Terri Ramsey Beavers If your home suffers from a clutter problem, getting rid of it can help restore a sense of tranquility. Clutter can accumulate over time, especially when someone in your family hoards too much stuff.
Decluttering helps eliminate all this clutter in a few steps and makes the place look more spacious. A decluttered home is easier to clean, appears well-organized, causes less stress, conceals fewer pollutants, and prevents you from buying needless stuff.
Here’s how you can declutter:
1. Embrace minimalism
You can follow Marie Kondo’s advice; the woman reawakened interest in minimalism among Americans when she came up with her game-changing KonMari Method. It states that you should pick an object and ask yourself whether it sparks joy; keep it if it does spart joy and, if it doesn’t, throw it away. Get rid of all dead-weight objects and embrace minimalism to make the space around you clutter-free.
2. Rent extra storage
The average living space of houses and apartments in Alabama is 2,146 square feet, which is smaller than the national average. And if you’re living in downtown Birmingham, your home’s probably even smaller. According to RentCafe, homes in the area average at 1,450 square feet. One simple solution for managing clutter in an extremely tiny home is to rent extra storage space.
If you are looking for companies that provide self storage Birmingham has a handful of trusted businesses that can be worth your money. These climate-controlled units provide continuous surveillance and have mini-storage solutions to fit your budget easily. Renting these affordable units will help you successfully declutter your home.
3. Use the four-box method
Start decluttering by preparing four boxes labeled Keep, Sell, Trash, and Donate. This method will make it much easier to decide what to keep and what to let go. You can simplify the complex, unnerving decluttering procedure by using four designated boxes, going through all your possessions, and placing them in these boxes to determine their value in your home. As you can guess, only one of these boxes holds the stuff you’ll keep; the other three boxes contain things you must get rid of.
4. Implement the 90/90 rule
The 90/90 rule is a great way to decide which items must be discarded. Homeowners will find it difficult to determine which items are useless. If you’re unsure whether to keep an item, ask yourself these simple questions: “Have I used this thing in the last ninety days, or do I plan to use it in the next ninety days?” If the answer to both these questions is a resounding “no,” then that item is a candidate for decluttering. This simple method will save you a lot of useless pondering.
This rule works on the premise that if an item hasn’t been used for a long time and the owners don’t intend to use it in the foreseeable future, the item will only contribute to clutter in the house.
5. Donate and recycle properly
When it comes to donating your used items, make sure these items are in good condition and suitable for donation centers or recycling facilities. These items will benefit others who may find value in them. It’s a great opportunity to decrease your carbon footprint too. Start by identifying local charities, thrift stores, or donation centers that accept the items you want to donate. Only donate usable things. Get a donation receipt after dropping off these items so you can get tax deductions later.
6. Start with your clothes
Let go of the clothes you haven’t worn in a while. It is also smarter to put away seasonal clothes by dumping them in that storage facility you rented in Birmingham, Alabama. Clear your closets and clean your drawers before the season changes. If you don’t know which clothes should be thrown away, try wearing them again. Wearing them helps you determine which ones should be kept and which are better off in your donation box.
7. Deal with the paper clutter
Surveys show that 54% of Americans are so deep in clutter they don’t know what to do with it. Mostly, this clutter comes with the excessive accumulation of paper in the house. It may seem innocuous, but accumulating too much paper can easily make your house look disorganized, just like a mailbox that’s been left unopened for several months. It’s time you do something about all your house’s junk mail, newspaper, and magazines. Dispose of the books you don’t require as well.
8. Throw away all duplicates
Has it ever happened to you that you bought a pair of shoes only to realize you had the same one lying somewhere in the house? Many people deal with duplicates and accidentally contribute to clutter.
If you have two of something, throw one of them away or give it to someone else. Looking for duplicate items is the easiest way to decide which items are the ideal decluttering candidate in your house.
9. Get rid of expired items
Studies show that one-half of Americans stock up on expired medications to avoid a future trip to the doctor. That’s not only medically irresponsible but also leads to uncontrolled accumulation of clutter. It’s time you get rid of all the expired foods, medications, and products from your home.
Look in your medicine cabinet and you’ll probably find cough syrups dating back to the 20th century. You must get rid of these hazardous items and make your house safe.
10. Create designated spaces
After your decluttering project is finished, make preparations to ensure your house never gets full of clutter again. Assign designated places to all your items to prevent the accumulation of clutter.
Regularly maintaining your house is the surefire way to keep everything in order and prevent clutter. Don’t forget to have your house deep-cleaned once a year to get rid of all the hidden pollutants.
Conclusion
Want to get rid of all the clutter in your house? If you do, carefully go through the guidelines in this blog and make your home clutter-free. Reclaim your space, improve your well-being, and reduce stress by eliminating all old, unused, and expired products scattered around you. Try to rent a self-storage unit where you can easily dump your furniture, memorabilia, and other items for safekeeping.