would have to put into cleaning and decluttering the home from scratch.
Effective Decluttering Methods You Must Try
Here are 5 effective methods that can keep your home decluttered and tidy -
The “Ski Slope” Method
The ski slope method is a simple decluttering method created by Anita Yokota for her book The Home Therapy, designed to make decluttering easy for her clients. This method involves decluttering a single space, moving from side to side and top to bottom, as if the room were a ski slope. This ensures you don’t get overwhelmed by the work and that you have a routine to follow. The Ski Slope method makes the task easier by breaking the room into zones, making it more approachable.
Swedish Death Cleaning
The Swedish Death Cleaning method for decluttering was introduced by Margareta Magnusson in her book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Though it sounds a little morbid, it is designed for people in later life stages. The method is focused on letting go of non-essential items so your loved ones aren’t burdened with sorting everything after you’re gone.
The method has nothing to do with death or age. People of all ages can use this method to get rid of any unnecessary items that are taking up space in the home.
General cleaning rules in Swedish Death Cleaning include working from larger items to the smaller ones. Also, when sorting things, consider removing duplicates to reduce emotional or mental burden. Thus, making you feel light and easy from the inside out. Remember that the process can take a long so take breaks and re-energize yourself.
The Four-Box Method
This is perfect if you are new to decluttering, and it is considered the best way to declutter small spaces. The method is quite simple, easy, and effective, as it uses four empty, labeled boxes. You can label them as “throw,” “keep,” “donate,” “and “sell.” These are not prominent; you can change the names as you see fit.
These separate boxes help you decide whether to retain, give away, or dispose of them in landfills. This helps you get rid of unnecessary piles of stuff lying around in the closet or attic.
KonMari
This is one of the most famous decluttering methods by Marie Kondo that was turned into a Netflix series in 2019. This method involves decluttering the whole house by working through categories, such as books, toys, clothes, papers, and miscellaneous and sentimental items. It is important to stick to one category at a time to avoid confusion.
When deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, it is advised to understand if that element in the room gives you joy. If it does, keep it; if it does not, let it go. This is an emotional sorting method that can help you if you struggle with decision-making.
The Minimalism
Minimalism is the decluttering method founded by The Minimalists. This involves decluttering your space by date. For example, on the first day, you clear up 1 thing; the next day, you choose 2 items, and so on until the last day of the month. At first, it might seem easy and doable, but by the end, things may not seem as easy as they were in the beginning. During the process, you need to donate or throw away things that you might not need.
Conclusion
You don’t need the entire day to clean up the mess and declutter your home. All you need is time and consistency to clear up your home of unwanted things. This eases your load and lets you take a breather. Also, you can use any of the decluttering methods mentioned above that suit your needs.
