One day your kitchen is spotless and sends an aura of calmness through your apartment. The next day, a pile of bills, paperwork, unwashed dishes and opened Amazon boxes are spread out on the countertops. We’ve all been here. Clutter slowly moves into your apartment, and before you know it, you’re drowning in STUFF. Here are 10 tips for a clutter-free home!
Create piles
Before you begin on your de-cluttering process, create a few piles—potentially keep, garbage and donate. As you’re going through your items, you can separate the things that you are on the fence about into one pile, things that are junk and need to be put into the trash and things that you could donate to a charity or to someone that you know. This makes it easy to separate your items for future action. Tuck away your keep box for a week or two and go back through them. You’ll probably be more ready to make a decision you’ll be happy with.
One room at a time
De-cluttering your entire space can be overwhelming. You don’t need to tackle every room in one day—this will most likely lead to burn out. Start with your closet and work your way from room to room. It might take a week or two, but that’s okay. This is a journey after all! If you’re really feeling inspired, go back through your rooms after you’ve decluttered once. You might be surprised what other things you find when your looking at each item with fresh eyes.
Toss expired or old items
Have lotion bottles with nothing left? Expired ketchup in your fridge from last summer? Tupperware containers with no matching lid? Toss them to clear out space. Cleaning out expired items opens up your space and shows you exactly how many useable items you have.
Get rid of multiples
Is there a reason to keep 100 can koozies? Do you really need 12 pairs of tennis shoes? The answer might be maybe, but it’s likely you are drawn to using or wearing certain ones. Keep the things you love and get rid of the rest. When getting rid of multiples, you may want to consider investing in a high-quality version.
Use organizers
Group items together and put them in their appropriate bin. You can also use bins in your kitchen pantry for similar items, in your office for paperwork and supplies, in your bathroom for toiletries or in your closet. Check out these under the bed organizers for your clothing or these towel inspired bins for your bathroom.
Everything has a place
Storage isn’t about keeping as much as possible, it’s about knowing where to find what you need any time you need it. Storage gives your things a place, rather than having them floating around. Keep similar items together so you always know where to find what you’re looking for.
Designate a clutter-free zone
Consider having one area in your home that is never used for “just for now” items. By designating a space that you never place items that don’t yet have a home, you’re creating a habit. It’s a simple way to take control and ease yourself and family into clutter-free living.
Few minutes per day
Spend just 15 minutes every day clearing your countertops and putting away the items you’ve used. Look through your mail and shred any non-important documents, put bills in a folder and hang clothes back up in your closet. Using just a few minutes per day could save you hours of marathon cleaning.
Evaluate what you bring in
After you’ve gotten your whole apartment clutter free, the challenge is to keep it that way! Say no to things that you know you won’t use. Take more time when considering new purchases as you want to be sure it’s right for you and your home.
Understanding your situation
It’s important to accept the fact that some things cannot be changed. If you have young kids, toys will be laying around. If you have school-aged kids, homework, papers and other school items will be out. This is all a part of life. Don’t feel like you have to battle through cleaning every day, just do what you can to minimize the mess and keep it from getting out of control.
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