Spring cleaning is a ritualized social custom that has been around for years. As the winter months slowly seep away and the sun shines a little longer each day, it becomes biologically imperative to start decluttering the home. Culturally, we own more clothing and furniture than any generation that has come before us. Without regular use, these objects become stationary and turn into what we would describe as “clutter.”
Too much clutter and we can start to feel overwhelmed, but the thought of tackling the problem can feel equally daunting. De-”cluttering” can be complex, but if done correctly, it’s manageable. We’ve put together a list of best practices when it comes to streamlining the process of decluttering your house.
1. Set Realistic Goals
Decluttering is a lot of hard work, and many people falsely believe they can set aside a Saturday to get everything done. To achieve the most success with your decluttering project, you want to set obtainable goals. For example, break the task into 2 or 3 hour chunks to avoid fatigue. Becoming frustrated, tired, or uninterested in the project will only set you back rather than move you forward.
2. One Thing At A Time
Carrying over the idea from our first tip about making the tasks manageable, you can break down the responsibility further by tackling the project room-to-room and area-by-area. For example, you can start with the bedroom. Instead of a free-for-all frenzy, break it down by starting with the top of the nightstands, moving to the drawers, and finally any storage you have under the bed. Once this is complete, you can turn your attention to another area of your bedroom — the closet.
3. Choose: Keep, Toss, or Recycle
While you are moving through the decluttering process, you’ll want to dedicate space to help organize your thoughts about what will stay or go. The most common categories are “keep, toss, and recycle,” but you can extend this however you see fit. The biggest hurdle most individuals will face is following through on throwing away or recycling items. As these dedicated bags or boxes start to fill up, take them away or outside immediately. You’ve done a lot of work already in the decluttering process; you don’t want to backtrack and lose out on your progress.
4. Hold Off On Buying Anything New
Organizing while simultaneously decluttering seems like a pragmatic approach to completing the job, but it’s not always the best way to get things done. Many individuals will head out to their local shop to purchase boxes, baskets, bins, containers, etc. to move the job along. Realistically, this thought process hinders your success. Buying these extra bins only encourages you to keep things that you don’t need. If you declutter first, you can then take stock of what storage you actually need.
5. Commit To Staying Decluttered
Thoroughly decluttering your home can and should take days. You’ve tossed out, kept, and donated items to free up your space for optimal organization. Now don’t let your efforts go to waste by letting the clutter pile back up in a month. Your new system should be efficient to make it easier to keep your home clean and free from unnecessary objects lying around the house. If the system isn’t logical in any way, try to rectify the process now before you slip back into your previous bad habits.
6. Consider Off-Site Storage
There are some possessions you will stumble across in your quest for a tidier home that don’t have a place. This could be anything from tables and chairs you don’t need, to documents that are taking up too much space, to equipment that hogs most of your storage. One of the best solutions is investing in a self-storage unit. Storage units are an excellent solution for providing you and your family with that extra bit of space when you need it. The best part is renting only the space you need. Most facilities offer a range of sizes and climate control settings to preserve your most valuable possessions. 24/7 access means you’re never far away from claiming your things when you need them. It’s a win-win situation.
If you need extra storage space, call Stuff It Inn Storage. We have four locations throughout the Middle Tennessee area to make it easier for individuals and their families to store their belongings. Visit our website for a complete list of our locations, available units, and pricing.