Over the course of a few years, there is little doubt that household clutter can build up. Children's toys, clothes, furniture and knick-knacks all seem to multiply! Nearly all homes that were once devoid of excessive amounts of items or that had sufficient cupboards to store everything out of sight eventually become cluttered. Even if you are not the sort of person who finds it hard to throw things away, a good declutter from time to time will help your home to look and feel less busy.
Bear in mind that decluttering is not about making your home into a sterile, almost minimalist, environment. The process is designed to make your home feel more pleasant to be in and to allow your interior décor to shine through without too many objects in the way. Follow these tips to achieve a truly decluttered home.
Sort Your Essential Clothing
Determining what will stay and what will go is imperative for a thorough declutter. Empty your wardrobe as a good place to begin. What clothing do you rarely wear and what can be put into storage until the season turns? Accessing a wardrobe with fewer items in it means less creasing and greater space. Give away things you have not worn for two years or more. Be ruthless!
Free Up Space In Your Kitchen
Do the same thing in your kitchen cupboards as you did with your wardrobe. Gadgets and gizmos that have only been used once or twice are gimmicks and you should sell them online or put them into a self storage facility until you move to a larger home or have a kitchen refit. Many people have more than one coffee maker or a blender that hasn't been used in years. Generally speaking, these items are bulky and just get in the way when you open a kitchen cabinet so you cannot find the thing you are actually looking for!
Clear Your Living Space
Reception rooms are not great for relaxing in when there is too much clutter. Take down things like shelves which have books or objets d'art on them and try to reduce the number of things you have on display. If you have children, then find a large enough toy box so that their things can be cleared away easily at the end of the day. Rotate the toys that are available with ones they don't play with so often. Put them into self storage and swap them around every few months. Younger kids tend to reengage with toys they haven't played with for a while like they are new, so decluttering helps to stimulate their interest, too.
