Decluttering

Decluttering tips and tricks. Learn how to declutter, efficiently.

With the kids back in school, it’s time to do a little decluttering. With a few extra hours in the day filled with peace and quiet and lack of interference as items make their way to the trash, recycle and donate piles, there’s no time better than the present.

My motto is sometimes simplicity is simply the best. I love the way our clutter free home feels. I find myself becoming overwhelmed when clutter takes over. It’s one of the many reasons I’ve embraced a minimalist lifestyle.

First, let’s define clutter…

“Clutter is a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.”

I personally believe clutter is anything in excess or without a home.

I, too, fall victim to clutter, but quickly declutter regularly almost without thinking about it from creating a habit with the below tips to declutter.

Yes, I may look like a madwoman every now and then sifting through a pile of papers and throwing them in various directions, but there’s method to my madness.

How to Declutter:

1. Take it one step or area at a time. If you tend to feel overwhelmed, start small and work your way up! Some areas give you maximum impact for little effort, which will make you feel accomplished and hopefully, snowball into more decluttering! Scroll down for a list of things you can declutter in minutes.
2. Whatever space you are working on, create trash/recycle/donate/relocate piles in that proximity to make decluttering quick and painless.
3. Ask yourself, “do I need this?” {Note, this is also a great question while shopping}. If the answer is no, place it in a trash/recycle/donate pile. If it hasn’t been used in the last 30 days or up to a year for seasonal items, the answer is almost always “no.” If you find it difficult to part with items, ask yourself “is it worth the space it consumes?”
4. Relocate anything that is out of season to a designated area of your home.
5. Immediately place trash and recycling in the appropriate bins and donations in your vehicle. It gives you a sense of accomplishment while eliminating the risk that items will re-enter the home. This is particularly important if you’re going through toys!
6. Designate a spot for incoming papers. Mail, receipts, school papers, etc…you can file them away later.

Things you can declutter in 5 minutes:

• a counter
• a shelf
• paper catch all {quickly thumb through to see what is trash, recycling or a priority – you may be amazed at how little it dwindles down to}
• medicine cabinet {remove any expired medications or items that don’t belong, combine duplicates}
• an end table
• the refrigerator {discard anything that is expired, looks less than desirable or hasn’t been used recently}
• magazine basket

One of My Favorite Decluttering Tips:

Eliminate anything in your closet you can part with, that is the wrong size or out of style. Then, use Oprah’s tip – hang your clothes with the hangers in reverse. When you wear an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. After a month or two, you’ll see which pieces you should eliminate from lack of wear.

Are you in the decluttering mode? What’s your favorite decluttering tip?