Clutter, Clutter Go Away!
Did you know that decluttering is the first step before organizing? This is when you go through your items to decide what is still serving you, what you still actually need and use. When we keep everything we begin to feel like we are suffocating in our own home. I truly believe that we can feel less stressed when we live a clutter-free life. I hope the following helps you begin to feel empowered to begin declutterting your home so it feels less heavy.
When we are constantly bringing items into our home, but never taking items out, the clutter begins to accumulate. We end up with multiples, keeping things we no longer use or wear believing that one day we may need it. That day probably never comes because we are using the newest thing and we forget about the old stuff.
Tip #1- PURGE MULTIPLES If you have recently bought clothes for the summer season then pull out the clothes from previous summers that you haven't worn or don't fit you anymore. The same goes for new shoes, towels, kitchen utensils, blankets etc. Remember that you are going to head for the new stuff.
As you begin to declutter, I highly suggest that you do not move these items into a garage or room to be donated later. They will now become clutter in their new space and forgotten about. Place all of your donations in your vehicle and take them to the donation center on your next trip. Goodwill stays open later than other places I have used.
Antoher form of clutter is the stuff that we put off until another day such as paper clutter. We end up with stacks of paper that we do not know what to do with and then we start doing the paper shuffle, moving them from one place to another. Here are some ways that I keep paper from piling up.
I have a box for paper items I want to reference. These items might include a tracking receipt, a seasonal pamphlet, sales flyer or a coupon. These are papers that will eventually be expired or no longer needed but that I can refer to until then. After that I get to throw them away.
Another basket I have is for short-term documents. These are things that we might be currently working on that we will continue to look at until a project is complete. It can include estimates, travel information, insurance documentation, or information for a particluar project. These will eventually be discarded or filed for long-term keeping.
Children's artwork is one that I see often in a client's home. My favorite way to organize this is in a file box. Take a plastic file box with hanging folders labeled by preschool age and then school year. Decide which items are the most meaningful without including duplicates and file those in the appropriate folder. (Hand prints do not change much from month to month!) If it begins to get too thick then consider going through the folder again to see if there is something you want to purge. As your child gets older there will be less items coming from school so the folders for the higher grades might not have as much in them.
Tip #2 Use containers to immediately sort paper coming into your home. This keeps the stacks away and provides a specific place for the paper to be homed. Below are some categories that work well in most homes.
REFERENCE (See picture at the top), CHILDREN'S ARTWORK, MEMORABILIA, CURRENT PROJECTS, LONG-TERM (filing box or cabinet), ACTION (must be taken care of soon).
As you begin to declutter, I highly suggest that you do not move these items into a garage or room to be donated later. They will now become clutter in their new space and forgotten about. Place all of your donations in your vehicle and take them to the donation center on your next trip. Goodwill stays open later than other places I have used.
Another type of clutter I see frequently is backpacks and purses placed or thrown in areas that they don't belong. A landing zone or mudroom is a great place to keep these items. Hooks, bins and shelves can be hung on a wall that is near your main entry point. Think about never having to look for your keys on the way out the door or forgetting your sunglasses again. Everything you need when you leave the house will be in one place!
Tip # 3- Create a landing zone to place things when you walk in the door that you will need when you leave the house again.
If decuttering your home feels overwhelming I am here to help you. Click the link below to contact me and we will begin the decluttering process. No more stress and no more overweight spaces.
I'm ready to transform my space!
Celina Salazar
Home Decluttering and Organizing