How to Declutter Your Home & Start Fresh
Do the piles of clutter in your home overwhelm you? Do you want to have a clean home but you honestly do not know where to start the clean-up process? It sounds like it is time to create a declutter strategy.
Walk through your home with new eyes. In fact, enter your house, going room by room, and make a list of everything you want to change. Before you start doing anything, take a close look at the list. Which room or space irritates you the most? Prioritize each area you want to declutter and organize based on this list.
I always suggest that you start with the room that has the biggest impact on your daily life. Is it the kitchen? The garage? The family room? Every family flows in a specific way. Observe where your daily life is getting stuck and tackle that room first.
Once you decide which room you’ll address first, instead of trying to tackle an entire room, start with one small area. Focus on that one area – whether it is a counter, a dresser drawer or a bookshelf.
Completely clear everything from the area and then go through each item, choosing whether to save it, donate or give it away, or throw it away. As you find items you want to keep, put them back until everything is back in its place.
When you step back and see the cleared space, I know you will feel a sense of satisfaction and may feel a new energy to move forward.
You may be tempted to start on the next item on the list, but I suggest that you wait. Give yourself a couple of days to get used to having the area clean, observe how it works for you and see how you do keeping the area clutter free.
Your goal is to develop the new habit of keeping this one area cleared. When you feel secure in keeping this one area clear, it is time to move to the next priority item on your list.
The next step is to work on another small area. You may want to have a decluttering spree but bear in mind that doing too much too soon can wear you out. Instead, plan to spend a minimum of 15 minutes a day cleaning.
If you can schedule more time, an hour or two each week would be fantastic. Follow the list of prioritized items and mark the time on your calendar. Guard the time like you would a doctor’s appointment to be sure you declutter each week.
Once you have gotten your own clutter under control, it is time to enlist the help of your family. Develop a chore chart for everyone in the family so you are not the only one cleaning. You may be the only one decluttering but it only makes sense for everyone in the family to be involved in general housekeeping. It also helps to develop a routine.
As you go through the clutter, whether on your own or with your family’s help, remember the importance of not only cleaning but also getting rid of items that you no longer need.
A great strategy is to put a “give away” box in each room. When you find an unwanted or unneeded item, place it into the box. Once the box is full, immediately take it to the car and donate it to a charity like Salvation Army or Goodwill. Most people are OK donating their belongings when they know that someone else will make good use of it.
You may feel like it is taking forever to clear the clutter, but it took more than a day or two for it to make its way into your home. Accept that it will take time to declutter and get your home back in order, but once you do, you will be more likely to use the new skills you have learned and keep the clutter from coming back.
