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EASY WAYS TO DECLUTTER YOUR HOME


With the new year, we often feel new energy to make healthy changes to our lifestyle. This is the perfect time to declutter your home. I know I certainly feel better when I walk into my home and things are neat and organized. But decluttering the entire house at one time can be an overwhelming process. Set a goal of tackling one area at a time, such as one area a week or one a month. If you keep this rotation going all year round, you'll find that you've created a habit of purging and decluttering that will help you feel more organized and less stressed in your space.

 

Kitchen:

I feel like a clean kitchen really sets the tone to inspire me to cook for my family. Here are some ideas to declutter the kitchen:

  • Toss worn dish towels or cut them up to make rags

  • Sell or donate cookware, small appliances and tools you no longer use

  • Donate or recycle those freebie cups you don't need

  • Toss or recycle containers that are broken, damaged or without lids

  • Toss expired food and spices from pantry

  • Clean out the fridge and toss all expired condiments and food

Home office:

Does your desk seem to be the home for all things miscellaneous throughout the year? Help yourself stay organized with these tasks:

  • Sort through random stacks of paper and do one of three things with every piece: file, shred or recycle

  • Go through all paper files, shred anything no longer needed

  • Switch to paperless bills and statements if possible

  • Clean out computer files and back up everything, using cloud-based storage and an external drive

  • As you receive mail, open it immediately right next to the trash/recycling bin and toss any junk

Clothing Closets:

Keeping my closet clean and organized really saves me time when getting ready each morning. I like to organize my closet a couple times a year when the seasons change.

  • Donate or sell clothes and shoes that you no longer wear

  • Try sorting hanging clothes by color. This makes it easy to coordinate an outfit quickly

  • Have seasonal clothes laundered or dry-cleaned before storing until next year. Move them to another section of the closet if space allows, or to another closet altogether

  • Try on all clothes for the upcoming season and give away or sell any items that do not make you feel good. Or even better, throughout the year, as soon as you wear something and notice it doesn’t fit or flatter you, toss it in a bag in your closet. When the bag is full, donate it.

Bathroom Drawers and Cabinets:

This area is easy to overlook, but very important to your health and well being. ​

  • Sort through bottles and jars hiding in medicine cabinets, on counters and in drawers.

  • Clear off bathroom countertop except for a small collection of decor and a soap and lotion bottle. Store all other items in drawers/cabinets to keep bathroom looking clean and organized

  • Toss expired or no longer used cosmetics, skin-care, and hair care items

  • Toss expired medications, sunscreens, or other items. Add items to your shopping list that you are low on.

  • Replace loofah, sponges, body brushes that are hanging in the shower/tub

  • Donate or toss any hair brushes, tools, irons that are no longer in use

Other Closets (Linens, Seasonal Decor, Broom/Cleaning Supply, etc):

I have a goal of cleaning out one closet a month in my house. Sometimes it just means re-organizing, but in most cases, I end up purging something that I no longer need or use. This makes my space feel cleaner throughout the year and I feel less overwhelmed each time I open a closet.

  • Reorganize all linens. Donate, sell or recycle table linens, bed sheets, towels, and blankets that are faded, worn, or no longer used

  • Launder or dryclean seasonal bedding before storing for next season

  • Sell, donate or re-gift any holiday or seasonal decor items you are no longer using. Keep re-gift options on a shelf in the closet so you can quickly grab a last minute gift when needed.

  • Toss broken ornaments and light strands that no longer work

  • Clean or replace mops, brooms and vacuum filters

  • Consolidate half empty bottles of cleaning products. Keep a cleaning supply list in the broom closet, and take a photo of it before you go shopping. Or, get a grocery shopping app on your phone and add cleaning supplies to your list as you run low.

Hobby/Playroom:

It is so easy for these rooms to get cluttered because this is where you spend most of your time as a family, and let's face it, it is not a priority for your "littles" to keep things organized.

  • Donate or sell DVDs, books, CDs your family no longer needs. Check with local daycare facilities who may need these items, or re-gift books your children have enjoyed, to a newborn with a kind note or memory written inside

  • Sort through toys and games; donate those your family no longer enjoys, toss anything with missing pieces. Throughout the year, prior to birthdays or Christmas, ask your children to donate toys to kids less fortunate than them

  • Purge art and school work regularly

  • Keep only occasional special pieces in a dedicated place

  • Change out photos in frames to a few new favorites

  • Make a photo album or book from recent photos. Save time and clutter - skip having prints made by creating and ordering a scrapbook online

  • Throughout the year, remove digital photos from your phone and store in folders on your computer by year and occasion.

  • Sort, delete and backup all digital photos on a cloud service AND an external drive

  • Sort through all wrapping supplies and craft supplies and toss, recycle any unwanted items. Check with schools, daycare centers or retirement centers to see if they could use any of these items.

Entryway/Mudroom:

  • Store unused items that clutter these areas in another location, or donate/toss if not used

  • Add hooks, shelves, or a cabinet as needed to help keep items organized

  • Create a designated space for coats, shoes, backpacks, purses, keys so that your entry way remains clear of them, and you can quickly locate them when needed

  • Considering purchasing a statement furniture piece that fits your entryway, and keep simple seasonal decor on it. This will make your entry way look beautiful, rather than a place to drop everything when you walk in.

Thanks for reading!! I hope that these tips and tricks will help you this 2020.

Love,

Val

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