The Sunday Mail
IT is a common problem, you know you have way too much stuff for your available space, but you become paralysed at the thought of de-cluttering.
One solution is to start with something that takes minimal effort but makes a big impact in your home risght away. From carving out a bit of breathing room in your closet to making a dent in the junk drawer, these five ways to begin the decluttering process are relatively painless. You can do this!
Do not plan to start with a major weekend-long purge
A big decluttering weekend can be a great way to make progress, but carving out such a large chunk of time may not be easy to arrange – and if you keep putting off getting started because you are waiting for a big space to open up on your calendar, you could be waiting a very long time.
Do not start with other
people’s stuff
Oh, it is so tempting, I know! But although you may be dying to bag up your least favourite items from your spouse/significant other/kid/house mate’s space, resist the urge – it’s not likely to go over well. Even if you have way less clutter than the other members of your household, it’s important to take responsibility for your own part. If you are lucky, the clutter-clearing bug will be catching!
Do not start at
the front door
In theory, the entryway is a wonderful place to begin de-cluttering. But guess what tends to accumulate around the front door? Stuff you actually use a lot. That means that while there could be a few things to get rid of in this area, it’s more likely that the stuff just needs to be put away. But if everywhere else in the house is packed, there is nowhere for the entryway clutter to go.
Discard a few clothes
Removing some of the clothes and shoes you do not wear from your closet and drawers is a good first step. By clearing out a bit of space in your bedroom closet, you can then tuck away some of the extra items (jackets, scarves, shoes) cluttering up your entryway, in effect clearing two areas of your home at once.
Sort a pile of papers
For as much talk as there is about offices going paperless, I find that somehow an awful lot of paper makes its way into the house. Seeing piles of unsorted paperwork while you are trying to relax or enjoy a meal can create a low but persistent level of stress in the house, so this is a helpful place to begin.
Organise the junk drawer
An overflowing junk drawer is a drag to look at and can really slow you down when you cannot find what you are looking for. Junk drawers tend to get overstuffed, thanks to stuff you really should have thrown away in the first place and too many extras of things.
Shed a piece of furniture
Perhaps you have furniture in the house that is not really needed but you put it there simply because you have it. Getting rid of just one piece can free up a lot of space. Also, furniture tends to attract piles of clutter, so one less piece also means one less place for clutter to congregate. If your space feels too tightly packed with furniture, see if you can choose a least-favourite piece to sell or donate to charity.
Give away one thing
right now
This is about the power of beginnings: When you have a mountainous task ahead of you, even a relatively small suggestion like tackling a single drawer or de-cluttering for five minutes can feel overwhelming.
Instead, go right now and grab one thing you can give away. One thing is not so hard to remove. And even if you removed just one thing each day, after a year that is 365 things – not too shabby! — houzz.com.
