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Spring has sprung and although it can certainly put a smile on your face, it might be that you start to notice things in your home that need your attention. More specifically the build-up of clutter. It can happen to the best of us. Things don’t go back to their usual spot, papers and books pile up, drawers begin to overflow, and let’s not even get started on the clothes situation. However, as we approach the summer, there is fresh motivation to tackle these jobs and get homes in shape. But not all of us are particularly good at decluttering.
There are many reasons why we hold on to things or avoid tidying away. It might be a lack of motivation, sentimental attachment, or just the sheer “can’t be bothered” attitude. Tackling the whole house at once is overwhelming, but taking on one room at a time could help you to make some strong progress. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you do that.
Contents
What you need
Before you get started it is worth getting a few things sorted ahead of time. Here are some of the things you will need:
- Four boxes or bags
- Drawer organisers, hangers, and small boxes
- a label maker (if you like that sort of thing)
Preparation
First of all, it is time to prepare. Throughout the decluttering process, you are going to decide if you want to keep things or get rid of them. This is where you could get yourself four boxes. One for recycling and disposal, one for items you want to donate, another for items you want to sell, and then a box for things you want to keep but don’t belong in the room you are working on. This will encourage you to decide on the things you come across as you work through the room you are decluttering.
Choose a room
The next thing you need to do is choose a room. It doesn’t matter which room you pick, but a great tip would be to start with a room upstairs. A bedroom or bathroom, and then work your way down. Set yourself enough time to make a real impression on the room. It is no good just doing this for ten minutes. While you may not always finish a room you start, allow yourself to get as much done within it as possible. Otherwise, you could be creating more mess and making it feel like a bigger task.
Make a start
Start at the door and work around the room clockwise. Tackle every cupboard and drawer, empty them and place everything that stays in the room on to the floor in the middle, or on the bed, if it is a bedroom. As you work your way around the room, decide on every item whether it stays or goes, and then if it does go place it in the relevant box. It might be a case of asking whether you love it, want it, or need it, which is a great minimising technique to try. It might feel like you are creating more mess, but it is the only way to see exactly what you have.
Start as you mean to go on
Once you have been through everything it is time to put things back together. But this is also the perfect opportunity to rearrange or change the layout of the room if it doesn’t seem to be working. Start as you mean to go on with storage or finding a home for everything. Get yourself some drawer organisers or use small boxes so that everything can be seen or has a place. Hang up or fold clothes using the Marie Kondo method to save on space.
This is a great chance to create the minimal and serene environment you have been craving. This bit will take some time, but you are only putting back the things that are starting there, as the clutter will be out of the way.
Go through the boxes
Last of all, go through the boxes and get rid of the times accordingly. Your keep box should be the only thing that has things in it, and that is because you haven’t gotten around to decluttering and organising the room they will belong in. This is a great chance to make some money out of old things you had stuffed in a drawer and cupboard and finally free yourself of the unwanted things in your home.
Let’s hope these steps help you with your Spring decluttering in your home one room at a time.
