For most people, clutter seems like an inevitable part of life. It accumulates on your countertops. It stacks up in your closet. It overflows in the bedroom. Day by day, week by week, it grows.
Fortunately, clutter does not have to be inevitable. All you need to do is learn some quick tips and tricks to get clutter under control in your life.
1. Minimize What You Buy
The best way to eliminate household clutter is to not let it accumulate in the first place. We live in a materialistic society. The pressure to buy more and buy now is very real. However, bringing more stuff into your home makes your clutter problem worse. Before you buy, ask why you want the item. If you are only buying for the emotional release, then reconsider the purchase.
2. Make Tidying a Habit
In some ways, clutter is inevitable. There will always be items left at the end of the day. That is why you have to make a habit of putting things away. This is a learned way of life, and you can start small. Take five minutes at the end of every day to put things away. You will be surprised by how much of a difference five minutes can make!
3. Manage Your Mail
Mail is a huge source of clutter. If you want to keep things organized, have a home for your mail. Go through it immediately, and throw out the junk. Keep your bills in a single, designated location. File things that need to be put away, and shred anything that should be tossed. Better still, go paperless when you can. It will reduce your clutter and protect the environment.
4. Understand Your Junk Drawer
We all have a junk drawer. When decluttering, do not get rid of it! Instead, you need to target its function. Give it a purpose. Know what belongs there. Organize your junk drawer to organize your life.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Donate
Sometimes, we hold onto things because they are still good and functional items. You should not throw perfectly good items into the trash. However, you also do not need to keep perfectly good items that you simply do not use. Fortunately, there is an easy solution. Donate your gently used items. Charities will often take these items. You can also try giving away things for free at garage sales or through online sales websites.
6. Emotionally Detach from Possessions
In some cases, we may hold onto items because they have sentimental value. When we attach emotion to our belongings, it makes us hold onto things we do not want or need. Learning how to emotionally detach yourself from your stuff will help you eliminate household clutter.
7. Teach Your Kids to Organize
Between school papers and toys, your kids can have an overwhelming amount of stuff. Therefore, start teaching them to eliminate household clutter now. Show them how to go through their school work. Sit down and help them sort through their toys before every Christmas and birthday. Teach these habits now. This will help them, and it will help you.
8. One In, One Out
One great principle to live by is one in, one out. By this logic, when you buy something new, you have to get rid of something old. For example, if you buy a new shirt, then make sure you are getting rid of one old shirt. This allows you to enjoy getting new things without cluttering up your house.
9. Give Everything a Home
If you want to keep things organized, then make sure that everything has a home. When you know where everything is supposed to go, then it is easier to put things away. Moreover, you can also see when you have too much of a single category.
10. Get Help When You Need It
If you really want to keep your clutter in check, do not be afraid to get professional cleaning support. Helping Hands Cleaning Services can help you keep your home clean and tidy. Call today to learn more.