Living in a messy house is a constant reminder of all the work you need to get done. It scatters your thoughts, causes embarrassment and frustration, and may even make you dread coming home from work. In short, clutter is an energy drain.
Ready to simplify your space? Decluttering is the first step to creating a more tranquil home. These 10 tips on how to declutter will have you breathing easy in no time.
- Create a list of areas that need attention. You’re not committing to anything yet. Just write down the cluttered rooms that make you feel stressed when you go there. Common areas include the kitchen, home office, garage, and basement.
- Start with the smallest space. Look at your list and decide on one room to start. You can even narrow it down to a single kitchen drawer or shelf in the garage.
- Don’t tackle everything at once. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by clutter, but there’s no reason to think you must transform your entire home in a single weekend. Take two weeks, a month, or even a year—as long as you do a little each day that will help you reach your ultimate goal of a decluttered home.
- Set aside small blocks of time to declutter. Dedicate as little as 15 or 20 minutes to decluttering each day. Tackling clutter in bite-sized pieces works well for many people. Set a timer if necessary.
- Use boxes to organize your things as you tidy up. Have one for each of these steps: put away elsewhere, donate, trash, and recycle. Once each box is filled, act on the label you gave it.
- Let go of useless, broken, or outdated stuff. Far too often, the “put away elsewhere” box fills up while the others remain empty. To truly declutter, you must be willing to part with knickknacks, damaged electronics, and old magazines.
- Turn all the hangers in your closet around. Once you wear an item, hang it back up the right way. After six months, donate or throw away any clothes you haven’t worn.
- Create a permanent home for anything commonly left out. If you usually keep your keys on the table, mount hooks to the wall to hang them on. If the remote controls sit on the coffee table, tuck them in a drawer. When everything has its place, your home looks less cluttered, and your belongings are easier to find.
- Use bins to organize. Think you don’t have much storage space? Use trendy boxes and bins, useful drawer dividers, and other organizing supplies to create places to store everything you own.
- Declutter regularly so it never becomes overwhelming. Once you clean and declutter your home, create a system that will help you keep it that way. For instance, make a habit of emptying the dishwasher promptly so dishes don’t pile up, and use a hamper to contain your dirty clothes.
If you need help, Molly Maid is just a call away. We realize that you may not have the physical or mental energy to declutter your home after spending a hectic day at work, chauffeuring the kids around town, or going to school. Our experienced housekeepers can tackle the overwhelming task of keeping your house tidy so you can relax in the evenings and spend your weekends doing what you love.
To request a free in-home estimate for professional house cleaning services near you, please contact your local Molly Maid today.
