Knick-knacks on the shelf, papers on the desk, toys all over the floor, and clutter all over the house. No matter what stage of life you are in, clutter is usually a big part of home life. As a single adult you may have more papers, knick-knacks, and dishes. As a married adult you have more clutter, papers, knick-knacks, dishes, and everything else. As a parent you have all of the above plus laundry, toys, games, and everything your children bring into the house, and that could include sticks, rocks, bugs, and more knick-knacks and my response to this is, Not in my house! You do not have to be extremely clean or crafty to have a moderately clean house. No matter what stage of life you are living through, these 5 de-cluttering tips can work for you:
- Create a Clutter Drawer, Basket, and or Box
The problem most people have is that there is no place for the junk and the clutter. You come home and you dump everything you are carrying on the nearest spot of counter, table or floor and usually it stays there until you take the time to clean the house again. The way to fix this is to actually create a spot for your clutter. You can use a drawer, or if you think you will have a lot of clutter then you can use a box. Place your box in an easy to get to place where you can easily dump your junk as you come into the house. If you have stairs in your house you are probably familiar with the clutter on the steps, this happens because everyone in the house is too tired or lazy to put things away if they belong upstairs. Take care of the stairway clutter by using a basket that actually fits onto the stairs. That way you can take everything up the stairs in one shot at the end of the day. - Elect a Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly De-cluttering Day
Once you have your clutter drawer, basket, and or box you will need to elect one day a week, one day a month, and one day a year to empty out your clutter and organize it. Like your craft project day you could always do more or less. The weekly de-clutter could simply involve the everyday papers and junk and whatever is inside your drawer, the monthly de-clutter could involve papers, knick-knacks, bills, toys, etc. They yearly de-clutter should probably include a thorough de-cluttering of the entire house, this would include things like bins, clothing, closets, drawers, desks, and shelves. - Go Stuff Shopping at Home
One great way to de-clutter your home is by going shopping in your house. The way to do this is to get together with the rest of your family and go through each room of the house and pick out the things you want to keep based on whether or not you would buy those items from an actual store. The things you don’t choose need to be thrown away or donated. - Junk it, Donate it, Sell it
A good way to decide on whether or not you need to get rid of something is by doing the year test. If you have not used or worn the item in question in over a year than you are probably not going to use it or wear it in the future and should therefore get rid of it. If the items are not usable or sell-able, then junk them. You can hire a commercial junk removal service if it’s just too much stuff, or large items like furniture. They can help you with decluttering and junk removal. For instance, if you have a junk car sitting in your garage, you may consider selling it to junk car buyers. If there are any usable items, you can give them away to friends and family, donate, or have a garage sale. - A Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place
Try to make sure there is a place for everything in your home and that everything is in its place. Coats go on hangers or on hooks, bills should have a basket or a drawer, special papers should have a filing cabinet, toys should have a box or a chest, shoes should have a rack, pots should have a cabinet, etc.
Madison Resare is a content creator who enjoys writing about home décor, home de-cluttering, and crafty projects.
