Spring has arrived, the days are getting brighter and for many of us, it is a time to get the house in order after the winter months. De-cluttering is the best way to cut down on mess and get your home looking organised, tidy and clean. However, if like me you are a bit of a hoarder, a good tip is to think, do I need this or is it useful for me or my family now? And if not, consider recycling it by selling it, sending it the charity shop, yard sale or bin!
It’s impossible to declutter your whole house in one go, you need to work on it systematically and over time. Start with one area and see what a transformation it gets, which in turn gives you motivation to continue.
Make a list of the most annoying places in your home This could even be an area as small as one drawer in one room. Once you have completed that first area, you can move onto another section of the room. Better to do a small area and finish it than abandon your decluttering half way, trust me you’ll never come back to it.
If you are unsure about an item, don’t panic. Set it aside into an “I’m not sure” pile and leave that pile to the end to come back to finally one more time. Ask yourself
why am I being indecisive?
what is holding me back from letting this item go?
Is it a memory thing as in I want to hold onto a memory by looking at it?
Will keeping it really enhance my life?
Would someone else enjoy having this item in their life?
Then be ruthless on the “I’m not sure” pile. Honestly, it will stand you in better stead as you declutter if you avoid being too sentimental.
There’s always little things floating around that you do want and need to keep. Things like sellotape, pencils, chargers etc. This stuff usually ends up strewn across tables and counters. Clearing these surfaces starts to make your house feel cleaner.
New storage will help to keep all those little bits in one handy place. And having a place for everything helps keep clutter at bay. A few simple storage tips include using shoe boxes with labels, over-door shoe organisers for small toys, towels or toiletries. Bookcases turned sideways store books and toys and pop-up laundry baskets store dress up clothes soft toys, tights, socks and underwear. Encourage everyone to put things back in the right place after using them.
Getting the whole family on board with the decluttering is essential for success. Make it a bit of a game and fun for younger kids and encourage older kids & teens to do their bit for decluttering too. And once finished, encourage everyone to put things back in the right place after using them.
Best of luck with your Spring Cleaning and check out www.mykidstime.com for more great decluttering ideas.
