The Best Approach To Decluttering

Photo by jordi pujadas on Unsplash

Spending more time at home might have you looking around and realizing that you’ve got way too much stuff. This means you have some decluttering to take care of. Why should you declutter? The result can have you better organized and leave you with less to clean. It is also stress-reducing. How frustrated are you that you’re surrounded by clutter?

That can all melt away when that stuff is gone. Here’s what you need to do:

Use the Four Box Method

You can approach your decluttering with the “three-box method.” Get four boxes or large trash bags and label them: trash, donate, relocate. As you go through a room, fill up the boxes with the appropriate items. Your trash box might end up being full of recyclables like old magazines and newspapers. That’s a good thing. The relocate box would be all those things you want to put back in storage. Hopefully, there will be fewer of those items because of the other boxes that you’ve filled up.

Claim Box

If you’re decluttering in a home with your family, then you can also set up a “claim box.” This can be one large bin that you put in a central area of the home. Into that goes all the things that belong to the other members of the family. Kind of “lost and found.” If those items aren’t claimed, then you can toss them or donate them.

Start Slow

There is no reason you have to declutter every area in your home in a single day. Start slow. For instance, you can begin with the coffee table in the living room. How many magazines can you get rid of? How many of the books can go back up on the shelf?

Try It On

Your closets might be the biggest areas in need of decluttering. You should get into the mindset of practical use. That means every outfit in your closet should be practical. Does it fit? Is it in style? Do you still like it? There is nothing wrong with clearing out half of your closet. This is what donations are all about. All that unwanted clothing can make its way into someone else’s closet but if you know you’re never going to wear it again, then there is no reason to hold onto it.

Find a Place

As you make your way through the home, you’ll discover plenty of “floating” items that need a home. Designate a place for everything and let that be the new home. For instance, a shoe rack by the front door is where all the shoes should go the moment they are kicked off. A key bowl by that same door is also good. You’ll never lose your keys again! Baskets for toys can be used in any area the kids are playing. Racks for magazines can be used in any area for reading. Everything else should find its way to a shelf, cabinet, or drawer. When that item comes out, that is where it goes back. Before you know it, your home will be clutter-free.

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