Five Fast & Amazing Decluttering Tips to Try Today

It’s no secret that we are currently living in a minimalist society. The latest trends include tiny homes, maximizing tiny spaces and there’s endless articles on how to live off of just the essentials. Which brings us to this week’s blog topic…how exactly does one de-clutter their home? There are many different options and opinions out there, but, here’s our top five, simple but effective recommendations!

  1. Start by sorting room-by-room— The saying “How do you eat an elephant? —One bite at a time,” truly applies to de-cluttering. It can seem like a daunting task when you look at it as a whole, however, when you divide your tasks up per each room, it suddenly becomes more manageable. We recommend starting at the room in your home that bothers you the most. Which room do you feel is most cluttered? Start there. Breaking it down even further can be helpful too. Feel like your kitchen is the most cluttered? Start with organizing the cabinets. As you go you’ll only become more inspired as you see the progress you’re making! 
  • Make a list—Creating an organized list before tackling your organization project can make all the difference. Make your list unique to you and in whatever way your brain functions best. For example, you could make a list of the different rooms in your home that you want to organize and go a step further by specifying which areas of those rooms need the most help. Or, you could make an inventory of the items in each room and determine which items will stay or go. Once you have a list written out, you’re more likely to complete it and stay on task!
  • Use the four box method—For this method, you’ll need 4 boxes, that you’ll label as: 1.) Trash, 2.) Give-away, 3.) Keep, and 4.) Relocate. As you sort through your room, place items in the appropriate boxes. Don’t forget that in order to make progress you need to dispose of un-used items, how often has it been since you’ve used the item that you’re grappling with giving up? If it’s been more than 6 months consider finding it a new home. Box number 4, “Relocate”, is something that we can help with! Amazing Spaces has storage solutions to help maximize your home environment. Our storage spaces are meant to be an extension of your home.  Visit our website today to learn more about our many options!
  • A simple approach to purging your closet—One of the spaces in your home that you use most frequently and that often gets put on the back-burner for organizing is your bedroom closet! Here’s a simple but easy trick, turn all the clothes hanging in your closet so that the hangers face back-to-front. For the next six months, if you wear an item of clothing, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct way. If you try it on but decide not to wear it, make sure you put it back with the hanger turned backward. Anything you haven’t worn in 6 months deserves a new home.
  • Memorize the F-A-S-T acronym—Now that you’ve gotten organized how do you make sure it lasts? This acronym can help serve as a daily reminder!  

F: Fix a time. Schedule a time each day/week that you set aside for getting things cleaned-up and organized. Maybe it’s after dinner each night or reserved for the weekend. But, be sure to make it a family affair, many hands make light work!
A: Anything not used in 12 months. Guaranteed, if you haven’t used something in the past year, you’re likely to not use it again! Don’t allow it to clutter your home. This is a great yearly exercise to keep you on track!
S: Someone else’s stuff. Sort through your belongings and make sure you’re not holding onto everyone else’s items as well as your own. If you have items that need to go back to the store for a return, or, family members have let you borrow something. Now is the time to return those items and make more space!
T: Trash. The trash can is your friend. So many people avoid throwing things away and view the trash can as the end all! If you can’t bring yourself to throw it away, donate it! Better yet, have a neighborhood garage sale each summer. Developing healthy, tidy habits is where it all begins!

We hope that these tips help you on your journey to a less cluttered home. Did you know that a cluttered home can impact your own mental clarity? A home should be a place of relaxation, peace and tranquility. Purging out items that make you feel stressed, cramped, and dread going home is a positive step for not only your living space but your mind space too! Have an amazing time getting organized.

We are living in a minimalist society!

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