If you’re like most people, you likely have at least one area of your home that has more clutter than it should. Whether you like the feeling of your space being filled with things you love or you simply don’t know how to maintain your home any other way, there can be major benefits to decluttering your space every once in a while. However, actually doing the decluttering can be challenging.
To help you meet this task, here are three things to try when decluttering a space in your home.
Don’t Keep Expired Items
One of the best places to start when you’re attempting to declutter in your house is to get rid of items that are expired.
According to Amanda Garrity, a contributor to Good Housekeeping, this can easily be done in the bathroom or the kitchen where you can see the date stamped on the item and then know if you’ve had it for too long. If this is the case, simply toss that item and get a new one if you need it. Otherwise, enjoy the extra space you now have without that thing taking up unnecessary space.
For items that don’t have a set expiration date, like clothes or other belongings, you may want to think about when the last time you used that item was and if you plan on using it in the next three months or so. If you can’t remember when you last used or even moved that item, it’s safe to say that it’s expired from your life and can be donated or trashed.
Get In A Moving Mindest
In some instances, people need a little more motivation to really declutter their lives effectively. If you’re going to be packing up and moving soon, whether that’s to a new home or into an assisted living facility, you’ll likely want to get rid of as many things as possible so that your move is lighter.
Even if you’re not planning to move soon, Shifrah Combiths, a contributor to Apartment Therapy, suggests that you pretend that you’re moving so that you can really streamline the items in your home. Try to imagine that you’re having to pack up and move or store these items before you decide to keep them. And if you can’t imagine that they’re worth the effort, get rid of them.
Create Systems You Can Maintain
When people declutter and reorganize their space, they often set themselves up for failure by making their systems too rigid for them to maintain after the excitement of decluttering has worn off.
To combat this, Toria Sheffield, a contributor to Bustle.com, recommends that you aim for decluttering and creating organizational systems that will work for you in your everyday life. If it’s good enough for you to live with consistently, then you’ll have a much better chance of sticking with it.
If you’re needing to declutter space in your home, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you effectively do this.
