3 Easy Ways to Declutter Your Home
During my home remodel, I was forced to clean out EVERYTHING! It was just like moving because I had to box up every room, every closet, and every cupboard.
Whew, it was a challenge, especially since I sort of have a fetish for collecting things. “All the things” were neatly placed in every nook and cranny of my house, making it easy to ignore until the full house remodel began.
Seriously, what is wrong with me? Did I really need…
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8 colanders
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6 measuring cups
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4 sets of measuring spoons
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A dozen gloves and stocking caps
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3 staplers
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26 jackets
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5 years of Architectural Digest magazines
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Picture frames of every size (with no pictures in them, of course)
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14 soft blankets
I had similar items tucked all over the house (like extensions cords). I had to designate places to keep all like things together. I laughed at myself many times when I’d find brand new light bulbs tucked here and there.
Am I a hoarder? I don’t think so, but I certainly don’t need multiples of just about everything. Once I realized this and started donating the dupes (and stocking the garage shelves with all the extra lightbulbs I’d found), I felt amazing. Decluttering and getting down to the basics of what I actually used and liked was an emotionally cleansing process.
Here’s how I tackled my home’s clutter in 3 simple steps:
Step #1: Clear the space.
Whatever room or area (closet, dresser, etc) you are cleaning out, empty it completely. There’s nothing like starting with a clean slate. Don’t procrastinate by saying, “I’ll sort and organize that dresser later.” You know you won’t.
Step #2: Get serious.
Get three large boxes and mark them keep, trash, and donate. This is the hard part – deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. I declared (out loud) that if I hadn’t touched it within the past year, it had to go, and if I didn’t absolutely love it, it also had to go.
Step #3: Be ruthless.
Keeping my vow, I kept one pair of knit gloves, one pair of leather gloves, and one pair of Isotoner gloves. The rest went to the garage sale box (which went to charity if it didn’t sell). I repeated this process with every room, closet, dresser, and cabinet in my home. It became fun and extraordinarily satisfying to throw items into the trash or donate boxes.
It’s been several months since the big purge and so far I haven’t missed anything. Decluttering is a good feeling and if you need more in depth help I found a great resource here:
Have you downloaded my new eBook yet – How to Chose the Right Furniture for Your Room? You’ll want to get started on your new décor right after you declutter, so be sure to get your download here.
Jani Allen
| 29 November 2017Thank you!I am a natural ‘cleaner outer’ but, I still look around and find
Stuff!
Totally enjoy you articles…and follow your suggestions.
Jani
Shawnna
| 29 December 2017Love your articles! I agree with totally clearing the space …. Cleaning physical clutter …clears mental clutter.