When it comes to keeping a home clean, there are two types of cleaners: Those who do it as part of a regular routine and those who feel “compelled” to. The latter category often happens when a company is coming over or that person has reached “peak” clutter overload. That is when there is just too much clutter to deal with. It doesn’t have to be that way.
There are easy ways to declutter your home and keep it that way. Here’s how:
Take Five
You can set the timer on your phone to five minutes and devote that much time each day to decluttering. You would be amazed at what you can pick up in that amount of time. After you get used to five minutes, bump it up to ten minutes. Before you know it, there won’t be any clutter around.
Give Away
Clutter is stuff. The more stuff you have the more clutter you can create. That is why you should think about giving away one item each day. If you are consistent, then by the end of the year you will have tossed out 365 items. Double that and you will get rid of 720. This doesn’t mean you need to drive to the thrift store with a sweater each day. Instead, get a donation bin and drop in your daily item. When the bin is full, then you can make your donation drop off.
View Your Home Like a First-Time Visitor
Imagine you’re seeing your home for the first time. When you walk through the front door, what is the first thing that catches your eye? Is it a pile of shoes by the door? A stack of mail on a table? A pile of coats? As you proceed through each room, you’ll be able to apply that “fresh eyes” perspective to zero in on those clutter items that have to be put away or tossed out.
Take Before and After Photos
You should celebrate your decluttering achievements. That starts with a “before” photo of the targeted clutter zone. After you’ve done the work, snap an “after” photo and post online. These photos might actually inspire your friends to do a little decluttering, too.
Clear Out Storage
It might help to begin your cluttering overhaul by clearing out your storage areas like the garage, closets or basement. If you can get rid of the unwanted rubbish in those areas, then you can free up space to relocate the things that you want to keep from the rest of the house. You don’t want to pile good things on top of rubbish.
When your home has been completely decluttered, you will have discovered that there is a place for everything. The same effort it takes to “drop” something in a random spot can be exerted to put that item where it belongs. That will mean no more clutter!
