Top Three Tips for De-Cluttering Your House
Top Three Tips for De-Cluttering Your House – There are various levels of clutter. You have your average junk-drawer/craft room clutter that you’ve been meaning to get to for a while but haven’t had the chance. Then there’s the can’t-fit-the-car-into-the-garage clutter that’s a bit more uncomfortable. And finally you have whole-house clutter that can actually get in the way of living your life.
Assuming you’re not a hoarder, which is a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that affects one in four people with OCD (this may take a bit more professional help), most clutter tasks can be handled in a methodical way until you achieve success. You just need some time and bit of patience. Here are three tips to get you started:
1. Break it up into Manageable Chunks
Give yourself five solid minutes, choosing one task a day to tackle. Each day, devote five minutes to the task, which doesn’t sound like a lot but will make a big impact on the big picture. One way to approach this is to start small. For example, designate a spot for incoming papers. Papers and bills are a big part of clutter. Why? Well, we tend to store them in different places around our house: on the kitchen table, on our home office desk, on our dresser, in the car. Pick up an in-box tray at the office supplies store and choose a designated spot for it, say a little-used counter area in your kitchen. Then, whenever you get mail, school papers, receipts, warranties, manuals, notices and flyers, put them in the inbox. You can go through them at your leisure later but at least they are all in one spot.
2. Take it Step by Step
Clear off one counter. Every house should have one area that is clear of clutter. The ideal spot is a counter in your kitchen, which can free you up to actually cook and prepare food rather than work around that blender you haven’t used since your exercise craze of 2005. And do you really need those decorative candles on your counter that you have never even lit? Choose ONE counter and clear it off. Add stuff to your cupboards, junk the stuff you no longer want, and find a place for everything else. Once you’ve tackled just one counter, move to another counter, or move to another room and do just ONE shelf. By taking this step by step, it won’t seem so overwhelming.
3. Fill One Trash Bag
This one should be fairly easy as you really start to get into your purging journey. Grab a trash bag and tackle one room, or if you’re on a roll, head to others. See how quickly you can fill it. Trash, broken toys, old food wrappers, socks that haven’t had a mate in six months, receipts for that coffee you had last week – anything that no longer serves a realistic purpose gets thrown out.
If that works out nicely, then grab another trash bag and do a second sweep of stuff you can donate to your local charity or shelter. Clothes you haven’t worn in one year are great candidates, as are your kids’ outgrown clothing, shoes and sports equipment. If you haven’t used it lately, donate it. At least you know it’s for a good cause and will find another loving home.
Once you’ve got a bunch of junk ready to be trashed, call The Junk Guys to get rid of it properly for you. Make your appointment online or contact us at 732-333-1805.