10 Tips To Declutter Your Home

No matter how clean your house is, if there is a lot of clutter lurking about, it may still look dirty and unorganized. Believe it or not, the best way to keep a home clean and organized is to get rid of the things that you and your family no longer need. In other words, don’t be a hoarder! lol These 10 Tips To Declutter Your Home will help!

Our oldest son has always been the most organized of our kids, I’m not sure where he gets it from. But, his apartment is always so neat and clean. Once all of the kids moved out I started taking stock and looking at how he stays so neat and clean. Then I realized he doesn’t keep anything that he doesn’t use. Keep in mind this was the boy who collected EVERYTHING growing up, from bottle caps, rocks, Hot Wheels, to stacks and stacks of commemorative cups from each ballgame he attended (he would go around after the game and collect them).

I soon followed suit and I have to say I am thrilled at how much easier it is to keep things neat and tidy. Everything now has a place and stays in it’s place, there’s no papers, magazines, books, empty cups… laying around anymore. I LOVE it! (Thanks, son!)

Clutter brings nothing but trouble to your home! You can’t find anything in a hurry when you need it, the house is in a constant state of disarray, it can affect your mood and state of being, for sure. While most of us tend to hold on things that we no longer use due to sentimental value, there are still quite a lot of things that don’t really hold that kind of value and they are just taking up space. That’s why it’s a good thing to declutter your home.

Get rid of the clutter in your home and your life. Live in a clean and more organized house with these 10 essential tips.

1. Can’t Think Of A Good Reason To Keep It? Throw It Away

Go through all of the items in question. Empty your closet and all the drawers. Take all of your stuff, gadgets, and clothes and put them in a pile.

Place the pile in a large and clean area of your house so you can see everything and it’s easier to organize. While looking through your things, ask yourself these three questions:

Do you love it?
Do you use it often or will you be using it soon?
Does it hold a memory that is important for you?

If you cannot think of any way or any time you need to use an item, it’s time to toss it. Toss items that are stained, ripped, broken, outdated or have missing parts. Here are some items you’ll want to toss:

Expired food
Receipts that are not tax deductible
Broken appliances, electronics or toys
Old makeup
Broken jewelry
Old craft supplies
Worn-out clothing and linens

Divide your pile into three piles:

First Pile: Things you use on a daily basis and things you love or holds a sentimental value to the family.
Second Pile: Things you use at least once a week or once a month.
Third Pile: Things you will not use for the next six months or one year and you can get rid of for good.

Once you have sorted your piles, place the first and second piles in stackable containers and the third pile in a clean box.

It might be easier to opt for a clear box so that you don’t forget what you stored in it. Or place a label on the front of the box. It makes everything more accessible and easier to get to whenever you need it. Here are some helpful containers:

6-Pack 12-Quart Stackable Storage Box

Need to do some decluttering? We've got you covered with these 10 Tips To Declutter Your Home! We're decluttering everything from the kitchen to your desk!

4-Pack 27-Gallon Utility Black Box

4-Pack Fabric Foldable Basket Cubes

4-Pack 7-Quart White Stacking Drawer

2. Give It Away Or Donate It

Give or donate all the items in your third pile that are still in good condition. There are a lot of places that accept donations such as clothes, linens, and toys.

You are not only decluttering your home, but, you are also helping those in need.

3. Take The 12-12-12 Challenge

This is easier than the piling method. Locate 12 items that you can donate, 12 items you can throw away, and 12 items that can be returned to their proper home.

You can make this challenge a family competition: It can be fun and exciting to see which items you don’t really need, or what items you spouse or kids think you don’t need. They may have valid points be sure to share why they aren’t needed. Once you have chosen 36 items, place them in their proper place, in moving boxes, and/or garbage bags to throw or to donate.

25-Pack 4 x 4 x 4 Moving Box

6-Pack 16 x 16 x 15 Moving Box

25-Pack 6 x 6 x 6 Moving Box

6-Pack 20 x 20 x 15 Moving Box

4. Take Control Of Your Paper Clutter

One of the hardest areas of clutter in your home to control is your paper clutter.

You don’t need to keep all the physical paper — go digital! Follow these tips to help get you started in controlling your paper clutter:

Enter the information from your business cards pile into a digital contact list then get rid of the hard copies.
Come up with a system to file bills and your important paperwork.
Scan receipts — use your scanner or take a photo of your store receipts.

Or try one of these awesome machines that scan everything in for you!

5. Put Apples With Apples And Oranges With Oranges

Sometimes as the years pass we accumulate things and duplicate items, sometimes multiple items of the same kind. But, we have our favorites and the others just take up space.

Start in the kitchen and you’ll probably find many things you can do without. I recently gathered several items in my kitchen and I laid them on my table, took a picture and texted it to my daughter and daughter-in-law. Within 2 days everything was gone! I had many things I just wasn’t using and they were happy to get them!

Place all your spoons, spatulas, pots, and pans in separate piles and toss those that you don’t need. Group the related items and give them their own labeled drawers: Cooking Utensils, Stove top Supplies, Specialty Items or Baking Supplies.

You can either have a specific theme on every shelf or drawer or place them into separate boxes and containers like these:

2-Tier Sliding Cabinet Basket Organizer

Pantry Pan And Pot Lid Organizer Rack

66-Liter Clear Latch Box With Lid

5-Tier Spice Racks Organizer

Or you can make my Under $1 DIY Spice Rack below.

6. Give The Oprah Closet Hanger Experiment A Try

Identify the wardrobe pieces that you need to clear out by hanging all your clothes in reverse direction. After you wear the item and washed it, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction.

After six months, you will have a clear picture of which pieces of clothes you can get rid off. This can also apply to other items in your house: Your cleaners, kids’ toys, linens, and craft items.

7. Make Use Of Your Under-The-Sink Storage

Instead of piling all your bathroom and cleaning essentials in the vanity space or on your bathroom and kitchen shelves, take advantage of the space under the sink.

Place labeled bins, baskets, or stackable plastic drawers to tuck everything away in a much more organized way.

2-Shelves Chrome Plated Pedestal Storage Rack

2 Pack Under Sink Organizers

Bamboo Vanity Cabinet

8. Use The Space Under Your Bed

If you have a smaller closet space, you can use the space under your bed!

You can store your seasonal clothes or accessories in space-saving vacuum storage bags or fabric boxes:

6-Pack Jumbo Vacuum Storage Bags

20-Pack Small, Medium, Large, and Jumbo Vacuum Storage Bags

Underbed Storage Containers Bin With Lid

9. Detangle All Cords And Cables

One of the places we neglect when it comes to decluttering your home is our desk. It can quickly become a maze if you leave your chargers, cords, and wires out in view. Having a messy desk causes a lack of creativity and can even drag you down and overwhelm you.

Secure your wires in a cable box to keep things tidier. You can also install a shelf with cable ports. Using decorative washi tapes to label your cords can make it easier for you to know which cord is which when you need one.