How to reduce clutter=stress in your home.
Everyone struggles with keeping their homes neat and tidy at some point. Having clutter is just a part of life – it’s almost inevitable!
Belongings build up over time, sentimental objects are hard to let go, and sometimes it’s tough to be motivated enough to clear it all out or take the time to properly organize it. If this sounds like you and you’re looking for some tips and tricks, look no further. Here are some simple ways to reduce the clutter in your space that you should set aside some time for.
Purge It
The best way to reduce clutter is to simply get rid of it. When you’ve decided it’s time to clear away some of your belongings, there are a few methods to keep in mind for an effective purge. Organize everything into three piles: keep, donate or sell, and throw away. Get rid of anything in the “throwaway” pile immediately so it doesn’t end up just being a big pile of garbage in your home. Try and get everything in the donate or sell pile gone as fast as possible as well, and also remember to regularly cycle through your belongings to see if there’s anything you can donate. A good tip is to keep a donation box on hand as a reminder to do this.
Once you’ve gotten your “keep” pile, pare it down again into “must keep” and “want to keep” piles. Anything that’s a necessity should go into your “must” pile, and anything sentimental or otherwise useful but not an absolute necessity should go in your “want” pile. Then you can take a look at your “want” pile with a closer eye and decide if there’s anything there you can let go.
Store It
If there are items in your home that you simply don’t have space for, but still use occasionally like seasonal decorations or sporting equipment, one solution might be to keep it in a storage locker during the off-season. Living in a small home with limited storage can cause clutter like this to get messy and take up precious space that could be better used for furniture, decor, or better storage options.
Organize It
Once you’ve cleared out anything you don’t want to keep or have move out some items into storage, it’s time to organize what you do have left so it’s tidy and out of the way. Every room in your home has the potential for storage, whether you have built-in storage options or not. One of the trickiest rooms to organize is your garage if you have one. Using garage shelving to reduce clutter is the simplest solution because it keeps things off the floor and lets you maximize your space.
Living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms can all benefit from narrow shelving or shelves that are specially made for small spaces like corners, above other furniture and incredibly narrow areas. If you’ve got the space, consider investing in furniture that doubles as storage, like ottomans, benches, and bed frames with built-in drawers.
Utilize all available space in your kitchen with shelving, S hooks, and rolling shelves or carts that fit into nooks and crannies. Vertical space here is your friend, so hang up pots and pans and utensils wherever there’s room.
