Declutter and Organize Your Home

Do you find yourself wondering just how your home got so cluttered and messy? Let’s face it – it didn’t happen on its own, or overnight. It took a while to reach such a state of disorganization. So, it will take some time to de-clutter it.

Start in this way: Get yourself three big containers – boxes, plastic containers, or what have you. Label them, one with ‘give away‘, one with ‘throw away‘, and one labeled ‘put away‘.

Now, choose one room to start decluttering. The goal is to be organized, so be organized in how you go about it. Start right at the door, and work your way around the room. Don’t skip over anything, or put it off to another day. As you go around, decide that goes in which container. How can you determine which things are important and which are not? Ask yourself these few questions:

  • How do you feel about the item?
  • Does it have sentimental value?
  • Is it something you love?
  • Would you miss it if it wasn’t there?

It may not be a good enough reason to keep something just because it was a gift, if it is not something that you use or really like.

Another thing to ask yourself is how often you use an item. If you have not used it in the past year, do you really need it? Is it in good enough condition to give away? Have you a second one in better condition that you do use? These are good reasons to give something away.

Once your ‘give away’ box is full, take it to a local thrift shop or a recycling center, so someone else can make use of it. If your ‘give away’ items are in good condition, and may be of value, why not put them on eBay or advertise them on Craigslist or in your local newspaper?

You probably didn’t realize how much was out of place in your home until you started this sorting. Look at your ‘put away’ box when you have finished de-cluttering one room, and now is the time to put these things away. Do not just put the box full into a closet or the attic with the intention of doing it later. Do it right away.

As you circle the room, make sure you look in drawers, on shelves and behind the furniture. This is a good time to reorganize the room as well. Get rid of old papers, and file away any correspondence that needs to be kept. Straighten and dust bookshelves, and see if reorganizing the furniture would make a difference in how uncluttered the room feels. Sometimes just relocating furniture can make a room seem more expansive and tidy.

De-cluttering your home does not have to be an overwhelming job. If you take it one room at a time, and complete that one room (including the putting away, throwing away and giving away), you will be on the right track.

When you have completed the de-cluttering, then give each room a good cleaning, and replace your special decorative items so you have a welcoming and inviting room, just like you always wanted.