8 Tips to Declutter Your Home
Looking for some end of summer tips to go into fall feeling fresh? Take a look at our tips on how to declutter your home!
Make your bed every morning.
This is a quick and easy way to make your room look more organized, so you’ll get that seratonin boost from the big visual impact of a clean bed. Plus, you’ll be less tempted to crawl back into bed if it looks nice!
Clear off all flat surfaces.
Once one item gets set on the coffee table, it’s free game as a clutter space. Avoid this by clearing off everything but the essentials, and don’t forget all the other flat surfaces in your house (dressers, countertops, kitchen table, etc.) If all that free space is too tempting, do some interior design and dress up that counter so you want to keep it looking nice.
Work on one room at a time.
Do you always have big goals when it comes to decluttering (like cleaning out your entire house) and then you burn out two hours in? Well you don’t have to get rid of those big goals: just break them up into smaller, more attainable goals. One room at a time is a good place to start, and even just focusing on a single drawer is good if you don’t have a lot of time on hand. Don’t overwhelm yourself!
Make sure everything has its place.
Marie Kondo has a very specific method of keeping her home decluttered, and that involves giving everything she owns a designated space. This is an especially useful system for items you use every day. For example, if you procrastinate folding your clean laundry but need to use the basket for dirty clothes again, get two baskets. Another idea: keep a bowl on a coffee table or side table to drop your keys in.
Get rid of things that don’t spark joy.
When going through what to keep and what to get rid of, focus on one item and a time and ask yourself: “Does this still spark joy?” (Thank you, Marie Kondo) If not, toss it.
Keep things that do!
On the other hand, it’s important to not get rid of things that you still feel strongly about. Holding onto a particular item of clothing that no longer fits or is missing a button? If the idea of tossing it hurts, hang onto that item. Don’t be utilitarian at the cost of something you still love.
Fix or dispose of broken items.
If you’ve been hanging onto something that you swear you’re going to fix, go ahead and take steps to fix it. If you need to set up an appointment, pause your decluttering and make that call. If the item that still sparks joy is missing a button, it doesn’t take very long to sew a button back on. Even if you have to set it aside for a few hours, set a reminder in your calendar so you don’t forget. You said you were going to use that one thing again, right?
Spend 10-15 minutes decluttering each night.
This step is for after you’ve finished decluttering. In order to maintain your beautiful home, set a timer each night to put away shoes, clear off the counter, hang up coats, put away dishes, etc. And voila! Clean again in 15 minutes or less!
