The saying ‘cluttered house, cluttered mind’ certainly holds true. If you live in a house that’s a constant mess, then you probably won’t ever be able to relax. Unfortunately, a lot of people do live in constant states of clutter, mainly because of laziness.
If you are one such person but want to take proactive steps to clean your house and make it more organised, then you’re on the path to good mental health. This post will offer seven useful steps that you can take to simplify decluttering.
Take Inventory
If your house is cluttered, then it’s very likely that you have a lot of unnecessary things lying around. If you want to know how to downsize your home, then the first step is to take an inventory and record the details of all of these things. Creating an inventory can be a very time-consuming process, especially if there’s a lot of junk in your house. However, it is a necessary step. Once you have an inventory then you will have a clear idea of how much stuff you can (and need) to get rid of.
Giveaways
Once you have created an inventory of all of your things, you can then begin organizing things into different columns. These columns should be, keep, throw away, and giveaway. If there are any items that you think your friends or family would like, then give them away to them. It is good to make charitable donations, but your family and friends should get priority. Make sure that when you are organizing your inventory into different columns and sections, you are realistic about what you should and shouldn’t get rid of. Don’t give away things that you need.
Charitable Donations
Once you have given things to your family, you can then think about giving things away to charity. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. What you consider unnecessary clutter, another person could seriously enjoy. You shouldn’t just declutter furniture and other household items, you should also declutter your wardrobe. If you own an excessively large amount of clothes, then taking things you no longer wear or that don’t fit you down to a charity shop is a very kind thing to do. Make sure that you dry clean and launder your clothes before giving them away.
Cleaning Daily
In terms of maintaining a clean house, you should walk around cleaning on a daily basis. Daily cleaning will help to prevent your house from becoming cluttered again. You don’t have to deep clean your house every day, you just need to get rid of excess clutter, tidy up, and put things in their place. If you have children, then you can get them to help you with this. Also, make sure that anybody you live with respects your decision to declutter and begins decluttering their rooms, too. Be sure to put waste paper bins around your house, so people can easily throw things away.
Using Boxes
When you are decluttering, it’s a good idea to put things you want to keep but that no serve no immediate purpose in boxes. You can then store these boxes in a closet or in your attic. Some people also buy large plastic boxes (which are see-through) so that they can easily access things in the future. Plastic boxes are more expensive, however, and they are also a lot heavier. One of the advantages of plastic boxes is that they are airtight, which will prevent pests like clothes moths or carpet beetles from getting into your stuff and destroying natural materials.
Storage Unit
If you have a lot of boxes and nowhere to put them, then leaving them around your house will just create more clutter. The best way to get rid of lots of boxes is to invest in a storage unit. A storage unit can be rented on an annual basis. You should be aware though, if you abandon your unit and do not keep up with payments, then the facility from whom you lease the unit can seize all of the belongings left inside. They will then auction it off.
Merciless Disposals
When you are throwing things away, be merciless. If you don’t take decluttering seriously (or if you are procrastinating when you are doing it) then you won’t ever make any meaningful changes to your house. If something serves no purpose and you can’t give it away, then throw it away.
Decluttering can be very good for your physical and mental health. It can also make your house a much more comfortable place. If you want to declutter, then follow the tips outlined here, and your house will be clean in no time.