Do you struggle to find space in your house? Do you have “too much load” (in common parlance)? How often do you find yourself saying “Just in case”, “I’ll use this when so so happens”? If you say this quite often then it’s time to start getting rid of your clutter and we can help.
Here are 9 useful tips to help you regain control from the clutter making a mess of your space and permanently kick clutter out.
Top Nine Tips To Help Get Rid Of Clutter
- Stop the procrastination– set a start date for the decluttering and stick to it. Break down the process; you can’t do it all in one day. Work in small periods of time such as 15 to 30 minutes or 30 minutes to 1 hour per session. Set a reminder, a timer, or a stop clock if you need to.
- Get an accountability partner, someone you know and trust to help you, be that a friend or a professional service – someone else who doesn’t have any emotional attachments to your stuff, like you might have, will give you the motivation and confidence to be tough with getting rid of clutter.
- Give away one item each day – Get out all the stuff you haven’t made use of in the last six months. Things you haven’t even thought of and those you haven’t set eyes on (we know you have such items), start giving those items out one day at a time and in no time you are rid of clutter.
- Pick one room and keep on that room until it is cleared in full – Clear out the cupboards, the drawers, the wardrobes, under beds, on top of wardrobes etc and don’t start another room until that room is done
- Take advantage of any idle or wait time you find –Whilst waiting for your water to boil so you make a cup of tea, spend that wait time tidying the kitchen start sorting through your “junk drawer” (don’t deny it we know every home is guilty of having one!) discard old storing containers with missing covers. While waiting for the heater so you can have a bath throw out the empty/almost empty bottles under your sink etc, remember tiny steps make all the difference!
- The 1 In – 2 out rule. In order to not re-clutter, practice compulsorily getting rid of two items for every new item brought into your home/office. No cheating allowed, discarding a piece of paper and empty toilet roll tube does not count! This rule will curb your spontaneous buying and may even save you money too! How awesome!
- The Twelve Month rule – If you just cannot face to throw certain items away as it plays on your mind that you may just wear it one day or you think you may use it, fix it, need it etc put all these “just in case” items into a box, seal up the box and put the box aside. If you get to 12 months and you have not opened the box, donate the whole box to a charity shop of your choice (without opening, as that would only tempt you again) If you didn’t need it in a year, you do not need it at all!
- The “Do I really need it?” rule – Every time you are shopping or out and about and feel the urge to buy the latest gadget or gismo or yet another pair of shoes, write it down on a list. Not only will your list give you time to reflect on the decision rather than impulse buying but it will also give you time to think if you have a place for the new item to live within your home/office, will you even use/wear it and it may even stop you buying all together, both saving you space in your home and keeping money in your bank – double yay!
- For those of you that have problems detaching emotions from items and blackmail yourself into keeping items – i.e. “I can’t throw away that dress” as my first love gave it to me, my first year in school” Here’s a little system for you…
Ask yourself these 3 questions
- Do I LOVE it?
- Do I NEED it?
- Is it ESSENTIAL?
The (honest) answers will lead you to the following
- Yes you love it, can use it and it is in working order = you can keep it
- No = Donate to charity or skip
- No = Donate to charity or skip
We all get caught up in our possessions and ‘stuff’, its built into our I want it now consumer society but if you were hand-on-heart-honest, how much do your really use? A third of it? Less? So in the season of the Deep Clean, make your job easier, free up the space, take the plunge, get tough and declare war on your junk drawers